Save Access

Here at saveaccess.org we just came upon this page of the City of Geneva, Illinois. We encourage you to visit their site (they have compelling documents and 'actual' pictures of telco box installations). The city is being sued by AT&T for establishing a moratorium so there would be adequate time to assess the issue. Please go to:
http://www.geneva.il.us/att/Lightspeed.htm

an excerpt:

"On May 2, 2006 AT&T filed suit in Federal Court against the City of Geneva. A copy of the summons can be found here, while the actual suit can be found here.

On April 17, 2006, the City of Geneva adopted an ordinance temporarily stopping the construction of large utility boxes in Geneva's Rights of Way, much like the type AT&T has recently placed in other communities. The City of Geneva felt it important to allow time investigate the full ramifications of such a project before moving forward."

Recent news:
from: Chicago Tribune
City hires law firm to fight AT&T suit

Barbara Kois
Published June 7, 2006

GENEVA -- Geneva's City Council voted Monday to retain the Wheaton law firm of Walsh, Knippen, Knight & Pollock to defend the city and three others against a lawsuit filed by Illinois Bell Telephone Co. doing business as AT&T Illinois.

The cost for the legal work will be $165 an hour, shared among Geneva, Roselle, Wheaton and North Aurora.

The lawsuit involves AT&T's Project Lightspeed, which seeks to provide enhanced communication services to municipalities in the lawsuit by installing large utility boxes throughout the municipalities. Geneva recently temporarily banned construction of ground-mounted utility installations on public and private property.

The council also opposed the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006 that passed a U.S. House committee and is headed for congressional consideration. The bill seeks to establish national cable franchising regulations that could dismantle local municipal franchise authority. It would give authority for local municipal rights-of-way to the federal government and would allow the Federal Commerce Commission to enforce cable franchise agreements.