Voters in Fort Collins, Colorado, yesterday approved a ballot question that authorizes the city to build a broadband network, rejecting a cable and telecom industry campaign against the initiative.
Fort Collins voters said "yes" to a ballot question that gives the city council permission "to establish a telecommunications utility to provide broadband services," The Coloradoan wrote.
Industry groups tried to convince voters to reject the municipal broadband network; the city's mayor called it a "misinformation" campaign by the broadband incumbents.
The anti-municipal broadband group, called "Priorities First Fort Collins," spent $451,000 campaigning against the broadband network ballot question.
Comcast is a member of both groups that funded the anti-municipal broadband campaign, while CenturyLink is a member of the chamber.
The pro-municipal broadband group in Fort Collins, the Fort Collins Citizens Broadband Committee, spent less than $10,000 in the campaign.
Colorado has a state law requiring municipalities to hold referendums before they can provide cable, telecom, or broadband service. »
