Wisconsin public Internet fights telecom attempts to kill it off

[DainBramaged]

The University of Wisconsin's Internet technology division and a crucial provider of 'Net access for Wisconsin's educational system are under attack from that state's legislature and from a local telecommunications association. At issue is the WiscNet educational cooperative. The non-profit provides affordable network access to the state's schools and libraries, although its useful days may be numbered unless the picture changes soon.

Under a proposed new law, the University of Wisconsin system could be forced to return millions of dollars in federal broadband grants that it has already won, spend far more money on network services, and perhaps even withdraw from the Internet2 project.

Give it back
As we go to press with this story, WiscNet is negotiating with the leadership of Wisconsin's state legislature. Here's how the situation stands now: at the urging of Wisconsin's state telecommunications association, Republican legislators have introduced an omnibus bill that would sever WiscNet from the University of Wisconsin at Madison's Division of Informational Technology, and bar it from taking any money from UW.

The proposed law even goes so far as to prohibit UW from taking National Telecommunications Information Agency (NTIA) broadband stimulus grants, or joining any entity that offers broadband to the general public.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/wisconsin-public-internet-fights-telecoms-attempts-to-kill-it-off.ars

[snot]

1. K&R'd -- this is impt.!

[drm604]

2. WTF?

How is this fiscally sound? This is nothing more than privatizing at the expense of the taxpayers and the benefit of private providers. The schools will end up paying more for internet access (if they can even afford internet access).

Don't anyone tell me that the Wisconsin administration is trying to act in the best interests of the taxpayers. Everything they do says otherwise.

[Scuba]

3. This is a Walker pay-back to telcoms for their support. Basically means rural...

...Wisconsin is at the mercy of the telcoms for high-priced internet service. The UW is providing rural service on previously dark fiber they rent from the telcoms.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

4. WTF is the point of this meanness? n/t

[dragonlady]

5. Another way to attack public employees

The school districts and municipalities will have to pay more for Internet service in the schools and libraries or go without. How can they stop having Internet available to students and patrons? They really can't in today's society. They have probably already cut their costs of tangible supplies to the bone. What else is left except the personnel budget? Bake sales might help, I suppose.

[drm604]

6. This is an attack on public education.

They want to privatize education, and part of their game plan in achieving this is to strain the budgets of public schools and universities. Of course this also helps out their supporters in the telecom business, so they're killing two birds with one stone.

[Eugene]

7. Kick nt