Community Broadband Media Roundup - January 16

Massachusetts

Massachusetts joins effort urging the FCC to release Connect America funding to state by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor

Minnesota

Nobles County, Westbrook receive broadband grants by Karl Evers-Hillstrom, Daily Globe

New Hampshire

The fast road to better broadband by The Keene Sentinel

Virginia

Local leaders fear proposed bill could detail Roanoke Valley municipal broadband by Jacob Demmitt and Carmen Forman, Roanoke Times

A state House bill could limit municipal broadband initiatives in Virginia and derail expansion in the Roanoke Valley less than a year after the local authority landed its first customer.

Del. Kathy Byron, R-Campbell, said Thursday that the aim of the legislation she introduced is to limit tax money spent on government-subsidized internet service in areas already covered by private providers. The intent, she said, isn’t to kill local efforts to build a government-owned network across the region.

That, however, would be the effect for the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority, according to Roanoke City Manager Chris Morrill.

General

Why Marsha Blackburn's rise is bad news for net neutrality and science by Sam Gustin, Motherboard Vice

“With Blackburn, the myth of Sisyphus comes to mind,” said Christopher Mitchell, Director for Community Broadband Networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and a longtime open internet advocate. “It feels like every time you get used to the challenges we have ahead of us, it gets harder. She’ll do what AT&T and Comcast want, and I’m guessing it’ll be a disaster, and then she’ll have to own it.”

Blackburn’s coziness with the telecom and media industry interests has been well documented.

How 2017 will transform broadband opportunities for local governments by Christopher Mitchell, State Scoop

ILSR creates useful map and list of municipal broadband networks by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor

AT&T says the FCC doesn't need to review its Time Warner acquisition by Brian Fung, Washington Post

Telecom regulators shouldn't need to analyze the deal because it will be beyond their jurisdiction, AT&T signaled in a filing Thursday to the Securities and Exchange Commission. By potentially eliminating a layer of oversight, the claim could accelerate the merger's approval in Washington, where federal antitrust officials are also expected to review the proposed purchase.