Those franchise agreements aren't a something-for-nothing type of arrangement.
In exchange for a franchise, a telco has to guarantee coverage to a certain area and give up other things called "proffers." That usually includes things like public access channels and money/bandwidth for schools/libraries.
In Northern Virginia, Cox Cable has to provide FREE public access INTERNET which includes colocation of a server.
Consider also that building a network isn't cheap and franchise agreements are a way for a city to get a service that wouldn't otherwise arrive without some guarantee of a market.
Comments
Those franchise agreements aren't a something-for-nothing type of arrangement.
In exchange for a franchise, a telco has to guarantee coverage to a certain area and give up other things called "proffers." That usually includes things like public access channels and money/bandwidth for schools/libraries.
In Northern Virginia, Cox Cable has to provide FREE public access INTERNET which includes colocation of a server.
Consider also that building a network isn't cheap and franchise agreements are a way for a city to get a service that wouldn't otherwise arrive without some guarantee of a market.