IMHO: level of clue is a minor point, as that can be bought. The fundamental issues for a project like this are funding, and intent. Well-funded organizations that lack intent are just problem children that like to tie up the courts to keep others from making progress. The target for a project like you describe is the organization with intent, but lacks funding. Yes some of those will have an easier time by not having to acquire the appropriate level of clue, but they may not last long if they don't. Part of your calculation has to be level of churn you are willing to impose on the city as the low-price competitors come and go. Tony
-----Original Message----- From: Jay Ashworth [mailto:jra@baylink.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 8:09 AM To: NANOG Subject: How far must muni fiber operators protect ISP competition?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Owen DeLong" <owen@delong.com>
Actually, as I understood what was proposed, you would bring Cable Coop and/or other such vendors into the colo space adjacent to the MMR and let them sell directly to the other service providers and/or customers.
I am of two minds at this point, on this topic.
The goal of this project, lying just atop improving the city's position in the world, is to do so by making practical competition between service providers, to keep prices as low as possible.
when I delve into the realm of things like this, some people could make a relatively defensible argument that I am disadvantaging ISPs who are smart enough to know about this sort of service on their own, by helping out those who are not.
I'm not sure if that argument outweighs the opposing one, which is that I should be *trying* to advantage those smaller, less savvy operators, as they're the sort I want as providers.
I think this particular point is one of opinion; I solicit such.
Cheers, -- jra -- Jay R. Ashworth Baylink jra@baylink.com Designer The Things I Think RFC 2100 Ashworth & Associates http://baylink.pitas.com 2000 Land Rover DII St Petersburg FL USA #natog +1 727 647 1274