Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

chtechcomm - [Chtechcomm] Cleveland threatens to seize Adelphia fiber

chtechcomm AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Chapel Hill Technology Advisory Committee

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Terri Buckner <tbuckner AT ibiblio.org>
  • To: Chapel Hill Information Technology Advisory Committee <chtechcomm AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Chtechcomm] Cleveland threatens to seize Adelphia fiber
  • Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 19:40:17 -0400

Cleveland threatens to seize Adelphia fiber

From Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 11, 2005
By Thomas Ott

Cleveland Heights — The city has threatened to seize miles of fiber-optic cable so it can provide wireless Internet service.

The network, which belongs to the Adelphia cable television company, links all City Hall, schools and all other public buildings in Cleveland Heights, keeping them in contact through high-speed telephone, data and video connections. Adelphia built the system as a condition of its municipal franchise agreement.

Adding transmitters would let laptop-computer owners jump onto the Internet in any area near the public buildings.

The city has decided to explore the project, Law Director John Gibbon said. Officials have not determined how many transmitters to use, who would operate the system and whether to charge users a fee.

“It depends a lot on cost,” Gibbon said. “I think it’s premature to say what this would eventually look like.”

If Cleveland Heights gets access to Adelphia’s cable, the city would save money on installation, leapfrog to the front of the Wi-Fi movement and bolster the aging suburb’s appeal to young professionals.

“In the big picture, it’s one more reason to live in Cleveland Heights,” city Planning Director Richard Wong said.

Gibbon said Cleveland Heights would be content to lease or tie into the network but threatened to go to court under its powers of eminent domain because Adelphia has not turned over information on the network.

City Council delayed action Tuesday, at Adelphia’s request. Adelphia spokeswoman Lee C. Shapiro said the company is negotiating with the city, but she declined to say more.

Telecommunications companies have protested the creation of municipal wireless systems, and some states have outlawed them. Ohio legislators have discussed a ban, said Gibbon, who oversees a telecommunications section at the law firm of Walter & Haverfield.

Cox Communications, which supplies cable television to 10 cities in western Cuyahoga County, has talked with several of the cities about adding wireless Internet service, spokeswoman Christy Frederick said. She would not name the cities.

Cleveland officials want to set up wireless Internet service for city workers with the help of the nonprofit group OneCleveland. OneCleveland seeks to provide high-speed, ultra-broadband Internet access to public and other nonprofit agencies in Northeast Ohio.




  • [Chtechcomm] Cleveland threatens to seize Adelphia fiber, Terri Buckner, 09/12/2005

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page