A friend is frustrated by his lack of internet options in his current living arrangement. He is thinking about starting up some sort of organization to wire up the neighborhood (conduit runs from each house to covers on the street). He has the technical ability. But neither of us know about the legal aspects of setting something up and ramifications of running the cable.

Just looking for general ideas of where to begin and what pitfalls he might face.

-Foxxz

Starting up a co-op utility is a huge ordeal. Like millions of dollars ordeal. You will probably need more involved than your neighborhood. You generally start by hiring an attorney and contacting your public utilities commission. They will have to approve it no matter what you end up doing.