Over the last decade, 19 states have made it illegal for municipalities to own fiber networks -- encouraged largely, I am told, by Verizon and other cable companies/MSOs[1]. Verizon, of course, isn't doing any new FiOS deployments, per a 2010 press release[2]. FCC Chair Tom Wheeler has been making noises lately that he wants the FCC to preempt the field on this topic, making such deployments legal. Congressional Republicans think that's a bad idea: http://www.vox.com/2014/7/20/5913363/house-republicans-and-obamas-fcc-are-at... [ and here's the backgrounder on the amendment: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/blackburn-bill-would-block-... ] While I generally try to avoid bringing up topics on NANOG that are political; this one seems to be directly in our wheelhouse, and unavoidably political. My apologies in advance; let's all try to be grownups, shall we? Cheers, -- jra [1] http://motherboard.vice.com/read/hundreds-of-cities-are-wired-with-fiberbut-... [2] https://secure.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Again-Confirms-FiOS-Expansion... -- Jay R. Ashworth Baylink jra@baylink.com Designer The Things I Think RFC 2100 Ashworth & Associates http://www.bcp38.info 2000 Land Rover DII St Petersburg FL USA BCP38: Ask For It By Name! +1 727 647 1274