The Number

A study prepared for the Business Journal by BroadbandNow found that the average monthly telecom expenditure by companies in Woodland Hills is $593, compared to a national average of less than $360. The Texas-based firm helps consumers find the best internet provider by maintaining a database of locations, prices and services. The study found that 80 percent of consumers in Woodland Hills have only two wired broadband providers, AT&T Inc. and Charter Spectrum. “We don’t consider two providers a competitive market, especially when they offer different services,” said Tyler Cooper, a representative for BroadbandNow. AT&T offers internet through its phone lines, while Spectrum offers cable television through coaxial cable. The “telecom spend” figure above includes phone, television and other services in addition to internet access. Cooper said the situation becomes clear by examining connection speed as measured in megabits per second. In Woodland Hills, a MBPS costs $93. The national average for cable providers is about $5, while for phone line access it’s $37. “If there were six providers, you can bet the providers would double their speed,” Cooper emphasized. So what’s a consumer to do? First, Cooper suggests visiting BroadbandNow.com to compare providers. Second, he encourages municipal broadband. When Chattanooga, Tenn. installed a municipal fiber network, it sparked a tech boom as companies moved in to take advantage of low cost of living and large data capacity. California law stipulates that a public agency can provide communications services as long as no private entity wants to do so. That law limits funding to build broadband networks. “There are a lot of roadblocks, but it starts at the local level,” Cooper said. “It only takes one obsessed community member to get things started.”