Open access principle in municipal networks: Implication for next generation information infrastructure

This paper discusses the prospectus of local broadband networks which are municipal owned and operated in the northeastern area of the USA. The focus of this study is on the sustainability of such networks as compared to the legacy carriers implementing their own networks in a more bottlenecked environment. The objectives are to gain a better understanding of the challenges and implications of open access for broadband services and to provide a foundation for evaluating the advisability of mandatory open access policies. Two case studies show different approaches and results. One case adopted the modified open access approach, whereas the other case's open access was adopted in a laissez-faire way. The result of this study raises a need to come up with an appropriate policy that can promote open access. The case studies shed light on how future markets for broadband multimedia services may evolve in the future.