Community Broadband Media Roundup - December 18

On December 14th, The FCC voted to repeal Net Neutrality Protections. To stay up to date on the issue, we have included a roundup of the media coverage of the vote in our weekly Community Broadband Media Roundup:

What is net neutrality? It protects us from corporate power By Matt Stoller, The Guardian

More than 100 Million Americans Can Only Get Internet Service from Companies That Have Violated Net Neutrality By Kaleigh Rogers, Motherboard

This is a problem faced by millions of Americans, according to a new analysis from the Institute for Local Self Reliance, a nonprofit that advocates for equitable development and local government rule. Based on the Federal Communications Commission’s own data, the ILSR found that 129 million Americans only have one option for broadband internet service in their area, which equals about 40 percent of the country.

Of those who only have one option, roughly 50 million are limited to a company that has violated net neutrality in some way. Of Americans who do have more than one option, 50 million of them are left choosing between two companies that have both got shady behavior on their records, from blocking certain access to actively campaigning against net neutrality.

Net Neutrality Repeal Could Be Bad News for Cities, Mayors Warn  By Natalie Delgadillo, Governing Magazine

The repeal could have huge consequences on the local level, particularly for communities that rely on small businesses for economic growth, says Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

“If your city has a lot of small companies relying on [net neutrality principles] to survive, you might not have as bright of an economic future after this vote,” he says

Could municipal broadband provide another way online if net neutrality rules go away? By Molly Wood and Kristin Schwab, Marketplace 

100 million Americans live in areas where every single ISP has admitted to violating net neutrality By Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing

A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance reveals the full scale of the problem: of the 129,000,000 Americans served by a single ISP, 50,000,000 have to rely on monopolist providers that have been convicted of breaching Net Neutrality. Another 50,000,000 Americans are served by only two ISPs, and all of those duopolists have also been convicted of breaching net neutrality.

Internet Pioneers Urge Cancellation of Net Neutrality Repeal Vote By David Jones, E-Commerce Times

If Net Neutrality Is Repealed, What Will It Mean For People Who Don't Have Broadband Yet? By Craig Lemoult

And while much of the discussion around the dismantling of the so-called net neutrality rules has focused on the possibility of internet providers charging for faster delivery of websites or blocking content, the issue is also raising questions about how the change might affect cities and towns that are trying to ensure high-speed access for all their residents.

Internet Pioneers Urge Cancellation of Net Neutrality Repeal Vote By David Jones, Tech News World

Fcc Votes This Week On Net Neutrality, WCLU Radio

California

San Francisco Pursues City-Owned, Citywide Internet by Juliet Van Wagenen, StateTech Magazine

Building on that motivation, city leadership announced in October that it will pursue a citywide municipal internet network that will offer residents access to 1-gigabit connections as part of a $1.5 billion project. It is the first major city in the country to commit to such an ambitious endeavor.

“Bridging the digital divide is right for our residents and right for the future of our city,” Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement to SFGate. The announcement came in conjunction with a report by CTC Technology and Energy that laid out the potential to offer the fiber-optic connection to the city.

Colorado

Private Providers Spent Nearly $1 Million to Fight Municipal Broadband in One Small Colorado City By David Z. Morris, Fortune

New financial disclosures for a November ballot initiative show that a group backed by private internet providers spent just over $900,000 to try and block city-owned broadband service in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The big spenders were nonetheless defeated by a citizens’ group that spent only $15,000 to support the bond measure, which passed with 57% of the vote on Nov. 7, approving up to $150 million in financing for a city-run broadband utility.

$900K spent on failed fight against Fort Collins broadband By Nick Coltrain, Coloradoan

Centennial’s new gigabit internet service that’s not Comcast breaks ground next week By Tamara Chuang, Denver Post

Big ISPs Spent $1 Million Attacking Colorado Community Broadband by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Colorado is one of more than twenty states where incumbent broadband ISPs have quite literally written and purchased state protectionist laws prohibiting towns and cities from getting into the broadband business, even in instances where the private sector has failed to deliver.

As net neutrality repeal looms, Boulder takes closer look at city-owned broadband By Alex Burness, Boulder Daily Camera

Comcast-backed group spent $1M to fight Colorado town’s municipal broadband effort By Sean Buckley, Fierce Telecom

Kansas

Broadband for All of Kansas By Bill Sutton, Gardner Edge

We need Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC, to remember the rural state he calls home and work to close the digital divide. Every farmer deserves to be given the tools to succeed in a world increasingly reliant on technology. Every student deserves the chance to learn everything they can and as fast as they want. And every small business owner deserves the ability to promote their business beyond their community and learn from their competitors.

Virginia

Nonprofit finds Internet connectivity gap closing in Virginia By News Staff, CBS 19 News

General

Congress Took $101 Million In Donations From The Isp Industry — Here’s How Much Your Lawmaker Got By T.C. Sottek, The Verge

The Secret Savior of Net Neutrality? By Victor Luckerson, the Ringer

Overall, more than 100 communities in 24 states have publicly owned networks offering gigabit internet service. And citizens are clamoring for these kinds of options as an alternative to traditional privately owned ISPs. According to a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center, 70 percent of U.S. adults (including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans) believe cities should be allowed to build their own high-speed networks. While trust in the federal government is near an all-time low, most Americans continue to put faith in the ability of local government to solve problems. “People trust the city of Fort Collins much more than they trust these incumbent providers,” Cunniff says.

Nationalize the Networks By Evan Malmgren, Dissent Magazine

Expert: In Absence of Net Neutrality, Community-Owned Networks Could Be an Answer, University of Colorado Boulder, Newswise