Community Broadband Media Roundup - January 7

Minnesota

Update: Frontier Communications responds to MN investigation by Mike Bunge, KIMT News

Senator's View: Job skills, infrastructure can be priorities by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Duluth News Tribune

No serious infrastructure plan is complete without addressing broadband expansion. There is strong bipartisan support for including broadband funding in any infrastructure package, and that's good news.

The lies Comcast allegedly told customers to hide full cost of service by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

 

Mississippi

Expanded Internet service to rural areas a must by Dennis Seid, Daily Journal 

 

North Carolina

Eastern Carolina co-op looks to bring high speed Internet to rural areas by Ken Watling, WNCT 9 News

 

North Dakota

North Dakota bill would set new terms for telemedicine by Blair Emerson, GovTech

 

Oregon

Broadband opportunities presented at town hall meeting by Richard Hanners, Blue Mountain Eagle

Governor establishes rural broadband office by Jayati Ramakrishnan East Oregonian

 

Washington

From campaign consultant to lobbyist and adviser: The firm that has Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s ear by Daniel Beekman and Lewis Kamb, Seattle Times 

 

General 

Towns and cities keep ditching Comcast to build their own broadband networks by Karl Bode, Techdirt

“These areas aren't getting into the broadband business because they think it's fun, they're doing it because the US broadband market is painfully, obviously broken.” 

The FCC's restoring Internet freedom order is ignorant of and conflicts with the Internet's architecture by Scott Jordan, Benton Foundation

USDA announced $600 Million for rural broadband by Rachel Engel, EfficientGov

FCC Chairman Pai celebrates Congress failing to bring back net neutrality by Devin Coldewey, Tech Crunch

Furthermore, it’s entirely unclear whether Pai’s new rules have had any positive influence at all. Broadband investment has in fact not been affected, despite a $2 billion tax break given to cable companies and a number of other sweetheart deals. The most likely explanation for any positive effects is investment planned or made years ago, perhaps as far back as the Obama administration and the previous rules.

The FCC is closing, so hold your cell phone service gripes by Klint Finley, WIRED

US Census Bureau finds stark rural-urban broadband divide by Jason Plautz, Smart Cities Dive

So many new lawmakers love net neutrality by Dana Floberg, Free Press

Will 5G end up leaving some people behind? NBC News