Community Broadband Media Roundup - October 8

Arizona

Internet on the range: Rural residents suffer with lack of broadband options by Wendy Howell, Williams News

California

Entire broadband industry sues California to stop net neutrality law by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica 

The FCC and DOJ claim that California's net neutrality law conflicts with the federal government's deregulatory policy for broadband. California argues that the FCC gave up its authority to regulate broadband and therefore cannot preempt states from regulating the industry.

The federal government and California are officially at war over net neutrality by April Glaser, Slate

Justice department sues to block California net neutrality law by Klint Finley, Wired

Expanded access to Wi-Fi is a keystone in San Leandro, Calif.'s smart city plan by Skip Descant, GovTech

Connections and advantages of the digital world elude rural California by Deborah Kollars 

Georgia

Georgia tackles broadband expansion and local control by Tasnim Shamma, WABE

Grantville eyeing city-wide Internet system by Winston Skinner, The Newnan Times Herald 

Idaho

Idaho Falls launching fiber optic pilot program for residents by Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

City Council approves Idaho Falls Power fiber network pilot program by Ryan Suppe, Post Register

Maine

Cumberland County working to provide models for municipal broadband networks by J. Craig Anderson, Press-Herald 

Massachusetts

Belmont Light looks to introduce town-owned broadband Internet by Lexi Peery, Wicked Local

Boston Public Library takes aim at the digital divide with new pilot by Jordan Graham, Boston Herald 

“The library has taken ownership of the challenge for many in our society for gaining access to the Internet,” said David Leonard, president of the Boston Public Library. “You can’t really participate in civic life in any way if you can’t get access to the Internet.”

Minnesota

Fond du Lac Indians are creating their own broadband provider by John Reinan, The Star Tribune 

Rhode Island

Broadband build begins by Cassius Shuman, The Block Island Times

Tennessee

Governor candidates want better Internet in rural areas by Dave Flessner 

West Virginia

Lewis County Commission looking into grant to help expand broadband by Francesca Constantini, WDTV 

General 

98 percent of U.S. public school districts connected to high-speed broadband, but 2.3 million students still left behind, The Virginian-Pilot

Broadband subscriptions are up, but too many households are still disconnected by Adie Tomer and Lara Fishbane, Brookings 

FCC, please speed the deployment of broadband by Bartlett Cleland, The Heartland Institute

National broadband coverage grossly over-represented by FCC data, report says by Colin Wood, StateScoop

The main offender is the FCC's broadband availability collection process, according to the researchers. Every six months, Internet service providers are required to submit a document called Form 477 to the agency, showing where they provide service, census block by census block. But census blocks can be big, particularly in rural areas, and the FCC defines access in a way that does not reflect reality for most consumers, the researchers said.

The FCC is tasked with solving the digital divide and it's making things worse by Cat Blake, The Hill 

Why broadband and telehealth are interconnected by Craig Settles, MedCity News

Sen. Thune slams FCC over high-cost broadband subsidies shortfall by John Eggerton, Multichannel News