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from the if-you-build-it-they-will-come dept.
TechDirt reports
Grassroots revolution [such as cities building fiber networks themselves or striking public/private partnerships with companies like Google Fiber or Ting/Tucows] is precisely why large ISPs like Charter, Comcast, and AT&T have spent the last decade lobbying for (and in most instances directly writing) protectionist bills across twenty different states banning local citizens from making these kinds of decisions for themselves. If you want to see precisely why these regional monopolists are so afraid, you need look no further than Huntsville, Alabama.
City-owned Huntsville Utilities has been building a fiber broadband network that should service the lion's share of the city's homes and businesses over the next few years. What's more, the network will be open access--meaning that ISPs can come in and compete with each other over the regional infrastructure. Google Fiber has already signed up to be one of at least three ISPs taking advantage of the build, and should begin offering service there by the middle of this year.
Have any Soylentils had this happen in their area?
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @07:36PM
Huntsville's got a lot of technical jobs fueled by defense contracts. So, as cities in the deep south go, its highly educated and pretty liberal.
Its no Austin or Boulder. But it is significantly different from the rest of the state.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @11:16PM
I'd like to see your numbers on that.
defense contracts
In my experience, defense suppliers don't tend to have demographics greatly different from the general population (of the USA--not of Alabama).
Where there is a skew among defense suppliers, again, IME, it's toward the Reactionary/Authoritarian portion of the political palate.
Since you chose to mention the Military-Industrial Complex instead of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, [indeed.com] I'm going to assume that your statement isn't based on firsthand observation.
Again, I'd like to see your numbers.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 19 2017, @12:27AM
> first-hand observation
Actually, that is exactly what my observation is. I am a former defense contractor and we used to deal with people out of huntsville ALL the time.
Your reference to NASA is hair-splitting. But my personal experience was not with NASA people either.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday February 20 2017, @04:37AM
Let me try to understand your "first hand experience". You had some contact with some people in Huntsville, and you were impressed with their education/communication/efficiency/whateverelse. Since this ran counter to your expectations of drawling backwoods hicks in Alabama, who would have trouble reading a simple electric schematic, you ASSUMED that Huntsville is an exception to the norm.
How much time have you spent in Alabama? How well do you know the people of Alabama?
In my own experience, Alabama has it's fair share of idiots, as well as it's fair share of very bright people. The worst I can say for Alabama is, they have more than their fair share of racist sons of bitches - but, I wager even that isn't as bad as you think it is.
Oh - the liberal bastion shit. Yeah, you're an elitest. People who don't share your political views have to be ignorant savages, on par with the great apes living in the jungle. Got it. Politics, as usual.