TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Laptops Tune On, Tune In to Seattle Metro's Transit

Re: Laptops Tune On, Tune In to Seattle Metro's Transit

John L. Shelton (john@jshelton.com)
Thu, 08 Sep 2005 00:55:52 -0700

John Stahl quoted a newspaper writer:

> I wish more cities would get gutsy and fight the local Teleco
> incumbent (it seems that they and the cable provider think they "own"
> connection to the Internet) to put FREE Wi-FI every where (especially
> on busses with the high cost of fuel) they want. I haven't heard if
> Philly and other cities have given up their quest and fight to put in
> these systems.

The cities aren't doing this for free. They tax their citizens (and
visitors are taxed more than citizens) to provide these allegedly nice
services. Do you really want your cities expanding their budgets and
spending on things that commercial vendors are happy to compete to do?
Perhaps they should go build levees or something that others don't
want to do.

Why is wi-fi on the bus good for citizens who don't ride, or don't
have laptops? For you left-thinkers out there, why are your cities
catering to the wealthier bus riders? Why not free coffee, of value to
all bus riders? (Dallas tried that trick in the 1970s, but people
still drove to work.)

When foreign governments subsidize industry, many of you call it
"dumping" and protest it. But if Seattle does the same thing, again
depriving someone of a job, you call it good.

The only "fair" thing is to allow competition from all providers and
for government to step back and try to do well in the few areas we
entrust to it. If a city prevents competition, the solution isn't
letting only the city compete: it's real competition.

*sigh*

=John=
john@jshelton.com

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