This chilling effect created by the legislative tools has several dimensions. While some municipalities may speed up network deployment to 'beat' the deadline of the enactment of restrictions, others may either roll back their plans or the project may be abandoned altogether. In these latter cases, the result is the diminished potential of wireless networks. Some local governments may scale back efforts to provide services to citizens, restricting broadband service to government employees. While these local governments may continue to enjoy the benefits wireless networks as consumers of broadband services (policing, code enforcement, etc.), private citizens and small businesses outside of the government domain could be excluded. The broader implications of this are missed opportunities for economic development and the possibility of a deepening digital divide. However, even if municipal broadband networks are not deployed to the public, there may yet be positive outcomes. With broadband serving as a disruptive technology and municipalities playing the role of entrepreneur, the actions of these entrepreneurs may spur private sector innovation, or at least wider broadband deployment.
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