Verizon Seeks To Nix Fee-Based Municipal Wireless Grids

millermp writes "It looks like Verizon has succeeded in banning municipal WiFi networks in Pennsylvania. Since Verizon is looking to broadband service to fuel its growth, it calls municipal WiFi 'unfair competition.' This bill is following similar legislation earlier this year in Utah, Louisiana, and Florida." The bill has yet to be signed by Pennsylvania's governor, and as the story says, does not ban municipal wireless per se, but would place great restrictions on how it could be funded.

Verizon wants to have their cake and eat it too

[DARKFORCE123]

Community : Please Verizon roll out your high speed internet services for us.
Verizon : I'm sorry . Your current community doesn't have a sufficient return on investment for us to build a high speed network in your area.
Community : Fine . Then we will have a community funded wireless network which is easily available with today's technology.
Verizon : No, you cannot do this!
Community : Why not ? You said you didn't want to invest in infrastructure in our community or that it would take 7-10 years even if you decide to do something.
Verizon : Well .... Well .... Because!

Other unfair government services

[KillerDeathRobot]

It's not fair that the government provides us free police force and firemen. The private companies can't compete and its killing the economy.

This is a sign of the times

[adolfojp]

It is a sad world to live in where you can get sued for giving away stuff for free.

Whats next? Microsoft suing [insert favorite Linux distro here] because their free operating system is unfair competition to MS? Pharmaceutical companies suing a charity that gives away free vaccines to babies because then the people won't buy as many of the competing brand vaccines?

...oh wait! Shit like that already happens everywhere everyday.

Cheers,
Adolfo

Re:This is a sign of the times

[Y0tsuya]

Like how Microsoft was sued for giving away IE?

Re:What's worse

[Anonymous Coward]

Working together to help each other out? Communism!!! How will the big corporations make the money they so richly deserve with all you stinking red commies out there? It's as bad as those Canadians with their evil commie cheap drugs!!1!11!1!!

I'm a Blurry-eyed Dreamer

[p-hawk42]

Verizon Seeks To Nix Fee-Based Municipal Wireless Grids

Did anyone else read that as "Verizon seeks a Unix Free-BSD Municipal Wireless Grid"?

Boy I'm tired.

Re:How long...

[franktank232]

Not with Laura Bush in the Whitehouse. She is a strong backer of the library system, and invasion of defenseless third world countries.

Re:Why not compete?

[Bombcar]

Don't feel bad. Half of us thing that Australia is where the Governator came from.

And we all know you ride kangaroos and eat crocodiles.

In related news

[martinde]

Coke is seeking to ban drinking fountains, as their business plan seeks to sell more Dasani bottled water...