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A photograph of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

 

 

The south-eastern Tennessee town of Chattanooga has some of the fastest internet connection speeds in the world, thanks to a fibre-optic network installed by the government-owned electric company, EPB.

 

The town, with a 2012 population of just more than 171,000, has used its internet speeds of over 1 gigabit per second to attract new businesses, including five venture capital funds with 2014 investment capital of more than $50m (ÂĢ30m), according to the Guardian.

 

Chattanooga's success is a testament to the power of government infrastructure investment, writes Daily Kos blogger Steven D.

It's also, he says, a threat to the private telecommunications monopolies, which are content to offer lower levels of service, "slowly draining the lifeblood out of our nation even as they steal whatever is left in our pocketbook".

 

He contends that private-sector malaise and greed are part of the reason why US internet speeds currently ranks behind 30 countries, including South Korea, Romania and most of Europe.

"Uruguayans have better internet service than citizens of the 'greatest nation on earth,'" he writes. "Pretty damn embarrassing, if not a big surprise."

 

Companies like Cox and Comcast are trying to prevent public utilities like EPB from competing directly with private internet providers, he says.

The companies argue that government-supported entities have an inherent competitive advantage over private businesses when they succeed and are a drain on government coffers when they fail.

 

Currently 20 states have laws placing limits on municipal broadband networks, according to Ars Technica, including strict prohibitions in Texas and Nevada.

 

Private telecommunications companies are also fighting to prevent Federal Communications Commission regulations that would make it easier for municipalities to circumvent these state rules.

 

"I have said before that I believe the FCC has the power - and I intend to exercise that power - to pre-empt state laws that ban competition from community broadband," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in May.

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Ramroop internet company launches hi-speed service without telecoms licence

September 4, 2014 | By | Filed Under News 

 

New GPC’s Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

New GPC’s Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop seems set to earn even millions of dollars more as Global Technology’s iNet Communications has rolled out its high speed internet service using satellites.

The company in making its announcement that was reported in the Wall Street Journal said, “Through its licensed telecommunications provider, iNet Communications, Global Technology is now offering Internet connectivity with download speeds ranging from 512 Kbps to 10 Mbps.”

It is however, unclear how iNet was able to roll out the service at this point in time since from all indications it is yet to receive its Telecommunications Licence.

Three companies, Quark Communications Inc., Global Technology’s iNet Communications and E-Networks were identified to receive Telecommunications Licences under the proposed changes to the Telecommunications Law.

The amendments to that law are still being engaged by a Special Select Parliamentary Committee which is yet to conclude its work.

Global Technology directors include Ramroop, his Secretary Valerie Khan, his Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) Director, Roopnarine Ramcharitar, George Melville, Jude Phillipneri and Orson Smith.

Ramroop shares a close friendship with former President Bharrat Jagdeo. The friendship, many believe, led to Ramroop’s companies under the rubric of QAII, benefiting immensely from government contracts.

Ramroop was also awarded five radio frequencies by former President Bharrat Jagdeo days before the latter left office in 2011.

Melville was quoted as saying: “We are now the only telecommunications provider with this capability, and we are growing the network with several installations per day.”

Global Technology said that iNet has already deployed the IP Easy satellite solution for several key users, including government and defence, mining, small businesses and residential consumers.

Head of the E-Governance Project, Alexei Ramotar, in a brief interview with this publication yesterday said, that when that project comes on stream, it will not be a case of providing government with access to the internet. As such, he surmised that the arrangement between iNet and Government might continue in future.

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

According to Ramotar, the E-Governance project is meant to give access to the public, to government services, as well as interconnect the agencies.

He stressed that the interconnected network will link government services to allow persons to access them. It is not a case where the e-governance project will be providing internet access to Government.

Ramotar said, too, that the fiber optic cable being strung from Brazil did not fall under the E-governance project and as such he could not pronounce on its use.

According to the Wall Street Journal Report “The Global Technology Group is a privately held technology solutions provider that is the combination of three companies: iNet Communications (acquired in 2013), Global Technology Inc. and Global Services Inc. iNet communications is a licensed telecommunications provider in Guyana, specializing in designing, installing and actively managing large data networking solutions for government agencies. iNet has recently (sic) started to offer similar networking solutions to corporations.”

Mitwah

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