Community Broadband Media Roundup - April 22

Arkansas

Why did Arkansas change its mind on municipal broadband? by Nick Keppler, CityLab

“If someone with a degree in coding gets a remote job here, they can’t stay,” she says. Arkansans who want to take online classes face the same roadblock. “I’ve had people tell me they can’t pull up emails at their house,” Davis says. “They have to go to McDonalds and use the Internet.”

(please see our story for a more detailed analysis of the bill, SB 150, which passed this session) 

Colorado 

Yampa Valley Electric gets OK to start broadband work in Craig by Clay Thorp, Craig Daily Press

Loveland council to vote on new rules for small-cell wireless providers by Julia Rentsch, Reporter-Herald

Kansas

For small-town economic success, broadband is the new railroad by Peggy Lowe, Marketplace

Thanks to an existing local fiber network and help from the Rural Innovation Initiative, Emporia is hoping to become a rural tech hub, with an incubator for entrepreneurs who will bring jobs to the area.

Montana

Bozeman declares broadband as essential infrastructure by Katheryn Houghton, Bozeman Daily Chronicle 

Ohio

Affordable, reliable broadband key to economic development by Senator Rob Portman, Logan Daily News

Washington

Senator visits Yakima to discuss digital divide and how to fix it by Janelle Retka, Yakima Herald-Republic

Rural broadband Internet bill heads to Washington governor by Anthony Kuipers, The Lewiston Tribune

General

Municipal broadband Is roadblocked or outlawed in 26 states by Kendra Chamberlain, BroadbandNow

Interactive rural broadband CAF map updated by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor

Trio of North Carolina counties close to broadband agreement by Charlotte Wray, Henderson Daily Dispatch 

Senate Democrats confront ‘digital divide’ in new bill by Makena Kelly, The Verge

Report: 26 states now ban or restrict community broadband by Karl Bode, Motherboard 

“In a time when communities need as much investment as possible to build strong economies, these states are more focused on protecting the monopolies that are investing too little,” ISLR’s Christopher Mitchell told Motherboard in an email. “Many of these states are actually using taxpayer dollars to subsidize privately owned networks when they will not let local taxpayers decide to build their own network—which is often done at no cost to the taxpayer!”

FCC rural broadband fund would move funds from existing program by Bill Lucia, Nextgov