[Apocryphon]

Seems like it's easier for local governments to set up their own public broadband services than their own competing big tech companies. And there's been plenty coverage of the fight for public broadband and the pushback from monopolistic ISPs.

[j_walter]

The problem is local governments are not competent enough to do so...and even if they figure out how to do so it's at a large multiplier of the cost of any major ISP.

https://municipalbroadbandpdx.org/home

There is a link to getting local broadband in Portland...it's a total mess and waste of money.

[kevinventullo]

It depends. I’ve only heard good things from my parents about the municipal offerings in my hometown in rural-ish Iowa. Cheaper, faster, better customer service than the existing private ISP I had growing up.

[j_walter]

I'm sure it depends on the size and efficiency of the municipality...but the ones around Portland are about as incompetent as they come.

Don't forget that many are subsidized...so yes what they are paying monthly may seem to be cheaper there is probably tax money being funneled to that municipality for offering broadband as well.

https://ocio.iowa.gov/broadband-grants

Lots of money being thrown at the startup costs...

Honestly they might be better off using that money to buy everyone StarLink dishes...the speeds are going to be better than what a lot of them are getting.

[pope_meat]

That looks like a brand new project, the feasibility study is from Sept 2020, so I don't know if it's quite time to gauge competency of anything?

[j_walter]

Feasibility study concluded in Sept 2020 (it started in 2019)...but lots of money has been spent already and with little to show for it.

The MBPDX organization was started in late 2017...and they still don't even have a "team" listed on their website.