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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.

Harold has been on a roll lately and on target as usual - it's worth following his site regularly. It seems that once again the telcos are considered integral parts of the military industrial complex and as such have privileged military contractor status. With Bush involved, the 700 MhZ auction could become yet another rigged state secret.If the telcos seize this spectrum, they will cinch their roll-out efforts for triple/quadruple play that will leave cable, PEG and the cities in much the same situation as so many Iraqi towns.

from: Wet Machine
by Harold Feld

700 MHz Endgame: Has AT&T Asked Bush to Put Thumb On Scale?