Can Wi-Fi Take Us the Last Mile?
New FCC rules make it harder for DSL upstarts to compete with the Baby Bells. But the wireless revolution might keep the big guys honest. By Cory Doctorow, Business 2.0 So much for consumer choice. The Federal Communications Commission has turned its back on the public by abandoning rules that require the Baby Bells to accommodate competition in broadband services. Until recently the Baby Bells — heirs to the nation’s local telephone lines after the AT&T (T) breakup in 1983 — were required to share their lines with new rivals at set prices. This created a competitive marketplace that allowed nimble players like EarthLink (ELNK) and Covad to roll out flexible, low-cost alternatives to the Baby Bells’ highly restrictive DSL plans. Entrepreneurs have taken advantage of these rules to nurture new services and technologies. Speakeasy, a national ISP based in Seattle, allows customers to operate personal Web servers and wireless access points so neighbors and passersby can share their Inte
