Community Broadband Media Roundup - December 12

Florida

Lake Worth sees 'social justice' in setting up free Wi-Fi by My Palm Beach Post Editorial Board

Lake Worth’s Community Redevelopment Agency has a plan to do just that. It is pushing for free public Wi-Fi citywide, particularly in the city’s poorest areas, to help school kids get ahead.

“Kids do everything on the internet,” Joan Oliva, the CRA’s executive director, recently told the Post’s Kevin Thompson. “How do kids even do their homework when they’re not in school and they don’t have a computer or they can’t get on the internet?”

Ohio

Everstream helps Lakewood launch high-speed fiber network by Crain's Ceveand Business

 

Tennessee

Chattanooga's EPB rated best internet provider in America by Dave Flessner, Times Free Press

 

Wisconsin

Area residents struggle to receive Internet service in rural areas by Bailey Harbit, WSAW-TV 7

Dane County woman calls for action over nonexistant rural Internet service by Leah Linscheid, WISC-TV 3000

Advocates' fears realized as Wisconsin directs energy dollars to Internet access by Kari Lydersen, Midwest Energy News

cattle-sunset.jpg

Area group provides panel presentation on Internet affordability by Abigail Hantke, WEAU-TV 13

 

General

Millions in US still living life in Internet slow lane by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Trump could electrify local broadband or decimate competition, panel says by Alex Koma, StateScoop

But even if the next administration can craft an infrastructure plan that benefits localities hoping for better broadband, Levin shared concerns that Trump's telecom merger policies could lead to less competition in areas that already have few choices when it comes to internet service providers.

Trump has blasted the proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner more than once, but Levin argued that the president-elect’s early choices of bankers and billionaires to fill his cabinet suggests that the new administration will be considerably more friendly to consolidation in the cable industry.

AT&T and Time Warner accidentally argue against their own merger by T.C. Sottek, The Verge

Picture of the cows at sunset courtesy of sneeze via pxaby.