Short Take: Open cable requirement dies in Florida

The Miami-Dade County (Florida) Board of County Commissioners, on a 10-2 vote, decided against requiring cable operators to open their high-speed Internet networks to unaffiliated ISPs such as America Online. Three local governments--including Broward County, Florida--have imposed such mandates, but Miami-Dade County, which has studied the controversial topic for some time, declined to. AT&T, a primary opponent of what it calls "forced" cable access, characterized the vote as a "win" for consumers. Supporters of so-called open access called the vote "unfortunate."