Denver councilman floats policy to treat the internet like a utility, making it more accessible

Denverite: Denver internet users  — so, a lot of people —  are at the will of Comcast and Century Link when it comes to how and if they access the information superhighway. Now, some City Council members want the government to declare its independence, at least to an extent.

Councilman Paul Kashmann publicly launched his bid Wednesday to opt out of a state law that prevents Colorado cities and towns from spending local dollars on enhancing broadband infrastructure. His proposal “is not an attack on our current broadband providers,” he said, but he does want the city to explore providing municipal broadband to fill in the gaps left by commercial providers.

Internet access is inherently unequal because it costs money. Income should not dictate whether or not you can participate in society, Kashmann said. He cited data from Denver Public Library that estimates 20 percent of Denverites aren’t connected to the internet.

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