Becca Vargo Daggett on the definition of “public broadband”
“Public broadband” is very different from private ownership of municipal networks, argues Becca Vargo Daggett in a column that takes on Civitium and MuniWireless.com.”Public broadband” is very different from private ownership of municipal networks, argues Becca Vargo Daggett of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, in a column that takes on Greg Richardson’s lament over the ideological issues that stymied San Francisco’s plans for a municipal wireless network .
In the column, she incorrectly characterizes MuniWireless.com, saying this web site “appears to be guided by a definition quite close to Mr. Richardson’s.” That conclusion stems from my description in an earlier post of Richardson’s column as “well-argued.”
Click here to read Daggett’s column.
For the record, we’re not taking sides in this debate and dispute her characterization. I could as accurately describe Daggett’s column as “well-argued” and worth reading. It’s our practice to link to diverse points of view and analyses from this blog and to use them as jumping off points for discussion.
Within that discussion, my own view on the question of whether “public broadband” requires a definition is that it has many and that the choice of which one to apply is ultimately the choice of the municipality. The fuzziness around the definition of public broadband has produced quite a number of promising business models. Many of those are still being tested and what works well for one municipal agency may not work well for another.
It’s an interesting question, though, and one that is worth exploring. I invite your comments below.
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