Supreme Smackdown on Municipal Telecom
In what could be a blow to the rollout of fiberoptics-to-the-home, the Supreme Court has ruled that states can stop cities and towns from going into the telecommunications business. The court upheld a Missouri law prohibiting municipalities from offering local telecom services. At least eight other states have similar laws to the Missouri one. The decision was a victory for SBC Communications and other local phone companies, which were supported by the FCC. In response to the 8-1 ruling, SBC (the country’s second-largest local phone company) issued a statement saying that local governments should focus their energies on foster ing competition among private communications companies, rather than becoming telecom providers themselves. The trouble, as Jeff Hecht reported on TechnologyReview.com in December, is that–particularly in rural areas–telecom companies have had their chance to provide technologically up-to-date service and have generally fallen short. In fact, while big telecom companies have dithered, municipal utilities in place like Grant County, WA, and Kutztown, PA, are pushing bandwidth-rich fiberoptics to the home.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it
The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.