Earthlink Rescues NOLA

In the ongoing saga of wireless access in New Orleans, TechDirt provides this update.

From the post:

"Last week, we mentioned that BellSouth was making the brain-dead PR move of lobbying the Louisiana state legislature to shut down an emergency WiFi network used by thousands of residents. Now, Earthlink has stepped in and said that they will happily take over operation of the mesh WiFi network. Earthlink, of course, is actively pursuing multiple opportunities in Muni-mesh WiFi, and in the case of New Orleans, the legislation in question only applies to gov't-run networks but not commercial networks. Thus, by ceding the network to Earthlink, New Orleans can keep it operational."

More from a Wired article:

"New Orleans technology chief Greg Meffert said many devastated areas of the city likely will not have private internet service for years. He said the city is prepared for a showdown — new law or not. The system will stay up, regardless, though Meffert said he expects court challenges.

"If you can get to the net, you can do business," Meffert said.

"In the end, it takes a federal judge to issue a restraining order," he said. "Until that point, if that point ever comes, we'll keep running it. It's a lifeline to these people."

See also:
BellSouth vs. NOLA
Net Neutrality and Bill Smith's Parents
Jeff Pulvier's RBOC SMackdown
The Internets
BellSouth Punishes New Orleans