The Independent, in a calm and well-reasoned review of the risks and benefits of the LUS proposal, reiterates its support of the Lafayette’s fiber optic initiative. The Independent web site hasn’t been carrying its weekly articles so I will break with my usual practice of linking to websites in lieu of extensive quotation in order to give you a fuller taste of the piece. Still, it is worth going to one of the Independent locations to get a copy of your own.
Already, just the talk of LUS’ project has incumbent providers offering better technology and lower costs, and promising even more down the road—though neither Cox Communications nor BellSouth will commit to any long-term plans to bring fiber into households. And their copper alternatives will always have severe limitations in a world of infinite possibilities for the transmission of data streams.
…If this heavy dose of fiber comes close to meeting its goals, the system’s long-term benefits to our education, health care, and business systems could be huge.
…LUS has a long track record of success—and this project’s phased-in rollout allows it to pull the plug midway if numbers don’t add up. The worst-case scenarios that the project comes to fruition and latter fails. Considering that LUS has 55,000 electric customers the utility claims that it would only take each of us a dollar or so more on our monthly utility bill to pay off the $2 million annual debt.
It appears to be a risk that Lafayette is willing to take.
Amen to that.
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