Save Access

from: Capital Times

Reject cable legislation

An editorial — 7/27/2007 10:16 am

After months of revelations about the back room political dealing, the big-money lobbying and the deceptive claims that have characterized the campaign by out-of-state telecommunications companies to undermine the ability of citizens to regulate local cable television service, the Wisconsin State Journal has taken the side of out-of-state firms over that of Wisconsin communities and consumers.

Note: Now if the courts would only rule that U-verse is a bogus deception.

from: Reuters

Court rules U.S. cable laws apply to AT&T's U-verse
Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:21PM EDT

By Yinka Adegoke and Ritsuko Ando

NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court has overturned a decision by Connecticut authorities that would have allowed AT&T Inc. (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to expand its new U-verse Internet video service in the state more quickly.

from: Yesh.com

Join NC Public Broadband List

From Yesh.com, July 26, 2007

Not long after I learned about HB1587, the bad NC House bill, I started a Google Group called NC Public Broadband. Its a email list with the goal of keeping people in the loop about what’s going on in the fight to protect community broadband. Its mainly an announce list but you can respond to emails. We can also upload files to share. Like a PDF of legislation or an Excel Spreadsheet of Legislative contact info.

from: Creative Loafing Tampa

No More Public Access?
July 24, 2007
By Alex Pickett

Democracy for America? The Keg Show? Straight From Da Streets?
As of Sept. 30, you may no longer have your share of these and 97 other alternative programs on Pinellas County’s public access TV channel.

from: Andrew Jackson Democrats

Municipal Broadband Attacked in North Carolina
Posted by CarolinaDem at 7/19/2007 12:40 PM and is filed under North Carolina Politics

With the US lagging behind most of the developed world with less Internet access and slower speed connections, it's somewhat outrageous that any state government would block communities from extending broadband access to their citizens-- but North Carolina is now debating HB 1587, which is being promoted by the North Carolina Cable Telecommunications Association to stop local communities from owning and subsidizing access to community-run telecommunications systems.

from: Spinal Column

Commerce, AT&T may be close to utility box agreement

Kirk Pinho

July 18, 2007 - A proposed ordinance in Commerce Township which has sparked concern among AT&T officials and some township residents appears to be nearing finalization, as legal counsel for both the township and the telecommunications company continue to iron out their differences over the ordinance provisions.

from: Wisconsin State Journal

Mayor: Beware of big metal boxes

By EMILIE RUSCH
July 16, 2007

On a grassy terrace on West Lawn Avenue Monday was a vision of the future Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, hope to avoid.

The metallic gray refrigerator-size box at Monday's news conference was a replica of the 60-by-42-by-20-inch metal boxes AT&T would install to bring its video services to the area.

AT&T also raised local phone rates in Texas soon after that state franchise passed (as a result of the deregulation). These increases are intended to lure subscribers into "triple ploy" agreements, undermining the propaganda of both "consumer choice" and "lower prices". Statewide video franchises are turning out to be one of the largest public/private sponsored consumer frauds in history - hopefully people will wake up and bring their legislators to account.

from: Blogging Broadband

Congratulations, AT&T?

It has been a little more than six months since Michigan’s state legislators passed 2006 PA 480, the “Uniform Video Services Local Franchising Act.” The purpose of the new law was to streamline the video franchising process so more competition in cable services could develop. Traditionally, a video provider would have to negotiate with a local government for a franchise which would authorize the company to provide video service to the community’s residents. AT&T and other large phone companies claimed that negotiations with each local government were too time consuming and would hamper the rollout of competitive services. So Michigan’s state legislators gave AT&T what it was after: A process that allows the company to walk into any city hall and get a video franchise within 30 days, without any negotiation.

from: Broadband Reports

The Fiscal Problems Of Franchise Laws
There's a problem when telecom companies write legislation

The Video Service Competition Act, passed into law last year by the General Assembly in North Carolina, is your basic cable franchise agreement. It was supposed to increase competition, reducing pricing and give consumers more cable service choices.