Image
Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
News
More Consolidation, Fewer Jobs, No Duh
We watch in frustration as the federal government, dressed as Charlie Brown asks AT&T, wearing Lucy's blue dress and smiling brightly, if she really will hold the football properly this time. "Oh yes, Charlie, this time I really will create all those jobs if you let us buy T-Mobile," says AT&T Lucy.
North Carolina and Broadband as Infrastructure
We dedicated a lot of coverage to Time Warner Cable's purchasing legislation to handicap communities from building competitive networks.
Longmont Considers Second Vote on Community Fiber Network
Colorado requires a referendum before a local government can build a broadband network as a result of a 2005 law pushed by Qwest to prevent communities from building next-generation networks.
Need Cloud Services like Online Backup? Steer Clear of Comcast
The net is buzzing about Comcast's data caps after a Seattle resident ran afoul of them.
Community Networks Provide Cable/Broadband Competition That is Otherwise Unlikely
You can also read this story over at the Huffington Post.
How can it be that the big companies who deliver some of the most important services in our modern lives (access to the Internet, television) rank at the
Syracuse Community Broadband Initiative Changes Name
The folks in Syracuse who are organizing for a community-owned network have changed their name from the Syracuse Municipal Broadband Initiative to Syracuse Community Broadband Initiative:
Video Comparing American vs. European Broadband Networks
Rick Karr has produced a "can't miss" 15 minute video that shows what happens when telecommunications is treated more like infrastructure and less like a for-profit morass controlled by massive companies.
Going Big with a Gig at Case Western Reserve University
Some still question whether we need FTTH networks, suggesting that modest copper upgrades will be fine for most over the next 5-10 years. When it comes to essential infrastructure, the idea that we should "cut costs" by operating right on the margin usually ends poorly -- and costs more, particularly in lost opportunities.
Lessig Promotes Publicly Owned Broadband at Personal Democracy Forum
I have long been a fan of Larry Lessig's work, so I was proud to see him use our work as the foundation for his presentation at the 2011 Personal Democracy Forum.
Understanding User Fees and the Community's Right-of-Way
A friend once told me about his battle with the local government over whether it would charge him a fee for inspecting the house he wanted to begin renting out (he had bought another house but didn't want to sell the first in a down market).
Vermont Town First to Get Universal Access to ECFiber Community Network
The East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network has announced it will connect an entire town as its second phase. Barnard, Vermont, will be the first town to have universal access to ECFiber's next-generation network.
New Video: Community Fiber Networks Better than Phone, Cable Networks
Update: You can also watch the video over at the Huffington Post, in our first post as a HuffPo blogger.
While we were battling Time Warner Cable to preserve local authority in North Carolina, we developed
#KillSwitch MoneyBomb Today - Let's Get it Made!
Today, take a moment to learn about a promising documentary and pledge some support to make sure it gets made! A short description:
Louisiana Leg uses Porn Excuse to Target LUS Community Network
We occasionally see big cable and phone companies getting creative in their efforts to shut down community networks. In socially conservative communities, restrictions on providing adult content is a common approach.
Business Interest in Cortez Muni Network Exceeds Expectations
Last month, we were excited to write about the open access network in Cortez, Colorado.
Rural Todd County Embarks on Fiberband Feasibility in Minnesota
Todd County, a rural community "where the forest meets the prairie" along I-94 in the geographic center of Minnesota, is the latest of many counties to examine local solutions to their lack of affordable, fast, reliable, and certainly universal access to the Internet.
Response to Seattle RFP: More of the Same
We have an answer to the question of what a city gets when it commits the bare minimum to improving broadband access: more of the same. We were skeptical of Seattle's approach of using city-owned conduit to spur serious improvements to broadband and, it turns out, correct.
Washington PUD Begins Fiber Network Stimulus Construction
Like many Washington Public Utility Districts, Pend Orielle, has connect small portions of its electric territory with an open access fiber-to-the-home. But these projects have been difficult to finance in remote (and often mountainous) areas.
Lafayette's LUS Fiber Creates Videos, YouTube Channel
Lafayette's publicly owned FTTH network has created a YouTube channel featuring a commercial aimed at residential subscribers (in 15, 30, and 60 second spots) as well as a longer video aimed at increasing economic development. Both are embedded below.
The Short Story of AT&T's Attack on Schools, Libraries in Wisconsin
I wrote the following synopsis of AT&T's attack on schools and libraries in Wisconsin for SaveTheInternet.com. We are still waiting for the Governor to sign the bill, something that may take another week or longer apparently.