According to a recent story in the Washington Post, "Around the country, large telephone companies have aggressively lobbied against localities launching their own Internet networks, arguing that they amount to taxpayer-funded competition. Some states have laws prohibiting them."
If large corporations are against it, this option should probably be explored in greater detail.
Burlington is one locality launching its own municipal fiber-optic network, with $10 broadband, inexpensive phone services, and cable TV starting at $14 a month. Brattleboro should consider being another.
High speed Internet access is the kind of thing that stimulates business, education, and entertaiment. A project like this would create jobs and would give people of this town an investment in their own future.
A solid telecommunications infrastructure is valuable to a town the way electric, telephone, and water lines provide a public service. Burlington considers their locally owned fiber optic utility to be an "electronic public road" that is open to everyone — an a good investment in their future.
Telephone and cable companies see these town networks as a threat to their near-monopolies. One telephone company rescinded an offer of use of a building to New Orleans after it was announced that New Orleans was going to offer free wireless access to attract people back.
We often talk about planning for buildings, parks, roads, and sewers. Is it time to think of the Internet as a public utility in Brattleboro?