Re: Bait and Switch?

Well, this is newsy!

I would like to include a reaction from PersonalTelco members. Who wants to
step up and be quoted? Russell? Michael? Don?

- Sam Churchill
DailyWireless
-----------------------------
On 10/5/07, Brian Moon <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> What does "anchor tenancy" mean? What does it look like?
>
> My first thought was of a shopping mall: a bunch of stores, mostly small,
> with a large store (Macy's or Sears, for example) as a big draw.
>
> But I don't know how that would work for municipal wireless.
>
> On 10/5/07, Michael Weinberg <michael.weinberg-LS+HbC+WUqwFvAYqzeGVJV6hYfS7NtTn@public.gmane.org> wrote:
> >
> > It would appear that MetroFi is now refusing to build networks
> > without anchor tenant agreements, regardless of prior contracts.
> > After first backing away from cities where they had won bids but not
> > signed contracts, MetroFi has now declared that they are halting
> > their Portland deployment indefinitely, with a not so subtle
> > suggestion that the future of the deployment will hinge on whether
> > Portland decides to become an anchor tenant. [1 + 2]
> >
> > Many people--including PTP members, City Commissioners, Business
> > Journalists and bloggers--questioned the MetroFi business plan, and
> > suggested that muni-wireless by a private business could not work
> > without an anchor tenant. MetroFi, though, insisted at their
> > appearance before Portland's City Council that city-generated
> > revenues would make up at most 25% of MetroFi's income. Given that
> > they made this pronouncement, specifically in response to questions
> > about the financial viability of their model, it seems they had the
> > opportunity to demand anchor tenancy, but they declined it.
> >
> > Is this a bait and switch, or is it just a reasonable adjustment for
> > market realities?
> >
> > More importantly, I expect that at this point, they are pushing the
> > City to enter into an anchor tenancy agreement, and if you have an
> > opinion regarding which course the city should take, I recommend you
> > write the Mayor and City Commissioners letting them know what you
> > think. [3]
> >
> > Michael
> >
> > [1] http://www.kgw.com/video/video-index.html?nvid=181025
> >
> > [2] http://blog.oregonlive.com/business/2007/10/
> > mayors_office_portland_wifi_ne.html
> >
> > [3] http://www.portlandonline.com/index.cfm?c=28533
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
> --
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>



-- 
Sam Churchill
(www.dailywireless.org)
-- 
The Personal Telco Project - http://www.personaltelco.net/
Donate to PTP: http://www.personaltelco.net/donate
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