Community Broadband Media Roundup - February 20

Alabama

Hunstville, Alabama is suddenly awash in broadband competition, showing why Comcast is so afraid of municipal broadband by Karl Bode, TechDirt

California

Broadband advocate brings rural perspective to California Assembly by Samantha Young, Government Technology

San Francisco community groups tapped for input on city broadband rollout by Dominic Fracassa, San Francisco Chronicle

Colorado

Ex-FCC chief warns of concentrated Internet ownership, lax regulation by Greg Avery, Denver Business Journal

Firms make pitches for broadband by Grand Junction Sentinel

Massachusetts

'Bridge to nowhere'? So far, a middle mile with revenue problem by Patricia LeBoeuf, Berkshire Eagle

According to the RFP, eight potential providers indicated an interest in using the middle mile for those end-user connections that haven't materialized for most of Western Massachusetts.

"That was basically a bridge to nowhere — though the [community institutions] desperately needed it," said Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative based in Minnesota and an expert on community broadband networks. "Dollar for dollar, it was not a wise investment at the time." 

Editor's corner - Mount Washington, Massachusetts, municipal network shows can-do approach to community broadband by Sean Buckley, FierceTelecom

Cambridge Broadband Matters: The future of community broadband by Cambridge Community Television

Michigan

What's Traverse City's best fiber option? by Traverse City Ticker

Minnesota

The need for speed - rural Internet access by Caitlyn Mahlum, Granite Falls Advocate Tribune

Missouri

Missouri bill would condition muni broadband buildouts by John Eggerton, MultiChannel News

Municipal broadband backer the Institute for Local Self-Reliance called it another attempt by entrenched "monopoly" providers and their lobbyists to protect themselves.

"This legislation is trying to cut off communities at every turn by limiting any sort of 'competitive service,' whether it comes from public broadband infrastructure investment or a public-private partnership," said the Institute's Christopher Mitchell. "Missouri should be encouraging investment and local Internet choice, not working with monopoly lobbyists to prevent it."

Telco, cable-backed Missouri bill could limit municipal broadband growth, opposition groups says by Sean Buckley, FierceTelecom

New York

Not just Time Warner: NY AG wants to know about all Internet service providers by Dan Miner, Buffalo Business Journal

“Millions of New York families and businesses depend on reliable internet for everything from running a business to communicating with family and friends,” Scheniderman said in a statement. “No one should be paying a premium for speeds and services they aren’t receiving.

North Carolina

Broadband solutions sought by Mountain communities, given by nonprofits by Davin Eldridge, WCQS Western North Carolina Public Radio

Chris Mitchell is the director of community broadband internet initiatives at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance—a D.C.-based nonprofit that focuses on policy and advises local governments in matters of autonomy. He says rural municipalities are increasingly lacking in the realm of broadband internet connectivity.

“There’s so much need to improve high-quality internet access, particularly in the Appalachians, in a lot of rural areas. In North Carolina, there’s been a split historically where I think the telephone companies have worked hard to make sure they’re the only ones that can get taxpayer dollars and they really wanted to limit competition.”

Martin sponsors bill to grow rural broadband by Corey Friedman, The Wilson Times

Virginia

Work on broadband network expansion in Roanoke County posited to begin by Alicia Petska, Roanoke Times

Broadband now, broadband for all by Virginia Del. Lashrecse Aird, Richmond Times-Dispatch

Senate should reject bill limiting broadband by Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star Editorial Board

The legislation is now before the state Senate Labor and Commerce Committee for review. We urge senators to study it closely. Will it, as Caroline officials and the Virginia Association of Counties fear, be counterproductive to efforts to expand internet access? Does it play into the hands of big providers who have been reluctant to cooperate with local efforts?

If the Senate somehow fails to see through this transparent effort by large broadband providers to put roadblocks in the way of localities’ plans to serve their residents, it becomes Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s duty to veto the legislation.

Virginia is for lovers, not lobbyists by Christopher Mitchell, Bacon's Rebellion

Reshaped broadband bill heads to Senate by Carmen Forman, Roanoke Times

Virginia bill now passes muster with broadband authority by John Eggerton, MultiChannel News

What's left of Byron's broadband measure moves forward in Senate by Alex Rohr, Lynchburg News & Advance

Virginia Senate considers stripped-down broadband bill by Michael Pope, WVTF Public Radio

Public hearing coming on establishing broadband authority by James Invancic, Fauquier Times

Bill would hinder municipal broadband program by Charniele Herring, Alexandria Gazette

CVEC, AcelaNet announce broadband partnership by Emily Brown, Lynchburg News & Advance

Washington

Bill to help Washington state's rural communities get Internet approaches legislative deadline by Monica Nickelsburg, GeekWire

General

Millions need the broadband program the FCC just put on hold by Issie Lapowsky, Wired Magazine

Anti-municipal broadband legislation progresses at state level by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor

The debate over muni broadband expansion by Stephanie Kanowitz, GCN

Trump FCC Chair's promise to expand America's broadband is empty by Libby Watson, Gizmodo

What happened to Google Fiber? by Libby Watson, Gizmodo

Another problem that’s faced Google Fiber: convincing people to sign up. According to Mitchell, while customers love the super fast speeds once they get them, it’s often hard to convince people to switch “even from a provider they hate,” because they don’t have time to wait at home for installation or spend time on the phone with their provider. Switching is a pain in the ass, basically. While adoption rates have been high in middle- and upper-class areas, low-income areas haven’t adopted Google Fiber as fast.

Why American Internet should be a public utility by Rick Paulas, Pacific Standard Magazine

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