this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2023
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Comcast, Centurylink Fail To Derail Community-Owned Gigabit Fiber Network In Bountiful, Utah (www.techdirt.com)
submitted 1 year ago by trashhalo@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org
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The city of Bountiful, Utah voted to build a $48 million fiber network to provide affordable gigabit broadband for its residents and businesses. Regional internet providers Comcast and CenturyLink opposed the plan and tried to force a public vote through a taxpayer group they fund. However, communities often build their own networks because existing options are inadequate. Data shows that community-owned networks provide better, faster, cheaper service than monopolies. While big internet providers claim community networks are a boondoggle, they are just another business plan that often succeeds due to quality proposals and local accountability. Comcast and CenturyLink did not want to provide the high-speed internet Bountiful needed, but also tried to block the city from doing so itself.

You love to see it. Do you have community Internet available where you live?

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[–] ArtZuron@beehaw.org 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Private ISPs could do it better if they weren't largely all monopolies. The US average internet speed is a fraction of most other developed countries mostly because of them.

[–] maynarkh@feddit.nl 7 points 1 year ago

Some of the best internet in the world is in Romania, where just by pure chance it's all private but with the government owning the last mile. That's how it should be, companies are only effective if there is an effective market keeping them that way.

Monopolies should be busted, natural monopolies should be either state owned or very tightly regulated including the prices as there is no true price discovery when there is no competition.

[–] ProfessorPeregrine@reddthat.com 7 points 1 year ago

Shrug maybe they could. They have yet to prove it in the real world in the US, as you mentioned.

I like that my ISP has no profit motive and is driven solely by customer/taxpayer satisfaction.

I wouldn't like it if it became a political football, but so far so good. I think its safe for now because it is the same network used by the fire and police departments. Comcast really tried to kill it off.