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The Fiber Optic Opportunity
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| The
Referenda in 2003 & 2004 did NOT pass. In 2003 it DID receive
over 40% YES votes and in 2004 over 45%. So why don't we just go home with our
tails between our legs and acknowledge the superior marketing
of Comcast and SBC? |
| Maybe because that's exactly
what they expect us to do. |
| We promised we would be
watching them... to see if they kept any of the promises they
made during their multi-million dollar effort to defeat the
municipal broadband referendum. And guess what? All they've
done since the last vote was counted is raise prices, decrease
services, confuse their customers and make an offer to buy Disney.
Yeah, Comcast can't afford to give seniors a discount on cable
service anymore, but they can afford BILLIONS to bid for Disney. |
| Many, many citizens from
all three cities in the Fox River Valley have been calling their
elected officials to complain about the price hikes, the cuts
in service, the poor customer service, the frequently changing
lineup on cable TV and on and on and on. |
Our group has been
encouraged to take another look at bringing this issue to
a vote. Now that more people understand the issues and now that Comcast and SBC have so
clearly shown us how "neighborly" they are and how
they have our best interests at heart, we are going to frame
a new referendum vote.
Did you know that in January of 2003, the cost for Standard
Cable with one Premium channel was $48.47 (see page 2)?
Were you aware that ONE
YEAR LATER, that same service cost $65.83 (Standard Cable
+ a digital converter + Premium Services)? That rate jumped again by another 6% after the November 2004 referendum. Thanks so much,
neighbor! |
| This is still the right
technology for the future of the TriCities. Last year, our friends
at Comcast and SBC liked to question our judgement about promoting
an all fiber optic network. That's rather comical considering
this article from the L.A.
Times. |
| What about arguments that
this isn't fair to the private sector or that this is "too
hard?" Please visit the website of the American
Public Power Association and study some of the common misinformation
spread by the incumbent providers. |
| Please, download our
survey and our
flyer. Read them and discuss with your friends and neighbors.
If you have any questions, please send an email to info@tricitybroadband.com
or feel free to call us directly at (630) 938-7630. We want
to answer your questions. We want to make sure you are absolutely
convinced of this project's validity. We want you to believe.
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The concept behind TriCity Broadband is to build a locally
owned and operated utility to serve the future of our communities...
with NO TAXPAYER DOLLARS AT RISK! |
Simply put, a Fiber to the Home (FTTH) system, owned by
the Cities of Batavia, Geneva, & St. Charles will ensure:
- A highly reliable cable television service at a better
price delivered via a state of the art system with room
for future offerings.
- A highly reliable true high-speed internet service at
a better price for all TriCities residents that will change
with the times.
- A highly reliable telephone service at a better price
for local and long distance calls.
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| Even if you decide not to subscribe to any of the municipal
services, you still benefit. Real competition forces SBC to
pay more attention to the TriCities. The same goes for Comcast.
The end result? You get better service from existing providers.
Your rates go down. Your options for service expand. |
Construction of this utility also affects the larger picture.
It creates a level playing field and REAL competition for
Comcast and SBC! All through a single, reliable, future proof
fiber optic line directly to your home or business.
As buildout expands, the uses for the fiber optic backbone
grow also.
- Point-to-point business services (link your offices or
stores together) within Batavia, Geneva & St. Charles
- Automatic meter reading for the electric and water utilities
- Bandwidth can be available for telemedicine uses
- Long distance learning
- Smart home technologies
- Home-based businesses
- Things we haven't even thought of
One of the major concerns in the 2003 election was the
use of General Obligation bonds to back this project. While
the Cities' feasibility study showed the numbers projected
no potential risk to the taxpayers, the incumbents (Comcast
& SBC) played up these fears to the voters of the TriCities.
In 2004, we removed that concern. Our model
called for the use of private sector investment only,
thus NO TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE AT RISK. ZERO. ZILCH.
NADA.
PLUS - the money you pay for municipal service stays right
here and is reinvested right here. It doesn’t go back
to San Antonio (home of SBC) or Philadelphia (home of Comcast).
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As a voter in the TriCities, you have a chance to change
the future in your hometown. Municipally owned cable, internet,
and phone saves you money and brings accountability for billing,
customer service, and upgrades back to a local level.
TRUE LOCAL SERVICE. TRUE LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY. AND
YOUR MONEY STAYS HERE. |
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info@tricitybroadband.com