Boostrapping India : COMM.04 - RLPP over cable companies
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Proposed administrative procedure
COMM.04   -   RLPP over Cable   Companies

Purpose
: To reduce nexusproness in regulation/supervision over telecommunication/cable companies

Pre-requiste readings :
  • RLPP.
  • Administrative issues in telecommunication.

      Contents
    1. Problem in cable industry
    2. Solution?COMM.04
    3. Advantages of COMM.04
    4. Draft of the act to create procedure COMM.04


    Problem in cable industry

    A local area cannot have 10s and 100s of cable companies. At most, it can have 2-5 cable companies. So once tha available slots are taken away, unless citizens have way to expel an inefficient incumbent, there is no way a cheaper and more efficient cable provider can be called in.

    Multi-wire support network makes it economical for citizens to expel an existing cable provider and invite a new one. COMM.02 is an administrative procedure which will enable citizens to have Multi-wire support netwrok. COMM.04 provides an administrative procedure by which decision to expel/invite cable companyb can be taken.



    Owning the land of cable distribution center

    The TV-cable network consists of 2 parts ---- distribution center and wires. The distribution center receives signals from satellites and the signals reach home via a network of wires which run from the center to every homes. The site of Cable Distribution Center should be owned by City, and MUST NOT be privately owned. Why? So that if and when citizens fire a Cable Distribution Company, the new company can be given that building and so no re-wiring would be needed.



    Solution? COMM.04 - RLPP over cable companies

    1. The Mayor will divide the city into wards of population 10000 to 50000. The Mayor will decide the maximum number of TV-cable wire-laying companies and TV-cable distribution companies that can be allowed in a Ward.

    2. The companies who already have permission to put TV-Cables will be allowed to continue.

    3. Any citizen, using RLPP, can Approve upto twice the maximum number of wiring-companies allowed for putting cable lines. (eg if the Mayor has set the maximum number to 3, then each citizen can Approve upto 6 companies).

    4. Allowing a new cable laying company : If any company has Approval of over 25% of the citizens in that Area, and if there is a vacant slot, then the Pipe/pole Installer will allocate a slot for the company.

    5. Expelling an existing cable laying company : If there are N slots and N companies are already there, and a company gets the Approval of over 25% of the citizens which is 2% higher than approval-count of the existing company with lowest approval, then the Mayor will expel the company with lowest Approvals and invite the highest approved company. The expelled company will have to remove the wires from the slot, or else the Pole/Pipe Installer may remove the wires after the Jurors' approval.

    6. Using RLPP, a citizen can also approve upto twice the number of cable distribution companies allowed in his Area.

    7. If over 25% of all citizens approve a company, the Mayor will allow that company to run a cable distribution center in a Ward.

    8. If there are N vacancies for cable distribution, and there already N companies, and if a company gets Approval of over 25% of the citizens, then the Mayor will expel the company with lowest approvals. The expelled company will have to vacate the site within 30 days.



    Advantages of COMM.04

    COMM.04 will make cable business more competitive, and thus reduce the cost of cable connection and service.

    Opening up cable industry has economic as well political importance. The oligopoly in TV-cable industry creates perversion in news-reporting. The owners and their friends get good grades from news-reporters while enemies of their enemies get bad grades. Using this grading system, the owners of TV-cable encourage MPs/Ministers/officers to cultivate friendship. In reality, it is nothing but blackmailing.

    An individual’s freedom of speech would not serve much purpose without individuals’ ability to communicate cheaply and promptly. The reason why citizens fail to create alternate options is that creating alternatives needs communication. Means of communication, such as newspapers, magazines etc are currently owned by a closed oligopoly making it impossible to communicate on issues they don’t like. In absence of proper communication, citizens do not get the right kind of information and this creates confusions of all kinds.



    Draft of the act to create procedure COMM.04

    To enact COMM.04, a law needs to be passed in District Panchayat or City Council. I have drafted the text for that law. To see the draft, please click here.

         Now citizens can ask City Councilors to pass this Act. But IMO, it will be wiser for citizens to first enact procedure LM.01, and then use LM.01 to pass this COMM.04 draft WITHOUT any help from Councilors. To know about procedure LM.01, please click here.



    If you have any other question, please mail it to MehtaRahulC@yahoo.com. Thousand thanks in advance.





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