Community Broadband Media Roundup - October 5

Community Broadband News By State

Colorado

DavisGig working toward faster Internet service by Felicia Alvarez, The Davis Enterprise

Kentucky

Ready … or not? If we’re prepared, broadband can transform Appalachian Kentucky by Ron Daley, Northern Kentucky Tribune

Maine

Sanford, Maine's broadband project will be the largest municipal fiber network in the state, eight times the size of the next largest municipal network in Maine.

Broadband Bound! by Ellen W. Todd, Sanford News

Sanford to Build 32-Mile Municipal Broadband Network by Tom Porter, MPBN News

Sanford, Maine, to Build State’s Biggest Muni Broadband Network by Darren Fishell, GovTech

Rockland area exploring $18.6 million community broadband by Stephen Betts, Bangor Daily News

Portland summit to focus on high-speed Internet as key to growth by Whit Richardson, Portland Press Herald & Government Technology

Minnesota

$43.5 million broadband project to be celebrated by Angie Riebe, Mesabi Daily News

Northeast Fiber Network expands by more than 915 miles in areas of unserved or underserved access.

Ohio

Fairlawn steps closer to creating municipal broadband utility by Sean Patrick, Akron.com

Inside the Dollars and Cents of Cleveland’s Latest High-Speed Internet Investment by Oscar Perry Abello, Next City

Tennessee

Tennessee Defends Its Community Broadband Ban in Court by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Cleveland Utilities President Says It Needs To Catch Up In Broadband Technology by David Davis, The Chattanoogan

Tennessee Voraciously Defends Its Right To Let AT&T Write Awful State Broadband Laws by Karl Bode, TechDirt

After fifteen years in an apparent coma, earlier this year the FCC woke up to the fact that ISPs were effectively paying states to pass laws focused entirely on protecting uncompetitive, regional broadband duopolies. More specifically, they've been pushing legislation that prohibits towns and cities from improving their own broadband infrastructure -- or in some cases partnering with utilities or private companies -- even in areas local incumbents refused to upgrade. It's pure protectionism, and roughly twenty states have passed such ISP-written laws nationwide. 

Texas

Downtown broadband potential rates a comprehensive study on the hurdles by Jim Wilson, Waco Tribune

Yet some Waco City Council members argue convincingly broadband service is critical long-term in redeveloping our city’s core and attracting key businesses. And that’s why municipal broadband initiatives are taking root nationwide. These efforts seek to occupy the vacuum that Internet service providers leave when no initial payoff is foreseen.

Virginia

A Rural Community Thinks Big by Andrew M Cohill & Matt Rowe, Broadband Communities Mag

Businesses were threatening to leave Charles City County, a rural area in Virginia. Then county officials committed to improving broadband access – and the economic picture turned around.

General

Man builds house, then finds out cable Internet will cost $117,000 by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Sun Prairie's City Council decided in July to build a municipal fiber network. It's starting as a pilot project in one area but could eventually go citywide. There's no certainty that it will reach Marshall's home, but the initiative provides a glimmer of hope. Wisconsin state law imposes some restrictions on municipal broadband, but doesn't ban the projects.

Naturally, Charter and Frontier both opposed the Sun Prairie network. The companies "spent more than 90 minutes telling city officials why it’s a bad idea, highlighting failures in other municipalities, questioning the utilities’ ability to handle operations, and even hinting, if it goes through, they’ll cut jobs in the Sun Prairie area," said a Sun Prairie Star account of a meeting a few weeks before the vote.

Comcast, Time Warner Again Rank Lowest in Customer Satisfaction by Paul Ausick, 24/7 Wall Street

White House: Municipal Broadband will Expand Internet Service and Increase Competition by Carson Bolter, IVN