Eric Lampland has been President of Lookout Point Communications, an independent consultancy, for more than ten years. A network architect for over 30 years, he was involved with the Internet in its early stages, helped develop ATM technologies in the 1990s, worked on network and application convergence for over 20 years and is now a leader in developing Municipal Commons; consulting with communities to take advantage of these technologies including deploying fiber to the Home (FTTH).

Over time, he has found that the excuses for not investing in newer technologies have remained the same: nobody needs it; it’s too expensive; what would people do with it, and, of course, the existing private market should or will do it. If any of that were true, we wouldn’t have the Internet today. Cooperation between all involved, public-private, individuals and organizations, is critical for success. People invested in the present are least likely to change. People who aren’t have given us the life we have today: the Internet, interactive Web technology, free telephone service, social networks and a whole lot more. Once technology is in place, people have always come up with creative uses for it.

Eric enjoys working with communities but finds that developing and deploying broadband requires faith and mutual respect, which can be difficult but rewarding. He has been involved in local efforts with Eagan, Lakeville, Lake Minnetonka Cable Commission, Northfield, Red Wing, St. Paul and more.

A 2008 prediction: “We will pass the tipping point in the development, with actual installations, of Municipal Communications Commons in 2008. Municipal Commons is now a fully legitimate public/private infrastructure alternative to lagging legacy providers as governments seek to enhance the public good.”