Community Broadband Media Roundup - February 27

California

Why SF needs municipal broadband by Tim Redmond, 48 Hills Blog

 

Minnesota

Northern Minnesota and the 'digital divide' by Beth Bily, Business North

 

Missouri

Bill could hinder city efforts to expand broadband by Brittany Ruess, Columbia Tribune

Missouri the latest state to let telecom monopolies write awful, protectionist state law by Karl Bode, TechDirt

 

New York

Rural Franklin Co. broadband on wait-and-see timeline by Denise Raymo, Plattsburgh Press Republican

 

Tennessee

calf-haighlander.jpg

State needs better broadband, not subsidies by Christopher Mitchell, Knoxville News Sentinel

 

Blackburn has opportunity to shape future of Internet by Carolyn Tackett, The Leaf-Chronicle

 

Virginia

Bill won't curtail county broadband authority by Amber Galaviz, Orange County Review

 

West Virginia

2017 session so far lacking broadband expansion bills by Ashton Marra, West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Lawmakers are 14 days into this legislative session and so far, not a single bill dealing with broadband expansion has been introduced. The issue received attention early last session, but lawmakers say they’re still working on a plan to reach both unserved and underserved areas of West Virginia.

Thirty percent of West Virginians do not have access to basic broadband service under federal definitions. When you look at just the rural parts of the state, that percentage increases to 48, according the Federal Communications Commission.

 

General

Broadband has a problem on the pole by Mari Silbey, Light Reading

Broadband Internet can help rural communities connect - if they use it by Brian Whitacre, Government Technology

Academic studies have found that broadband access led to more new businesses in rural areas, and that high levels of broadband adoption were associated with increased median household incomes and lower unemployment levels for rural residents.

Broadband companies can't build out their networks, and it's hurting consumers by Rob Pegoraro, Yahoo! Finance

NLC: State government limiting more municipal activities by Bailey McCann, CivSource

Photo of the Highlander calf courtesy of robertobarresi via Pixaby.