Community Broadband Media Roundup - July 30

Arkansas

Arkansas Coop Expanding Fiber Network to All Members by BBC Wires, Broadband Communities Magazine

California

Santa Monica’s Digital Inclusion Pilot Wins Top 25 Programs in American Government Award by Harvard by Constance Farrell, Santa Monica Daily Press

Colorado

Tribune Opinion: Greeley, Windsor need to look into providing broadband unless companies step up service by The Tribune Editorial Board, The Tribune

Delaware

Rural lower Delaware promised high-speed internet by 2020 by Scott Goss, Delaware News Journal

The Carney administration is taking a major step forward in a longstanding push to extend high-speed internet access to rural communities in downstate Delaware.

The governor on Tuesday announced he is issuing a call for help from any service provider willing to assist in closing the gap by 2020 — an effort backed by $1.3 million in taxpayer assistance.

 

Kentucky

County gets update on KentuckyWired project by Matt Lasley, The Grayson County News-Gazette

New York

NY Threatens to Kick Charter Out of the State After Broadband Failures by Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica

Charter Communications could lose its authorization to operate in New York State because of its failure to meet merger-related broadband deployment commitments, a key government official said.

NY Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman John Rhodes said that "a suite of enforcement actions against [Charter] Spectrum are in development, including additional penalties, injunctive relief, and additional sanctions or revocation of Spectrum's ability to operate in New York State," according to a PSC announcement last week.

Maine

Public high-speed internet could be coming to Bangor by Alex Acquisto, Bangor Daily News 

Cranberry broadband network not finished yet by Dick Broom, Mount Desert Islander

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Net Neutrality Law Would Name and Shame Terrible ISPs by Karl Bode, Motherboard

Town Broadband Projects Fight Telecom Opposition to Law Tweak by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle

Massachusetts Just The Latest State To Embrace Net Neutrality by Karl Bode, TechDirt

Michigan

Great Lakes Energy to offer Truestream internet, Charlevoix Courier

Mississippi

Can electric cooperatives solve the state's digital divide? By Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today

Rhode Island

Broadband progress by The Block Island Broadband Committee, The Block Island Times

Washington

Five candidates in crowded Kitsap PUD primary by Christian Vosler, Kitsap Sun

Kilmer, colleague present legislation to bridge broadband access gap by Rob Ollikainen, Peninsula Daily News  

West Virginia

Capito Connect Program enters fourth year by Conor Griffith, The State Journal

Road conditions and consistent broadband impact tourism by Kathy Plum, The Dominion Post

Wisconsin

Underwater fiber optic cable a possibility for Washington Island by Peter J. Devlin, Green Bay Press Gazette

General

It’s confirmed: Facebook is working on a new internet satellite by Prarthana Mitra, QRIUS

Telehealth Changes Could Help Rural Seniors Age in Place by Craig Settles, The Daily Yonder

Let’s Make A Deal – 5G and Model Agreements by Albert J. Catalano, The National Law Review

Congressman Coffman crosses party lines, proposes reversal of FCC net neutrality repeal by The Denver Channel

Why Rising Sea Levels Are a Problem for the Internet by Jake Rossen, Mental Floss

Net Neutrality Could Become a Merger Antitrust Issue. Someday by Victoria Graham, Bloomberg Law

Broadband summit takes a look at deployment models by Julia Mericle, Pittsburgh Business Times

House Approves Broadband Bills by John Eggerton, Broadcasting Cable

House Passes Precision Ag Bill by The Hagstorm Report, Fence Post

How 5G may widen the rural-urban digital divide by Kim Hart, Axios 

In cities, 5G may worsen disparities between affluent and low-income neighborhoods. The fear is that 5G networks will simply improve service for those who already have it, and not do anything to extend access to those who still lack access. 

• Wireless providers are spending a lot of cash to lay fiber and negotiate for access to the city structures (light poles, bus shelters, buildings) to attach antennas.
• To get a faster return on that investment, providers will likely first deploy 5G networks in richer areas where consumers are able to shell out higher monthly prices for the service.

Broadband Speed: FCC Map vs. Experience on the Ground by By Brian Whitacre, Sharon Strover and Colin Rhinesmith, The Daily Yonder