How to untangle the San Francisco wireless debate

HOW TO UNTANGLE THE WIRELESS DEBATE
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Jed Kolko, Public Policy Institute of California]
[Commentary] The debate in San Francisco is about who should own and operate the citywide, high-speed Internet service network -- the public or the private sector -- and whether the wireless antennae used for broadband are detrimental to the environment or to public health. These arguments have held up San Francisco's proposal while cities in its backyard, such as Sacramento and a consortium of dozens of Silicon Valley cities, move ahead with planned networks. Not only have they delayed the project, but they're the wrong arguments. The explicit goal of most governments who are getting into wireless broadband, including San Francisco, is to close the "digital divide" -- the gap between those who have and use high-speed Internet, known as broadband, and those who don't. Providing low-cost or free broadband service is intended to give everyone equal access to the Internet's wealth of information and resources. Proponents of these wireless networks -- in San Francisco and elsewhere -- expect municipal broadband service to help citizens find jobs, become better educated, stay healthier and use online government services. They also expect it to create jobs because better Internet connections attract businesses. But my research shows that when people switch from dial-up Internet to high-speed broadband Internet, they are more likely to research medical information online, as well as download more music and visit more adult entertainment sites -- but they're no more likely to search for jobs or use online government services than when they had more primitive technology. As for attracting businesses, the savings a firm would get from using municipal broadband would be very small compared to the labor, real estate and other cost considerations that factor much more heavily into the decision of where to locate and whether to expand. While some businesses, in some situations, will certainly take advantage of a municipal broadband network, it is doubtful that the service would attract or create many jobs. So what should San Francisco do? If municipal broadband is to be in the city's future, it's critical to: keep monthly usage costs low; establish programs that improve access to computers and raise computer literacy; and use very conservative revenue assumptions while planning for unforeseen costs from technical challenges.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/07/09/EDG6QQ4RC...