Save Muni Wireless

Phil King Still Confused

Yesterday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram published an article on the anti-wireless provision of HB 789. The article has a very discouraging quote from Rep. Phil King, the bill sponsor:

King said he views most municipal Wi-Fi networks as a ploy by cities to start for-profit businesses.

"No business should have to compete with public tax dollars," King said.

Telecommunication companies hold the same position. SBC spokesman Gene Acuna wrote in an e-mail that cities should provide Web access only in public spaces and cited a threat to free-market competition.

I'm dismayed by Rep. King's statement. The testimony presented to Rep. King's committee doesn't support that statement. We've not seen a single case where a municipality has operated a broadband network primarily as a for-profit service. The targets have always been selected on the basis of need—never revenue potential.

If a muni network costs the municipality money, we're told it's wasting taxpayer money. If the network is run on a break-even or revenue positive basis, we're told it's unfair competition. This argument is as fair as a two-headed quarter.

Clearly Rep. King has the wrong metric. The right metric is: are we making more broadband available to Texas citizens and companies? There are a variety of models to do that. We say let the markets and communities decide, not the special interests.

Glenn Fleishman has some further comments on this article.

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