Community Broadband Media Roundup - May 8

Maine

Bill seek to restrict Maine towns' efforts to build high-speed Internet networks by Colin Woodard, Portland Press Herald

Christopher Mitchell, director of community broadband networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, said the Maine bill and others like it across the country are designed to stifle competition. “The very large providers recognize that they compete not on service, but on being the only game in town,” he said.

New Maine law would restrict community broadband networks by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Bill will not stop Maine towns from building high speed Internet by Colin Woodard, Portland Press Herald

The bill would have imposed numerous restrictions on municipalities that wanted to invest in their own network or to form a public-private partnership to build one they can lease. These include mandatory feasibility studies and public referendum provisions, prohibitions on using municipal funds, restrictions on using funds through a bond issue or setting rates, and the removal of anti-trust liability protections for town’s that offer broadband.

While ALEC claims to be a nonpartisan professional association for state legislators, critics say it is really a corporate-funded conduit allowing businesses to write legislation for compliant lawmakers. Virtually all of its funding comes from its corporate members, and its telecoms committee – which created the organization’s anti-municipal broadband bill – has counted many of the major cable and telephone companies as members, including Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, and Cox. A vice president of their industry association, Rick Cimerman, is the committee’s current corporate chair.

Plan to kill municipal broadband fails in state legislature by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Maine the latest state to try and let giant broadband providers write shitty, protectionist state law by Karl Bode, TechDirt

 

Minnesota

highlander-bull.jpg

Internet privacy measure removed as lawmakers debate budget by Erin Golden, Minneapolis Star Tribune

 

Nevada

Net neutrality is crucial for equal Internet access, small business growth by Heather Murren, The Nevada Independent

 

New Mexico

Communities can cooperate to get high-speed Internet service in rural areas by Mark Buell, Albuquerque Journal

 

Tennessee

Electronic Power Board of Chattanooga surpasses 90,000 fiber customers by Dave Flessner, Chattanooga Times Free Press (Government Technology)

 

Virginia

The last mile: Broadband extension critical to region by Bluefield Daily Telegraph

When will broadband make it to Northern Neck, rural Virginia? by Pamela A. D'Angelo, Fredericksburg Free Lance Star

'Dig once' to install broadband and water by Tom Chillemi, Southside Sentinel

 

 

General

Verizon and AT&T both launched misleading services this week - and it points to a larger problem by Jeff Dunn, Business Insider - Markets

It's time for co-ops to stand up and embrace broadband by Craig Settles, Broadband Breakfast

In the battle to deploy broadband, cooperatives (co-ops) can be a decisive force to cover the rural flanks in states with aggressive broadband adoption goals such as California, New York, and Minnesota. In the more rural states, or ones without stated commitments to broadband, co-ops may have to carry the lion’s share of responsibility if their rural communities are to have a hope for broadband.

Image of the Highlander bull courtesy of FrankWinkler via pixaby.