RFSTUF

133 US cities now have their own broadband networks

By Nate Anderson |

If you want 100Mbps symmetrical broadband—which offers the same upload and download speeds—and you live in the state of North Carolina, you have only one choice: a city-owned broadband provider. The city of Wilson's "Greenlight" ISP recently bragged about signing up "North Carolina's first homeowners" with the service, which costs $150 a month if packaged with other services.
Such publicly owned networks can offer services that incumbents don't, such as the 1Gbps fiber network in Chattanooga, Tennessee, run by the government-owned electric power board. And they sometimes have more incentive to reach every resident, even in surrounding rural areas, in ways that might not make sense for a profit-focused company. ...