After many years of backand-forth, and legal battles, value-added network service (VANS) providers have finally been given the right to provide their own network infrastructure. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, various municipalities have gone ahead with their broadband rollouts. The models and business cases vary from municipality to municipality.

As such, so does the viability of these initiatives in the face of a competitive market situation. That said, the question of whether or not municipal initiatives are still viable remains, and it is not one with an easy answer.