Community Broadband Media Roundup- November 6

California

San Francisco Has Approved a Plan For City-Wide Fiber Internet by Brad Jones, Futurism

As of last week, San Francisco is the first major city in the United States to commit to connecting each of its homes and businesses to a fiber optic network. The Fiber for San Francisco Initiative has recommended that procurement for a fiber optic network in San Francisco begin “as early as possible.”

To close the digital divide, California approves $330 million broadband infrastructure fund by Colin Wood, StateScoop

 

Colorado

Comcast Tries to Derail Fort Collins Community Broadband by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Of course if companies like Comcast really wanted to prevent towns and cities from getting into the broadband business, they could provide cheaper, better services. These towns and cities aren't getting into broadband because it's fun, they're doing so because they're so disgusted by duopoly pricing, service quality and abysmal customer service that they're looking for more creative alternatives.

Small providers whose aim is network competition have met stiff resistance by Charles Ashby, The Daily Sentinel

A shifting focus: Is broadband infrastructure a function of government or business? By Charles Ashby, The Daily Sentinel 

Digital Divide by Charles Ashby, The Daily Sentinel

Bid for broadband partners comes up empty for Fort Collins by Kevin Duggan, The Coloradoan

Comcast And Big Telecom Spend $200K To Block Small Colorado Town From Exploring Municipal Broadband by Shane McGlaun, Hot Hardware

 

Iowa

2016chacha.jpg Public input sought on faster internet for Belmond, The Belmond Independent 

 

Maine

Jay voters to decide broadband initiative funding at Nov. 7 vote by Ben Hanstein, The Daily Bulldog 

 

Missouri

Rural Broadband Access Is Focus of McCaskill Oversight by News Release, KOAM

McCaskill also recently backed bipartisan legislation to ensure Missourians in rural communities receive reliable and affordable phone call quality. Additionally, McCaskill introduced the Community Broadband Act to improve internet access in rural communities by protecting the rights of localities—which often face significant cost and other barriers—to build municipal broadband networks

 

North Carolina

Speakers tout benefits of public broadband by Brie Handgraaf, The Wilson Times

 

Virginia

Confronting Virginia's Rural Broadband Divide by The Editorial Board, News and Times Advance

 

General

San Francisco, Seattle Planning To Launch Citywide Fiber Networks To Bury Telecom Monopolies by Brandon Hill, Hot Hardware

“Municipal broadband is one of those issues where we know the right thing to do and we keep not doing it because of power and money,” Moon added. “The way you combat that is with an irrefutable vision and a broad coalition that’s building that vision together."

Verizon has a new strategy to undermine online privacy and net neutrality by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Verizon asks FCC to preempt states on internet privacy by Colin Wood, StateScoop

Big telecom companies have ignored "overwhelming demand" for privacy protections for consumers for years, Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, told StateScoop in an email.

"Given how many times Verizon, among others, have violated the trust of their customers, it is inevitable that local and state governments will respond to popular demand to reinstate basic protections," Mitchell said. "The big cable and telephone companies have made their bed — now they get to lie in it."