A Historical Perspective - The Essential Role Of Consumer-owned Electric Utilities in Developing The National Broadband Infrastructure

Are we at a turning point of new national broadband strategies and policies to create truly pervasive 21st Century digital network with Broadband For All in 2009? Or will the gorillas just be fed again ...

More than 14 years ago James Baller delivered a speech at the American Public Power Association Annual Telecommunications Conference in Nashville Tennessee (Nov 31st 1994).

He ends his speech with the following:

" ... consumer-owned electric utilities should be encouraged not to stop after taking care of their own utility-specific communications needs, because community benefits of improved communications do not end with the utility. Tremendous opportunities also exist for consumer-owned power systems to participate in the development of the information superhighway. Consumer-owned electric utilities are part of the local government and share the objectives and aims of the community -- quality service delivered economically. Melding the needs of different parts of a city can occur through pursuit of publicly-owned communications facilities. Such facilities can supply common benefits shared by police and fire departments, water and sewer operations, public health programs and other public functions. It can allow the creation of a burglar/fire/health emergency system and provide direct communications to citizens. It knits together city services.

The Administration, Congress and state governments should not impede, but should in fact induce, consumer-owned power systems to develop their own local communications infrastructure. They should do everything possible to encourage elected and appointed officials in communities that have such systems to seize the opportunity to bring this technology home to their local citizens. This would dramatically accelerate the pace of making the benefits of the Age of Information available to all concerned at an affordable price.

Conclusion


In the film The Magnificent Seven, a town that has been pillaged each year by brigands puts its fate into the hands of seven outlaws. These former villains become ennobled by the prospect of doing good and drive off the brigands, once and for all. While this theme may work well in the movies, there is little reason to believe that entrusting the future of the information superhighway to cable and telephone giants will ensure a similar happy ending. The Administration and Congress should hedge their bets by encouraging electric utilities, particularly consumer-owned power systems, to become actively involved."

Source: James Baller, The Baller Herbst Law Group