Comments on: Can Internet Access Cooperatives save the U.S. broadband gap?

By: Robert J. Berger

Robert J. Berger — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 05:17:27 +0000

Unless we get the Government to protect coops enough so that the incumbents can’t just stomp them out with laywers, guns and money, it will be rare cases like Vermont and a few others that can get enough oxygen to survive long enough to get critical mass.

Right now the Incumbents, the top levels of the Kleptocracy, have 100% regulatory capture and are using that to smash any potential competitor before they can get very far.

By: Matt Cropp

Matt Cropp — Sat, 25 May 2013 14:38:51 +0000

In Burlington, Vermont this is not a hypothetical question. Our existing municipal telecom has been on rocky ground the last few years, so we recently incorporated a co-op, elected a board, and are actively building our membership base in a bid to transition to cooperative ownership. It’s been (and going to continue to be) a lot of work, but the project has brought together an incredible and diverse community of very sharp and dedicated folks, and I’m feeling hopeful 🙂 Further info:

Website: http://www.keepbtlocal.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/KeepBTLocal
Interview with an organizer from early on in the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQVHYmay55o

By: Todd S.

Todd S. — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:17:45 +0000

It’s worth taking a deeper look at, but I’m dubious about the ability of a coop to simultaneously fight the big telecoms and run miles and miles of its own fiber optic lines.