Pass the Brand X, Please

The June ruling and the potential move by the FCC are significant because they limit the use of existing networks to the owners of those networks. What are companies like AOL, Earthlink, and the bevy of Independent Service Providers to do if they do not have access to incumbent networks? Will they go the way of the Competitive Local Exchange Companies (CLECs), who sprung up after passage of the Federal Telecom Act in 1996, only to fade away when the Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) failed to cooperate on use and interconnection with their networks? It appears so, and prospects for such "non-facilities based competitors" are gloomy ... unless .... new independent networks arise to compete and offer an alternative.

Enter the municipal broadband network. Whether wired or unwired, these networks are expected to get a boost from these recent government rulings concerning network usage. More vital than ever for non-incumbent competition, these networks offer hope for a vital competitive marketplace of service providers. The time is right to take a long hard look at a network for your city.

Follow activity in Cincinnati, where Cinergy has been working with BPL provider Current Communications, which recently received a $100 million investment by Google, Goldman Sachs, and others (See the July 7 blog UnwireMyCity.com: Shocking Information: Huge Cash Injection into BPL Firm.

Or check out Lafayette, LA, where voters recently approved a $125 million bond package to build a fiber optic network, over the objections of incumbent providers (See the July 17 blog UnwireMyCity.com: Public's Voice Rings Out in Louisiana: "I want my broadband!".

Or watch the news for a selection in the next few days in Philadelphia, which recently selected a short list of vendors for a wireless network (See the July 21 blog UnwireMyCity.com: And Then There Were Three ... Feels more like the Final Four.

The options abound, the trick is to get busy and take control of your destiny. For hints on getting started, see the July 29 blog UnwireMyCity.com: Stick to Your Knitting, Work Within Your Circle of Control.