Chapel Hill Technology Advisory Committee

[chtechboard AT willraymond.org]

Burlington Vt. goes live with their municipally-owned network.

http://www.burlingtontelecom.com/

Burlington uses a pay-for-play model run by the municipality, a model
a bit different than what I've suggested but at least they're
getting it done.

For $130 per month you get:
- 183 cable channels, including all the premiums
- unlimited local and long distance phone service
- 5 megabit per second broadband - upstream and downstream

I don't have cable but if I did my costs for 1/5th the
download/1/10th the upload speed broadband, same phone
service and cable from Time-Warner in Chapel Hill would
be $170.

And, of course, all profits from Burlington are recycled into
the system to offer better service.

Will


--- FAQ of Why Burlington Telecom? ---

Yes, Burlington's citizens and businesses currently enjoy options for
cable TV, internet access, and telephone services. But none of the current
providers (Adelphia, Verizon, DISH etc.) have, in Burlington, a network
capable of delivering all the services that are rapidly appearing and
which will be basic to the lives and economy of communities in the coming
decades.   Only a universal fiber-to-the-home system can do this.   The
other carriers are investing in such networks—but only in selected major
metropolitan areas—not in rural areas and small towns and cities.  Nor are
there signs that they plan to do so in the foreseeable future.

This is why the City of Burlington, like many other small cities and towns
around the USA, has decided to ensure that all of Burlington's citizens
and business have the up-to-date telecommunication services they need by
building a municipally owned 21st century fiber optic infrastructure.

This infrastructure will pass every home and business in the City and will
be able to carry virtually unlimited amounts of traffic and services.  As
such, this network will be the “electronic public road” system of the
future.  And, like the public roads (but UNLIKE the networks of all other
carriers) the City’s fiber system will be open to all.  Any citizen or 
company which wishes to use this system to deliver services—internet,
cable TV, telephone,  distance education, distance medical care,
customized advertising, local sports and public affairs, local video,
movies and music  etc—will be able to do so on an open, non-discriminatory
public-utility basis.

Burlington Telecom will provide the three basic services itself:  cable
TV, telephone, and high speed internet.  But anyone else will also be free
to use the network to deliver these or other services.  (This is similar
to a City providing public roads while also providing basic bus service as
well. Citizens and businesses can use the bus service or they can use the
roads to provide their own transportation.)

We believe that the citizens of Burlington deserve to have such open and
universal access to a telecommunications network with sufficient capacity
and flexibility for the foreseeable future at a reasonable cost. We will
strategically and efficiently roll out BT's services to the community in a
consistent, cost-effective manner with an emphasis on quality customer
service. We are a municipally owned and authorized telecom department that
is dedicated to delivering a state of the art telecom network.

Burlington Telecom is alone, and it appears will continue to be alone, in
offering open access to a modern network as well as providing all three
telecommunication services - voice, internet and cable TV to anyone who
wants them.  This locally owned utility, whose revenues will be reinvested
in the utility (not in 3.1 billion dollars in loans to owners), will

- provide the highest quality telecommunication services available;

- provide superior and neighborly customer service;

- provide a single easy to read bill (not three);

- be competitively priced if not cheaper than its individual competitors.

 This is your network! Act locally, connect globally! To keep informed on
the progress on the rollout of our service to you sign up for our
newsletter.