email: tompoe [ at ] fngi dot net
This image represents telecommunications in our world, today. What's interesting about the image, is the very center of the image. It contains a representation of centralized control over our Internet. In the past, when analog technology drove our telecommunications, there was agreement that the "noise" generated by transmissions too close to each other, would inhibit the effectiveness of those who would use the airwaves that we own. The infrastructure for telecommunications was expensive, and as a result, much of the telecommunications infrastructure was turned over to the private sector to build and operate. The question, now that we have entered the digital age, is, do we need to continue relying on a centralized, for-profit private sector to build and operate our telecommunications infrastructure?
Let's consider a local broadband infrastructure. It costs $50 per house (and that price is dropping) to establish phone, tv and radio broadband capability. Once in place, communities can coordinate low-cost connectivity to neighboring communities. Once neighboring communities are in place, states can negotiate with other states to connect, and at some point, when the entire country is hooked up in a network of local community broadband infrastructure, the government can decide how best to connect to the rest of the world. Such a national broadband infrastructure policy is decentralized, not centralized. It is a legacy for future generations who will enjoy free local broadband access, and a national telecommunications infrastructure that is controlled by local participation, rather than relying on for-profit corporate control of what we see and hear.