An open network allows a variety of entities to provide service on a reasonably equal basis versus each other and the network operator. A closed network is one that sets aside a great deal of the network capacity for a limited set of providers, usually but not always limited to the network provider. Cable networks, for instance, use the vast majority for video services that they provide, and only a small portion for data services that may operate with little or no involvement by the cable operator.
Published in Chapter:
Municipal Efforts to Promote Residential Broadband
Roland J. Cole (Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, USA), Isabel A. Cole (Independent Analyst, USA), and Jennifer A. Kurtz (Independent Analyst, USA)
Copyright: © 2009
|Pages: 22
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-282-4.ch031
Abstract
The key reason for including this chapter in this book is that the development of more advanced forms of e-government requires that residences have high-speed broadband. Without such connectivity, the advanced forms of service provision and exchange are simply not feasible. The potential benefit of delivering e-government services to entities outside government–in particular, individuals, households, or small organizations–is at least equal to the benefits that can be realized by performing governmentto- government processes electronically. Meeting citizen and small business expectations for efficiently performing electronic transactions over the Internet, however, depends on the design of the e-government application (which government can control), as well as the speed and throughput capacity of the digital communications connection (which government may influence but does not control). This chapter discusses issues surrounding municipal promotion of residential broadband, and the authors’ proposed resolution of such issues, along with suggestions for further research.