Community Broadband Media Roundup - April 29

Arkansas 

Efforts to provide Internet where residents need it most, KAIT8

Colorado

Town of Vail opts into Project THOR to enhance regional broadband service by Scott Miller, Vail Daily 

Public, private or both: Eagle County communities mull broadband options by Pam Boyd, Vail Daily

Boulder, Colo., considers funds for expanded broadband by Cassa Niedringhaus, Daily Camera 

Illinois

City markets its new broadband business by Pam Eggemeier, SaukValley.com 

Kansas

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

Maine

How Central Maine Power plans to keep its vow to improve rural broadband by Lori Valigra, Bangor Daily News 

Massachusetts 

South Hadley Electric continues rollout of high-speed residential Internet access by Dennis Hohenberger, MassLive

“There’s a tremendous amount of interest. Customers are giving us a lot of positive feedback. There’re very hungry to have competition, to have options,” Fitzgerald said, “a chance to pick from different vendors versus having to choose one.”

Municipal fiber-optic networks grow in number across US by Elianna Spitzer, The Falmouth Enterprise

Minnesota 

Blue Earth County to look into rural broadband needs by Trey Mewes, The Free Press 

Montana

City saluted for forward stance on broadband, Bozeman Daily Chronicle 

In the 21st century it has become clear that adequate Internet service qualifies as another essential component of infrastructure.

Virginia

Who needs broadband? Virginia pushes forward with expansion despite not having the answer by Mallory Noe-Payne, Virginia Public Radio 

Washington

Bridge the digital divide, The Seattle Times 

General 

The consequences of a broadband deployment report with flawed data by Lindsay Stern, Public Knowledge 

Why the hell are states still passing ISP-written laws banning community broadband? By Karl Bode, Techdirt 

We've noted repeatedly how these towns and cities aren't getting into the broadband business because they're "socialists" or because they think it's fun. They're doing it because of decades of market failure, leading to historically awful customer service, sky high prices, slow speeds, and patchy availability. US broadband is a web of dysfunction thanks to growing natural cable broadband monopolies, corruption, and regulatory capture. Letting natural monopolies literally write protectionist laws banning creative, local, niche solutions only makes the over-arching problem that much worse. And yet here we are.

One size does not fit all by Trevor Jones, Broadband Communities 

Finding middle-mile connections by Offir Schwartz, Broadband Communities 

The digital divide is worse than we thought by Tyler Cooper, TechRadar 

Fiber Internet is the key to growth, but most of America lags behind other countries, author says by Dave Flessner, Chattanooga Times Free Press 

From megabits to basis points: Connecting fiber optic broadband and municipal credit intelligent investing by Barnet Sherman, Forbes

Why we have crappy rural broadband by Doug Dawson, POTs and PANs

Can “Slapping ‘new and improved’ on CAF” close the digital divide?, Benton Foundation 

T-Mobile Sprint merger opposition: Broadband associations, others say it will harm rural areas by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor