[author]
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[title] '; include("head.php"); ?> Electric Utility

Digital Infrastructure: The New Public Works?
Niles, John S.
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Describes a spectrum of activism defined by four patterns in which U.S. state governments span a continuum of approaches from inadvertent and unconscious on one end to building and operating government-owned telecommunications systems. Included in the discussion are two geographic perspectives -- statewide and community-by-community -- and a look at some of the barriers to government involvement.

Fiber Antics: Practical Lessons in Building a Municipal Fiber Optic Network
Grant, August E. , Ph.D.
Berquist, Lon
[HTML version] [pdf version]

Draws lessons from the city of Austin, Texas and its process to select a company to build a broadband network to provide telephone, cable TV, digital video, and digital data services. Readers may find the city's selection very interesting and insightful. It is hoped this information will be useful to companies wishing to work with city governments on advanced telecommunications networks.

If Competition Won't Build the NII, Utility Partnerships Will
Rivkin, Steven R. , Esq.
[HTML version] [pdf version]

The author argues that, expense notwithstanding, broadband fiber is far superior to any other telecommunications medium for building a "door-to-door" national network. In his view, the local electric utility is fortuitously positioned to meet this national need for early deployment of broadband residential networks and to make competition work -- in telecommunications and information services.

Positioning the Electric Utility to Build Information Infrastructure
Rivkin, Steven R. , Esq.
[HTML version] [pdf version]

The author discusses the unique position of electric utilities to build a broadband network with capacity to support both utility and non-utility applications, such as telecommunications and information services.

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