A Texas state lawmaker has written a telecommunications bill that would ban Texas cities from joining in wireless Internet networks, saying it isn't acceptable to let government at any level compete with private business.
King's chief of staff, Trey Trainor, told the Houston Chronicle that his boss's staff is reworking the bill to acknowledge legitimate uses for municipal networks—particularly public safety communication and other legitimate local government services—but the basic objection to government competing with enterprise would stand.
Technology For All representative William Reed told the paper the King proposal, reworded or not, is objectionable. "I'm not real pleased," he said. "As it currently stands, the bill eliminates competition, innovation and a huge research opportunity."
Reed's group has build a free-access Wi-Fi network in the Pecan Park neighborhood, with help from Rice University and Mayor Bill White, the paper added, in a project its builders hope becomes a model for offering everyone in the city free or extremely low-cost Net access.
The Chronicle said a number of telecommunications companies who offer Internet access have denied involvement in writing the King bill, though some agree with its spirit. SBC Communications said cities should be allowed to offer Wi-Fi in public places but not to compete with private businesses offering Wi-Fi to residents or businesses.
Philadelphia is preparing to offer citywide free Wi-Fi access, and Los Angeles, San Francisco, and some other major American cities are said to be studying ways to do likewise.
