San Francisco’s plan to provide universal wireless broadband access to all of the city’s residents is more likely to waste taxpayer dollars than it is to provide state-of-the-art Internet access to residents, according to a coalition of scholars speaking out against the city’s plans.

A group of 20 scholars from numerous organizations say that if cities like San Francisco become Internet providers it will “undermine technological progress” and needlessly force taxpayers to subsidize Internet access for the large segment of society that already pays for access as well as those who don’t use the Internet.

The Municipal Broadband Compact points to the rapidly declining prices of broadband Internet access and growing penetration rates as a clear sign that government intervention is not needed. It also suggests that the city and taxpayers will quickly be saddled with outdated technology that will require hefty, ongoing taxpayer investment just to keep pace with private companies.

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