We're suing you for your own good
Just remember: If a company is suing you, it’s for your own good.
After the city of Monticello, Minn., decided to stop waiting for its cable and DSL companies to step up to the plate and install a fiber optic network on its own, it was suddenly faced with a lawsuit by local telephone provider Bridgewater, a unit of TDS Telecom.
TDS is claiming that — despite the fact that the measure was overwhelming passed in the city — similar plans in other cities were abject failures, and don’t want to see the city end up with a multimillion dollar boondoggle.
Surprisingly, they also admit that they’re seeking to protect their “investment” in the city. Which is a nice way of saying that if the city builds the network, the company will lose control of a valuable infrastructure that would be opened up to competitors.
In the wake of all this, TDS has sent in crews to build its own fiber optic network, although the city is still determined to continue with its plan to build its own. An earlier proposal by the city to link the projects and work together was rejected by TDS.
You know, it’s one thing for a company to act to protect its own interests, but it’s completely laughable that they would try to justify its actions as being beneficial to the community. They should just call a spade a spade.
Do they really think they can win the public relations war in this one?
The opinions expressed above are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the State News.