The study finds that 18 states have restrictive legislation in place that makes establishing community broadband difficult.
“In rural communities, in particular, private competition is sparse, if it exists at all.”
“The cost was prohibitively expensive for a city our size,” he said in an email interview.
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“A regional, state-wide, or even national solution would be better.”
Another common barrier for municipal broadband is pricing, according to the report by BroadbandNow.
That makes it hard for the municipal broadband web link to introduce more competition into the local market.
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“The way the FCC maps broadband access is woefully inadequate and inaccurate,” he added.
“Broadband mapping should also include information on affordability.
McMorris argues that regulations limiting competition need to change.
Theres proof that municipal broadband networks can work better than traditional ISPs, experts say.
