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Article: Municipal Broadband Networks Risky for Taxpayers, No Boon to Economic Development.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- ePostal News
- Article date:
- November 8, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 G2 Computer Intelligence. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Cities that have attempted to build and operate broadband networks often report large losses that taxpayers or ratepayers have to bear according to a new report from The Heartland Institute.
Of some 55,000 towns and municipalities in the US, only about 200, or 0.5%, operate municipal broadband networks. Many communities that have taken the plunge have experienced multimillion-dollar losses that taxpayers have to pay for. The report, "Municipally Owned Broadband Networks: A Critical Evaluation," updates work the organization did in 2002 when broadband was less available and more expensive.
"Threatening to build a ...