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More Colorado Towns Put Opt Out Question on The Ballot
This November, more Colorado towns and counties will be voting on whether to opt out of the 12-year-old SB 152, a state law that restricts broadband development.
Sweeping Out the Old
Senate Bill 152 has hindered communities’ ability to invest in Internet infrastructure and provide service themselves or with private sector partners. Many communities are realizing that national carriers can’t be relied on to provide high-quality Internet access. To date, at least 98 communities across the state of Colorado have voted to reclaim local telecommunications authority by opting out of SB 152; a handful are considering actually pursuing a publicly owned network.
Opening the Door for Options
For some towns and counties, the ballot question is simply a way to keep their options open and to reclaim local authority that the state took away in 2005. As we’ve seen in Westminister, Maryland, public-private partnerships can be a great option for communities. Being out from under SB 152 will allow these municipalities to explore high-quality network options if the opportunity arises. Additionally, when towns give themselves the ability to explore new providers and different models, current ISPs tend to take notice and adapt accordingly. Beyond these options and ripple effects from shedding SB 152, some towns simply want autonomy and freedom from sweeping state regulation.
In Eagle County, they recognize climbing out from under SB 152 will allow them to consider more substantial steps for taking back local power and implementing a high-speed network. They’ve yet to conduct any feasibility studies but in their yearly Legislative Policy Statement they made it clear that they’re motivated to improve connectivity.
Ushering in the New
Local Voices Support Muni Telecom Utility In Fort Collins
With election season fast approaching, Fort Collins is buzzing with the possibility of municipal broadband entering the quaint Colorado town. In addition to talk among neighbors, advocates supporting the measure are expressing themselves with letters to the local media.
If ballot measure 2B is voted through, it would allow the city charter to be amended to include high-speed Internet as a municipal utility. It’s been two years since Fort Collins and other Colorado communities opted out of SB 152. And this November they’ll vote on whether municipal broadband should be an option for their community.
Talk of Muni Broadband Bubbles Up
Recent op-eds have raised the ballot issue and unflinchingly come down in support for municipal broadband. Zach Shelton, a Fort Collins dentist explained in his piece that
In order to continue to grow and facilitate healthy families and communities, we must have access to reliable and fast Internet that can connect our medical record system and servers between offices. Broadband is the glue that connects all of us in the medical field and has increasingly become an equally important tool in our doctor bag.
David Austin-Groen admits his initial apathy to the municipal broadband debate, but concedes, finding foresight, and gets right to the heart of the problem:
We simply cannot rely on the private sector to provide this service, if they ever do, and we certainly can’t live on hope that they will act in the community's best interest.
Community members and organizations have begun a lively debate over the issue. The Citizens Broadband Coalition is actively advocating for a yes vote on the ballot measure. Colorado State University recently hosted a presentation and panel discussion that shed light on both sides of the debate.
Fort Collins, Colorado, Ballot Language Lives Through Legal Challenge
The Fort Collins’ ballot measure that could amend the City Charter allowing high-speed Internet to become a municipal utility moves forward after a short legal scuffle. The question will be decided at the November 7th special election.
Failed Legal Petition
After the language of the ballot question was released following approval by City Hall, local activist Eric Sutherland filed a petition with Larimer County. Sutherland — well known for his numerous petitions wagered against the city, county and school district— claimed that the language “failed to consider the public confusion that might be caused by misleading language”. Sutherland also insisted the proposed City Charter Amendment isn’t legal under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment to the State Constitution. TABOR requires local governments to get voter approval to raise tax rates or spend revenue collected under existing tax rates.
Attorneys representing the city of Fort Collins rejected Sutherland’s claims and maintained that the amendment isn’t covered by TABOR. A utility does not require voter approval to issue debt because it is legally defined as an enterprise, a government-owned business. Moreover, Fort Collins Chief Financial Officer Mike Beckstead testified that the bonds would be backed by utility ratepayers, not tax revenue. City Council explained in a statement that they included the $150 million-dollar figure in the ballot language in an effort to maintain transparency and show the level of commitment a broadband utility could require from the municipality. By including the dollar amount in the ballot language, the Charter would also establish a limit on any debt.
Erie, Colorado, Funds Feasibility Study
The town of Erie, Colorado Board of Trustees has commissioned a consulting firm to conduct a $65,000 Municipal Broadband Assessment and Feasibility Study. The vote allocated funds to explore options for the town’s growing connectivity needs of residents, local businesses, and municipal services.
Planning For The Future
According to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Municipal Broadband Assessment and Feasibility Study, the consulting firm will conduct a survey to measure local support for the town to invest in a community owned fiber optic network. In 2012, Erie conducted a similar residential survey, which reported that “63% of residents supported or somewhat supported efforts” for telecommunications projects.
Erie is situated in both Weld and Boulder County and is just 20 minutes northwest of Denver. According to the Town of Erie’s 2017 Community Profile, the current population is approximately 25,000 residents with over 7,000 homes but local officials expect both to grow over the next five years. By 2020, community leaders expect the population to increase by 10,000 and the number of homes to increase by more than 50 percent.
Opting Out Comes First
Before Erie can make investments in publicly owned Internet infrastructure, voters must pass a referendum to opt-out of Colorado Senate Bill 152, which prohibits local governments from either supporting directly or indirectly any advancement of telecommunication services to subscribers. Eagle County and the city of Alamosa are both putting forth an SB 152 opt-out question to a vote this fall.
Loveland, Colorado, Conducts Interest Survey
It’s been almost two years since 82 percent of Loveland voters chose to opt out of Colorado’s restrictive SB 152. Last fall, the community started working with a consultant on a feasibility study and now, residents and businesses are being asked to complete a second survey to gauge interest in the potential for connectivity offered by the city.
One Step At A Time
Loveland, a community of about 69,000 people in the southeast corner of the state, completed a survey last year, which revealed that 56 percent of residents and 37 percent of businesses feel incumbents are not meeting their connectivity needs. Affordability is a big factor for both sectors with lack of capacity and reliability following close behind. Residents reported they were also unhappy with customer service. Within both sets of respondents, a high percentage showed interest in obtaining service directly from the city or from a private provider working with the city.
This summer, the city released an RFP, hoping to elicit interest from the private sector for potential partners to help them develop a municipal fiber network. Read the full text of the RFP here.
Many premises in Loveland subscribe to cable from Comcast, which faces little or no competition from services other than DSL at much slower speeds. Resident Roger Ison wrote to the Reporter Herald recently encouraging residents and business owners to participate in the survey:
Comcast reaches enough Lovelanders to set the market price for high-speed service here. Competition and citywide access are inadequate because no other competitor has deployed a modern, high-performance network that reaches most potential subscribers.
Steamboat Springs Adds Backbone To Assets
Early last year, the city of Steamboat Springs in Colorado took advantage of an opportunity to expand from an earlier public infrastructure investment. A state grant has allowed them to connect five community anchor institutions for better connectivity and cost savings.
Partners In Progress
In 2016, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) awarded the community $748,000 toward the cost of a fiber backbone across the length of the city. In order to complete funding for the $2.22 million project, the city and its other partners, the Steamboat Springs School District, Routt County, Colorado Mountain College, Yampa Valley Electric Association (YVEA), and Yampa Valley Medical District contributed matching funding.
Five community anchor institutions (CAIs) are now connected to the backbone, including the local U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices, the YVEA offices, and the school district building. The school district is also housing the communities publicly owned Carrier Neutral Location (CNL), which the city created in 2014.
The CNL Started It All
The CNL is a space owned by a neutral party - in this case the Steambot Springs School District city of Steamboat Springs - where broadband providers can connect to each other. Middle mile and last mile providers can connect to each other in these “meet-me rooms.” The partners in Steamboat Springs are saving because they’re paying less for bandwidth and, because the school district is hosting the meet-me room, there is no need to pay for a separate facility. In Steamboat Springs, Northwest Colorado Broadband connects with Mammoth Networks.
Community leaders hope the presence of the CNL and the fiber backbone will attract last mile providers to invest in Steamboat Springs so residents and businesses can obtain better connectivity in the future.
Bring On The Ballots: Two More Colorado Communities Face Opt Out Question
As predicted, more Colorado communities are opting out of the state’s restrictive SB 152 that removed local telecommunications authority in 2005. Two more communities have decided to put the question to voters this fall in order to take the reins and reclaim local control.
Eagle County
There are about 53,000 people living in Eagle County, located in the northwest section of the state. The County Commission had considered taking the matter to the voters last fall, but considered the ballot too full with other measures. The town of Red Cliff within Eagle County voted to opt out of the law in 2014. County officials have included telecommunications in their legislative policy statement supporting their intent to reclaim local authority and bringing better connectivity to both urban and rural areas of the county.
Eagle County encompasses 1,692 square miles; much of that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are several national protected areas within the county. They haven’t established a plan to invest in publicly owned Internet infrastructure, but first want to deal with the issue of opting out of SB 152.
City of Alamosa
Alamosa, county seat of Alamosa County, is also planning on bringing the issue to voters this fall. Like many other communities that have voted to opt out, Alamosa doesn’t have specific plans to invest in infrastructure yet, but they want to have all options on the table.
They’re interested in using existing city owned dark fiber and conduit and exploring possible public-private partnerships, but they’ve not ruled out offering direct services. In a few of the public areas, Alamosa intends to offer free Wi-Fi while they look into possible solutions.
Alamosa is in south central Colorado and home to approximately 8,800 people. The climate is a cold desert where the Rio Grande River passes through town. More than half of county residents live in the city.
Joining An Ever Expanding List
Watch How Longmont, Colorado, Built the Community Network of the Year
Longmont, Colorado, shows off its award-winning fiber network through a series of short videos. On July 18th, Longmont’s NextLight network took home an award from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). The network won 2017 Community Networks Project of the Year.
A Network For the Whole City
The city of Longmont started actively building this Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network back in 2014. Now, nearly all of the 90,000 residents of Longmont can get gigabit (1,000 Mbps) service. These videos walk residents through construction, from putting fiber and conduit in the ground to installing it in the home.
These short (2- to 3-minute) videos encourage folks to learn about the process so that they know exactly what to expect. Residents might not realize that some equipment has to be installed in the house or that the process involves putting fiber underground through the streets. Watch the playlist below:
Cooperatives Build Community Networks
Cooperatives around the country have built on their long legacy of delivering essential infrastructure by starting to deliver next-generation Internet services. Here, we cover the basics of cooperatives in rural areas and then discuss the details of electric and telephone cooperatives that have already branched out into Internet service. Finally, we highlight the first fiber optic cooperative provider, and discuss how other communities have better Internet service through building their own networks.
Read the full policy brief Cooperatives Fiberize Rural America: A Trusted Model for the Internet Era on ILSR.org. View the archive for previous editions of the report.
View a larger version of the cooperative fiber map above, updated May 2020.
Quick Links:
Why Rural Cooperatives?
Cooperatives are part of the fabric of rural America. The member owners control the cooperative: each person receiving service is a member of the cooperative and can directly vote in elections for the Board of Directors or even become a member of the Board.
Starting in the 1930s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture supported communities as they created more than 900 electric cooperatives across the country. In the 1950s, the federal government again supported communities building telephone networks, crisscrossing the country with telephone cooperatives to connect rural communities.
Each technology brought new markets, revitalized economies, and revolutionized industries. Cooperatives have a long history of building and maintaining essential infrastructure and providing excellent service in rural communities. Now they have the chance to do that again by building next-generation networks for Internet service.
Rural Public Policies
Rural areas face a number of challenges that urban and suburban communities do not. Low population density coupled with rough terrain can make building infrastructure challenging. Added to these factors, rural communities may not have access to the same financial resources as larger towns and cities do.
Cooperatives, however, have made infrastructure projects work in rural communities for nearly a century. They have access to funding from their membership base, local banks, and often the federal government. Some state governments have expanded their broadband grant and loan programs to include electric cooperatives. Other states have clarified laws and policies to recognize that electric cooperatives can build fiber networks for Internet service using their current infrastructure. A few states have even removed legislative hurdles that stymied investments by electric cooperatives. Technically, the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Section 253, prohibits states from stopping any co-op from offering Internet service, but co-ops in many states are loathe to challenge state law in court.
North Carolina
In 2019, the state removed restrictions that prevented electric cooperatives from using USDA funding for non-electrical purposes, such as broadband networks. Our 2016 report, North Carolina Connectivity: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, highlighted how this roadblock kept the state’s electric co-ops from providing service to many rural communities.
Tennessee
During the 2017 legislative session, this state has clarified the language in its laws to allow electric cooperatives to build networks for Internet service.
Indiana
Cooperatives already have access to utility poles, easements, and Rights-of-Way in the communities that they serve. Indiana, however, needed to clarify that electric co-ops can use this access to provide Internet service, so it passed the FIBRE Act. Other states, including Georgia, Maryland, and Texas, have since followed suit.
Minnesota & Colorado
Minnesota and Colorado have made funding easier to access for cooperatives interested in providing Internet service. Both states have designed grant programs that promote local solutions to connectivity problems. In Minnesota, cooperatives provide most of the Fiber-to-the-Home Internet service thanks in no small part to that grant program.
Overbuild Or Underbuild?
In Community Broadband Bits Podcast Episode 91, Christopher Mitchell and Lisa Gonzalez discusses strategies for building Internet infrastructure in rural are. What do communities need to thrive?
Electric Cooperatives
More than 900 rural electric cooperatives provide electricity to about 12 percent of the U.S. population. Their service area, however, covers more than half of the total land, nearly 2 million square miles. About 90 rural electric co-ops have embarked on fiber optic projects to increase Internet access for their members.
Several of these electric cooperatives started by building fiber optic lines to substations and large demand centers to increase the reliability of the electric system through better monitoring. This could then form the backbone of a network for Internet service to businesses and residents.
Articles and Interviews
We have written many articles and collected several reports detailing how electric cooperatives have tried to increase Internet access in their communities. These stories show the many different ways electric cooperatives have structured partnerships and programs for their members.
Several electric cooperatives provide Internet service themselves. Some started pilot projects, while others built out to their entire service area. The Fiber-to-the-Home project by Valley Electric Association boosted the local economy in Pahrump, Nevada. The co-op has already added 31 new jobs because of the fiber service.
Others partner with an existing telephone cooperative or telephone company. Ouachita Electric in Arkansas is one of the many cooperatives to have done this. By combining their resources and expertise, this partnership is able to extend electric and Internet service throughout much of southern Arkansas.
Many electric cooperatives work together, such as Sho-Me Power in Missouri and LS Networks in Oregon. These cooperatives have provided connectivity for local ISPs and businesses, and now are looking to connect residents.
In episode 229 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast, Jon Chambers, the former head of the FCC Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, describes how electric cooperatives have the potential to bring Internet access to unserved rural America.
Mel Coleman, president of NRECA and CEO of North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, joined the podcast in episode 243 to discuss how the electric co-op had improved Internet access for its members and what other cooperatives are doing.
List of Fiber Projects
This is a list of the rural electric cooperatives that have programs and projects to increase connectivity in their service areas. They do not all provide Fiber-to-the-Home. Some only offer fiber connections to businesses or provide wireless last mile connections while others focus on dark fiber and fiber transport services for other Internet Service Providers. (Total: 109) (Last updated: 12/2019)
Electric Cooperative | State | Project |
---|---|---|
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative | Alabama | FTTH (announced) |
Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Corporation | Alabama | FTTH (announced) |
North Alabama Electric Cooperative | Alabama | FTTH |
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative (freedom FIBER) | Alabama | FTTH |
Wiregrass Electric Cooperative | Alabama | Fiber backbone (under construction) — collaboration with cable company to connect members |
Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative (WAVE Rural Connect) | Arkansas | FTTH |
Craighead Electric Cooperative Corporation (Empower) | Arkansas | FTTH |
North Arkansas Electric Cooperative (NEXT) | Arkansas | FTTH |
Ouachita Electric Cooperative (ARIS) | Arkansas | FTTH — collaboration with telephone company |
Ozarks Electric Cooperative (OzarksGo) | Arkansas | FTTH |
South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative (South Central Connect) | Arkansas | FTTH |
Anza Electric Cooperative (ConnectAnza) | California | FTTH |
Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications) | California | FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone |
San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (Ciello) | Colorado | FTTH |
Delta-Montrose Electric Association (Elevate Fiber) | Colorado | FTTH |
Southeast Colorado Power Association (SECOM) | Colorado | FTTH |
Yampa Valley Electric Association (Luminate Broadband) | Colorado | FTTH |
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC | Georgia & North Carolina | FTTH |
Habersham Electric Membership Corporation (Trailwave; North Georgia Network Cooperative) | Georgia | FTTH; FTTB and Schools |
Jefferson Energy Cooperative | Georgia | FTTB — collaboration with Pineland Telephone Cooperative |
Illinois Electric Cooperative | Illinois | FTTH |
Jo-Carrol Energy (Sand Prairie) | Illinois | FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone |
Jackson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation (Jackson Connect) | Indiana | FTTH |
Johnson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation | Indiana | FTTH — collaboration with NineStar Connect |
NineStar Connect (merger between Central Indiana Power and Hancock Telecom) | Indiana | FTTH |
Orange County Rural Electric Membership Corporation | Indiana | FTTH |
South Central Indiana Rural Electric Membership Corporation | Indiana | FTTH |
Tipmont Rural Electric Membership Corporation (Wintek) | Indiana | FTTH |
Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative (AC Skyways) | Iowa | Wireless with fiber backbone |
Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (MVLink) | Iowa | FTTH |
Bulter Electric Cooperative (Velocity) | Kansas | FTTH |
Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation | Kentucky | FTTH pilot projects (announced) — collaborations with North Central Telephone Company and Franklin Electric Power Board |
Great Lakes Energy (Truestream) | Michigan | FTTH |
Midwest Energy Cooperative (Midwest Energy and Communications) | Michigan | FTTH |
Tri-County Electric Cooperative (HomeWorks Connect) | Michigan | FTTH |
Arrowhead Electric Cooperative (True North Broadband) | Minnesota | FTTH |
Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) | Minnesota | Wireless with fiber backbone — collaboration with Mabel Cooperative Telephone Company and Spring Grove Communications |
MiEnergy Electric Cooperative | Minnesota | FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone |
Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative (XStream Internet) | Minnesota | FTTH — collaboration with telephone cooperative CTC |
Roseau Electric Cooperative | Minnesota | FTTH (announced) — collaboration with local telephone company |
Alcorn County Electric Power Association (ACE Fiber) | Mississippi | FTTH (announced) |
Coast Electric Power Association (CoastConnect) | Mississippi | FTTH (announced) |
Delta Electric Power Association | Mississippi | FTTH |
Monroe County Electric Power Association (M-Pulse Fiber) | Mississippi | FTTH (announced) |
Natchez Trace Electric Power Association (NT Spark) | Mississippi | FTTH |
Northcentral Mississippi Electric Power Association (Northcentral Connect) | Mississippi | FTTH |
Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association (North East Fiber, LLC/NE SPARC) | Mississippi | FTTH |
Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association (PearlComm Fiber) | Mississippi | FTTH (Announced) |
Prentiss County Electric Power Association | Mississippi | FTTH (announced) |
Singing River Electric Power Association (Singing River Connect) | Mississippi | FTTH (pilot) |
Southern Pine Electric Power Association | Mississippi | FTTH |
Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association (TVI-Fiber) | Mississippi | FTTH (announced) |
Tippah Electric Power Association | Mississippi | FTTH (announced) |
Tishomingo County Electric Power Association | Mississippi | FTTH |
Tombigbee Electric Power Association | Mississippi | FTTH (announced) |
Barry Electric Cooperative (goBEC) | Missouri | FTTH |
Callaway Electric (Callabyte Technology) | Missouri | FTTH — collaboration with Kingdom Telephone Cooperative |
Co-Mo Electric Cooperative (Co-Mo Connect) | Missouri | FTTH |
Grundy Electric Cooperative (Mid-States Services) | Missouri | FTTH |
Pemiscot Dunklin Electric Cooperative (Pemiscot Dunklin Fiber) | Missouri | FTTH |
Ralls County Electric Cooperative (Ralls Technologies) | Missouri | FTTH |
SEMO Electric Cooperative (GoSEMO Fiber) | Missouri | FTTH |
United Electric Cooperative (United Fiber) | Missouri | FTTH |
Crawford Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Gascoasage Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Laclede Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Se-Ma-No Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Southwest Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Webster Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
White River Valley Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | FTTB & Transport Services |
Valley Electric Association (Valley Communications Association) | Nevada | FTTH |
Continental Divide Electric Cooperative (Red Bolt Broadband) | New Mexico | FTTH |
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (Kit Carson Internet) | New Mexico | FTTH |
Delaware County Electric Cooperative | New York | FTTH — collaboration with local telephone companies |
Otsego Electric Cooperative (OEConnect) | New York | FTTH |
French Broad Electric Membership Corporation | North Carolina | FTTH |
Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation (Bluewave Communications NC) | North Carolina | FTTH — collaboration with Horry Telephone Cooperative |
Roanoke Electric Cooperative (Roanoke Connect) | North Carolina | FTTH |
Consolidated Electric Cooperative | Ohio | FTTH |
East Central Oklahoma Cooperative (ecoLINK) | Oklahoma | FTTH (under construction) |
Lake Region Electric Cooperative (Lake Region Technology & Communications) | Oklahoma | FTTH |
Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (Bolt Fiber Optic Services) | Oklahoma | FTTH |
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC Fiber) | Oklahoma | FTTH |
Consumers Power (Peak Internet) | Oregon | FTTP (open access network) — collaboration with Pioneer Consolidated and Stayton Cooperative Telephone Company |
Central Electric Cooperative (LS Networks) | Oregon | FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services |
Douglas Electric Cooperative (Douglas Fast Net; LS Networks) | Oregon | FTTH; FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services |
Hood River Electric Cooperative (CACHE Communications; LS Networks) | Oregon | FTTH; FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services |
Umatilla Electric Cooperative (LS Networks) | Oregon | FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services |
West Oregon Electric Cooperative (LS Networks) | Oregon | FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services |
Sullivan County Rural Electric Cooperative | Pennsylvania | FTTH (announced) |
Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative | Pennsylvania | FTTH (announced) |
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative (Carolina Connect) | South Carolina | FTTH |
Newberry Electric Cooperative (Carolina Connect) | South Carolina | FTTH — collaboration with Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative |
Appalachian Electric Cooperative | Tennessee | FTTH |
Cumberland Electric Membership Cooperative (Cumberland Connect) | Tennessee | FTTH (announced) |
Forked Deer Electric Cooperative (Forked Deer Connect) | Tennessee | FTTH |
Gibson Electric Membership Corporation (Gibson Connect) | Tennessee | FTTH |
Holston Electric Cooperative (Holston Connect) | Tennessee | FTTH |
Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (MLConnect) | Tennessee | FTTH |
Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEConnect) | Tennessee | FTTH |
Tri-County Electric Cooperative | Tennessee | FTTH |
Volunteer Electric Cooperative (Twin Lakes, powered by VEC) | Tennessee | FTTH — collaboratin with Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative |
Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC Fiber) | Texas | FTTH |
Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative (Grayson Collin Communications) | Texas | FTTH |
Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative | Texas | FTTH |
Jackson Electric Cooperative (MyJEC.net) | Texas | FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone |
Taylor Electric Cooperative (Access Fiber) | Texas | FTTH |
Victoria Electric Cooperative (Infinium) | Texas | FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone |
BARC Electric Cooperative (BARC Connects) | Virginia | FTTH |
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (Firefly Broadband) | Virginia | FTTH |
Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative | Virginia | FTTH (announced) |
Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (EMPOWER Broadband) | Virginia | FTTH |
Prince George Electric Cooperative (Ruralband) | Virginia | FTTH |
Columbia Rural Electric Association (Columbia iConnect) | Washington | FTTH Pilot Project |
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (Rock Island Communications) | Washington | FTTH |
Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative (Ntera) | Wisconsin | FTTH — collaboration with telephone cooperative Citizens Connected |
Telephone Cooperatives
There are about 260 telephone cooperatives in the United States. Many provide Internet service as a natural extension of their existing infrastructure. Many started out by providing dial-up and DSL services, but only recently have begun to transition to Fiber-to-the-Home. Some have already transitioned to an all-fiber network, having upgraded everyone in their territory to fiber.
The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) has a gigabit certification program in order to draw attention to how many small telephone companies cooperatives have built these next-generation networks.
Articles & Interviews
We have featured a number of these cooperatives on our website. Some cooperatives choose to work with local governments or electric cooperatives while others focus on providing service alone. Below is just a small selection of the many cooperatives that have built Fiber-to-the-Home networks.
In Michigan, a rural telephone cooperative got its start in the early 2000s. The community went from sparse telephone service to state-of-the-art Internet service. Read more about Allband Communications Cooperatives unique story here.
Paul Bunyan Communications Cooperative in Minnesota has expanded their GigaZone throughout the northern half of the state, including Red Lake Nation.
In Missouri, Callaway Electric Cooperative and Kingdom Telephone Company (the local telephone co-op) teamed up to form a new company together called Callabyte Technology to deliver Fiber-to-the-Home service.
Episode 188 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast features Eric Cramer, the President and CEO of Wilkes Communications/RiverStreet Networks. He explained how the telephone cooperative has built a Fiber-to-the-Home network throughout several counties in northern North Carolina.
The First Internet Cooperative
Cooperatives are not just telephone and electric. There is now a workable model for Internet cooperatives created from scratch. RS Fiber in Minnesota is the first cooperative formed for the express purpose of providing reliable, high-speed Internet service.
We have extensive coverage of how RS Fiber started and the rural communities they have connected. Read more in our report RS Fiber Fertile Fields: New Rural Internet Cooperative.
More Resources
List of Gigabit Cooperatives
These cooperatives offer gigabit speeds to residents and/or businesses within their service areas. (Total: 210) (Last updated: 12/2019)
Gigabit Cooperative | State | Type |
---|---|---|
3 Rivers Communications | Montana | Telephone |
Ace Telephone Association (Ace Communications or AcenTek) | Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa | Telephone |
Adams Telephone Cooperative | Illinois | Telephone |
Albany Mutual Telephone Association | Minnesota | Telephone |
Appalachian Electric Cooperative | Tennessee | Electric |
Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative (WAVE Rural Connect) | Arkansas | Electric |
Arthur Mutual Telephone Company | Ohio | Telephone |
Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation | North Carolina | Telephone |
Ballard Rural Telephone Cooperative Corporation (Bringing Technology Closer) | Kentucky | Telephone |
Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC Fiber) | Texas | Electric |
BARC Electric Cooperative (BARC Connects) | Virginia | Electric |
Barry Electric Cooperative (goBEC) | Missouri | Electric |
Bascom Communications | Ohio | Telephone |
BEK Communications Cooperative (BEK Lightband) | North Dakota | Telephone |
Ben Lomand Rural Telephone Cooperative (Ben Lomand Connect) | Tennesseee | Telephone |
Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative | Tennesseee | Telephone |
Blue Valley Telecommunications | Kansas | Telephone |
Bulloch Telephone Cooperative | Georgia | Telephone |
Callaway Electric Cooperative (Callabyte Technology) — collaboration with Kingdom Telephone Cooperative | Missouri | Electric and telephone |
Canby Telephone Association (DirectLink) | Oregon | Telephone |
Central Electric Cooperative (LS Networks) | Oregon | Electric |
Central Texas Telephone Cooperative | Texas | Telephone |
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (Firefly Broadband) | Virginia | Electric |
Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation | Missouri | Telephone |
Chequamegon Communications Cooperative (Norvado) | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Chibardun Telephone Cooperative (Mosaic Telecom) | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative (Ntera) — collaboration with telephone cooperative Citizens Connected | Wisconsin | Electric and Telephone |
Citizens Connected | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Citizens Mutual Telephone Cooperative | Iowa | Telephone |
Citizens Telephone Cooperative | Virginia | Telephone |
Citizens Telephone Cooperative | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Clay County Rural Telephone Cooperative (Endeavor Communications) | Indiana | Telephone |
Co-Mo Electric Cooperative (Co-Mo Connect) | Missouri | Electric |
Cochrane Cooperative Telephone Company | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Columbia Rural Electric Association (Columbia iConnect) | Washington | Electric |
Columbus Telephone (Optic Communications) | Kansas | Telephone |
Consolidated Electric Cooperative | Ohio | Electric |
Consolidated Telcom | North Dakota | Telephone |
Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC) | Minnesota | Telephone |
Cooperative Telephone Exchange | Iowa | Telephone |
Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative (Copper Valley Telecom) | Alaska | Telephone |
Craighead Electric Cooperative Corporation (Empower) | Arkansas | Electric |
Craw Kan Telephone Cooperative | Kansas | Telephone |
Crawford Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Custer Telephone Cooperative, Inc. | Idaho | Telephone |
Dakota Central Telecommunications | North Dakota | Telephone |
Danville Mutual Telephone Company (i-connect you) | Iowa | Telephone |
Daviess-Martin Rural Telephone Corporation (RTC Communications) | Indiana | Telephone |
DeKalb Telephone Cooperative, Inc | Tennessee | Telephone |
Delaware County Electric Cooperative | New York | Electric |
Delta-Montrose Electric Association (Elevate Fiber) | Colorado | Electric |
Dickey Rural Telephone Cooperative | North Dakota | Telephone |
Douglas Electric Cooperative (Douglas Fast Net; LS Networks) | Oregon | Electric |
Eastern New Mexico Rural Telephone Cooperative (Plateau Telecommunications) | New Mexico | Telephone |
Eastern Oregon Telecom | Oregon | Telephone |
Ellsworth Cooperative Telephone Association | Iowa | Telephone |
Emery Telcom | Utah | Telephone |
Emily Cooperative Telephone Company | Minnesota | Telephone |
Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company | Iowa | Telephone |
Farmers Mutual Telephone Company | Iowa | Telephone |
Farmers Mutual Telephone Company (Acira — partnership with Federated Telephone Cooperative) | Minnesota | Telephone |
Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative | Alabama | Telephone |
Farmers Telephone Cooperative | South Carolina | Telephone |
Federated Telephone Cooperative (Acira — partnership with Farmers Mutual Telephone Company) | Minnesota | Telephone |
Foothills Telephone Cooperative (Foothills Communications) | Kentucky | Telephone |
Forked Deer Electric Cooperative (Forked Deer Connect) | Tennessee | Electric |
French Broad Electric Membership Corporation | North Carolina | Electric |
Garden Valley Telephone Company (Garden Valley Technologies) | Minnesota | Telephone |
Gascoasage Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Gervais Telephone Company (DataVision Cooperative) | Oregon | Telephone |
Gibson Electric Membership Corporation (Gibson Connect) | Tennessee | Electric |
Golden Belt Telephone Association | Kansas | Telephone |
Grand River Mutual Telephone Corporation (GRM Networks) | Missouri | Telephone |
Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative (Grayson Collin Communications) | Texas | Electric |
Great Lakes Energy (Truestream) | Mississippi | Electric |
Griswold Cooperative Telephone Company (Griswold Communications) | Iowa | Telephone |
Grundy Electric Cooperative (Mid-States Services) | Missouri | Electric |
Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative | Texas | Electric |
Guadalupe Valley Telephone Cooperative | Texas | Telephone |
Habersham Electric Membership Corporation (Trailwave; North Georgia Network Cooperative) | Georgia | Electric |
Halstad Telephone Company | Minnesota | Telephone |
Highland Telephone Cooperative | Tennessee | Telephone |
Hill Country Telephone Cooperative | Texas | Telephone |
Holston Electric Cooperative (Holston Connect) | Tennessee | Electric |
Hood River Electric Cooperative (CACHE Communications; LS Networks) | Oregon | Electric |
Horry Telephone Cooperative | South Carolina | Telephone |
Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Huxley Communications Cooperative | Iowa | Telephone |
Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Jackson County Rural Elctric Membership Corporation (Jackson Connect) | Indiana | Electric |
Jefferson Energy Cooperative — collaboration with Pineland Telephone Cooperative | Georgia | Electric and Telephone |
Jo-Carrol Energy (Sand Prairie) | Illinois | Electric |
Johnson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation — collaboration with NineStar Connect | Indiana | Electric and telephone |
Kalona Cooperative Technology Company | Iowa | Telephone |
Kingdom Telephone Company | Missouri | Telephone |
Laclede Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Lake Region Electric Cooperative (Lake Region Technology & Communications) | Oklahoma | Electric |
LaValle Telephone Cooperative | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative | New Mexico | Telephone |
Lehigh Valley Cooperative Telephone Association | Iowa | Telephone |
Logan Telephone Cooperative | Kentucky | Telephone |
Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (MVLink) | Iowa | Electric |
Marquette-Adams Telephone Cooperative | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Matanuska Telephone Association | Alaska | Telephone |
Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (EMPOWER Broadband) | Virginia | Electric |
Meriweather Lewis Electric Cooperative (MLConnect) | Tennessee | Electric |
Mid Century Telephone Cooperative (Mid Century Communications) | Illinois | Telephone |
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative (Carolina Connect) | South Carolina | Electric |
Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative (Mid-Rivers Communications) | Montana | Telephone |
Midstate Communications | South Dakota | Telephone |
Midwest Energy Cooperative (Midwest Energy and Communications) | Michigan | Electric |
Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative (XStream Internet) — collaboration with CTC | Minnesota | Electric and telephone |
Molalla Telephone Company (Molalla Communications) | Oregon | Telephone |
Mountain Rural Telephone Cooperative Corporation | Kentucky | Telephone |
Nelson Communications Cooperative (Ntec) | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Nemont Telephone Cooperative | Montana | Telephone |
New Hope Telephone Cooperative | Alabama | Telephone |
New Lisbon Telephone Company | Indiana | Telephone |
Newberry Electric Cooperative (Carolina Connect) | South Carolina | Electric |
NineStar Connect (merger between Central Indiana Power and Hancock Telecom) | Indiana | Electric and telephone |
North Alabama Electric Cooperative | Alabama | Electric |
North Arkansas Electric Cooperative (NEXT) | Arkansas | Electric |
North Central Telephone Cooperative | Tennessee and Kentucky | Telephone |
North Dakota Telephone Company | North Dakota | Telephone |
Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company | Nebraska | Telephone |
Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (Bolt Fiber Optic Services) | Oklahoma | Electric |
Northwest Communications Cooperative | North Dakota | Telephone |
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC Fiber) | Oklahoma | Electric |
Orange County Rural Electric Membership Corporation | Indiana | Electric |
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (Rock Island Communications) | Washington | Electric |
Otsego Electric Cooperative (OEConnect) | New York | Electric |
Ouachita Electric Cooperative (ARIS) | Arkansas | Electric |
Ozarks Electric Cooperative (OzarksGo) | Arkansas | Electric |
Palmetto Rural Telephone Company | South Carolina | Telephone |
Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. | Oklahoma | Telephone |
Panora Communications Cooperative | Iowa | Telephone |
Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative | Minnesota | Telephone |
Peak Internet (partnership between Pioneer Consolidated, Consumers Power, and Stayton Cooperative Telephone Company) | Oregon | Electric and telephone |
Pemiscot Dunklin Electric Cooperative | Missouri | Electric |
Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative | Kentucky | Telephone |
Peoples Telecommunications | Kansas | Telephone |
Perry-Spencer Rural Telephone Cooperative (Perry-Spencer Communications) | Indiana | Telephone |
Phillips County Telephone Company (PC Telcom) | Colorado | Telephone |
Pineland Telephone Cooperative | Georgia | Telephone |
Pioneer Telephone Cooperative | Oklahoma | Telephone |
Plains Cooperative Telephone Association | Colorado | Telephone |
Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications) | California | Electric |
Polar Communications Mutual Aid Corporation | North Dakota | Telephone |
Prince George Electric Cooperative (Ruralband) | Virginia | Electric |
Rainbow Telecommunications Association (Rainbow Communications) | Kansas | Telephone |
Ralls County Electric Cooperative (Ralls Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Randolph Telephone Membership Corporation (Randoph Communications) | North Carolina | Telephone |
Range Telephone Cooperative (RT Communications) | Montana, Wyoming | Telephone |
Red River Rural Telephone Association | North Dakota | Telephone |
Reservation Telephone Cooperative | North Dakota | Telephone |
Richland-Grant Telephone Cooperative | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Runestone Telecom Association | Minnesota | Telephone |
Rural Telephone Service Cooperative (Nex-Tech) | Kansas | Telephone |
San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (Ciello) | Colorado | Electric |
Scio Mutual Telephone Association | Oregon | Telephone |
Se-Ma-No Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
SEMO Electric Cooperative (GoSEMO Fiber) | Missouri | Electric |
Sequatchee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEConnect) | Tennessee | Electric |
Sherwood Mutual Telephone Association | Ohio | Telephone |
Skyline Telephone Membership Corporation (SkyBest Communications) | North Carolina | Telephone |
South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative (South Central Connect) | Arkansas | Electric |
South Central Indiana Rural Electric Membership Corporation | Indiana | Electric |
South Central Rural Telephone Cooperative | Kentucky | Telephone |
South Central Utah Telephone Association (South Central Communications) | Utah | Telephone |
South Slope Cooperative Communications | Iowa | Telephone |
Southeast Colorado Power Association (SECOM) | Colorado | Electric |
Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative | Arkansas | Telephone |
Southwest Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
SRT Communications | North Dakota | Telephone |
Star Telephone Membership Corporation (Star Communications) | North Carolina | Telephone |
Surry Communications Membership Cooperation | North Carolina | Telephone |
Taylor Electric Cooperative (Access Fiber) | Texas | Electric |
The Ottoville Mutual Telephone Company | Ohio | Telephone |
Tipmont Rural Electric Membership Corporation (Wintek) | Indiana | Electric |
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative (freedom FIBER) | Alabama | Electric |
Tri-County Communications Cooperative | Wisconsin | Electric |
Tri-County Electric Cooperative | Tennessee | Electric |
Tri-County Electric Cooperative (HomeWorks Connect) | Michigan | Electric |
Tri-County Telephone Association | Kansas | Electric |
Tri-County Telephone Membership Corporation (RiverStreet Networks) | North Carolina | Telephone |
Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative Corporation | Tennessee | Telephone |
UBTA-UBET Communications, also known as Strata Networks | Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming | Telephone |
Umatilla Electric Cooperative (LS Networks) | Oregon | Electric |
United Electric Cooperative (United Fiber) | Missouri | Electric |
United Telephone Mutual Aid Corporation (Turtle Mountain Communications) | North Dakota | Telephone |
Valley Electric Association (Valley Communications Association) | Nevada | Electric |
Valley Telecommunications | South Dakota | Telephone |
Venture Communications Cooperative | South Dakota | Telephone |
Vernon Communications Cooperative | Wisconsin | Telephone |
Victoria Electric Cooperative (Infinium) | Texas | Electric |
Volunteer Electric Cooperative (Twin Lakes, powered by VEC) | Tennessee | Electric and telephone |
Wabash Communications Cooperative | Illinois | Telephone |
Wabash Mutual Telephone Company | Ohio | Telephone |
Washington County Rural Telephone Cooperative (Tele-media Solutions) | Indiana | Telephone |
Webster Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association | Iowa | Telephone |
West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative (West Carolina Tel) | South Carolina | Telephone |
West Central Telephone Association | Minnesota | Telephone |
West Kentucky and Tennessee Communications Cooperative | Kentucky, Tennessee | Telephone |
West Oregon Electric Cooperative (LS Networks) | Oregon | Electric |
West River Telecommunications Cooperative | North Dakota and South Dakota | Telephone |
West Wisconsin Telcom Cooperative (24-7 Telcom) | Wisconsin | Telephone |
White River Valley Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies) | Missouri | Electric |
Wiggins Telephone Association (Blue Lightning) | Colorado | Telephone |
Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation (RiverStreet Networks) | North Carolina | Telephone |
Yampa Valley Electric Association (Luminate Broadband) | Colorado | Electric |
Yucca Telecommunications Systems | New Mexico | Telephone |
Community Broadband Bits Podcast Episodes
Listen to our collection of Community Broadband Bits Podcasts to learn firsthand about how electric cooperatives have made the decision to provide Internet service.
# | Title | Summary | Guest | Transcript |
---|---|---|---|---|
383 11/19/2019 | Tri-County Rural Electric Delivering Connectivity, Expanding Partnerships, in Appalachians | Co-op finds funding, partners to build broadband network demanded by members | Craig Eccher | Transcript 383 |
369 8/13/2019 | South Dakota Fiber All About the Local | Co-ops, cities, locally-owned companies, and tribal ISPs invest in rural South Dakota | Greg Dean | Transcript 369 |
358 5/28/2019 | Firefly Fiber All the Buzz in Central Virginia | Central Virginia Electric Co-op's new fiber project and how members are embracing better connectivity | Melissa Gay and Gary Wood | Transcript 358 |
344 2/19/2019 | Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Cooperative Steps Up, Offers FTTH in Missouri's Bootheel | Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Cooperative's FTTH project in rural Missouri and how the environment impacted network design | Jack Davis | Transcript 344 |
342 2/5/2019 | RiverStreet Networks Reaching Across Rural North Carolina | Co-op partners with other co-ops and communities to connect rural N.C. | Greg Coltrain | Transcript 342 |
324 9/25/2018 | Great Lakes Energy's Big Plan for Big Fiber | Largest electric co-op in Michigan is deploying a FTTH network | Shari Culver | Transcript 324 |
321 9/4/2018 | Analyzing the Auction With Jonathan Chambers | Results of the Connect America Fund Phase II auction, including a strong showing by electric co-ops | Jonathan Chambers | Transcript 321 |
314 7/17/2018 | DMEA Co-op Serving Up Broadband and Innovation in Colorado | The Delta Montrose Electric Association fiber deployment in Colorado | John Gavan and Brad Harding | Transcript 314 |
288 1/9/2018 | North Dakota's Exceptional Fiber Networks | North Dakota has low population density, but many fiber cooperatives | Robin Anderson | Transcript 288 |
277 11/1/2017 | Kit Carson Fibers up New Mexico | Electric Cooperative builds fiber network in rural New Mexico | Luis Reyes | Transcript 277 |
276 10/24/2017 | Allband All-in For Rural Michigan Internet Access | Folks build a cooperative from scratch in rural Michigan | Ron Siegel | Transcript 276 |
249 4/19/2017 | Rural Electric Co-ops as Reluctant Warriors for Broadband | The challenges and decisions that rural electric cooperatives face | Alyssa Clemsen-Roberts | Transcript 249 |
243 3/7/2017 | What's NEXT in North Arkansas? | North Arkansas Electric Cooperative's pilot project for high-speed Internet service | Mel Coleman | Transcript 243 |
240 2/14/2017 | United Fiber Tackles Missouri's Most Rural | The demand for better, faster connections and the role of rural electric cooperatives | Darren Farnan | Transcript 240 |
229 11/22/2016 | Rural Electrics Solve Rural Internet Access Problems | Former head of FCC's Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis on politics and rural connectivity | Jon Chambers | Transcript 229 |
225 10/25/2016 | Midwest Energy Cooperative Connects Rural Michigan | A rural electric cooperative provides fiber connectivity | Bob Hance and Dave Allen | Transcript 225 |
224 10/18/2016 | H.R. Trostle on Co-Ops, Munis, Connectivity in North Carolina | ILSR Research Associate discusses North Carolina and Internet access | H.R. Trostle | Transcript 224 |
203 5/25/2016 | Tennessee Potential Partnership Between Morristown Muni and AEC Co-op | Morristown Tennessee, and the local electric co-op are teaming up to deliver needed services | Jody Wigington and Greg Williams | Transcript 203 |
198 4/19/2016 | A New Cooperative Model for Fiber to the Farm | The RS Fiber Cooperative steals the spotlight with its new cooperative model | Mark Erickson and Jake Rieke | Transcript 198 |
188 2/9/2016 | North Carolina Co-op Fibers Up Rural Counties and More | What does it take for a telephone co-op in North Carolina to provide FTTH? President and CEO of Wilkes Communications and RiverStreet Networks explains | Eric Cramer | Transcript 188 |
140 3/3/2015 | Rural Electric Co-Mo Co-op Goes Gig | Discussion on how Co-Mo electric co-op in rural Missouri structured broadband network and its objective to enter the business and results | Randy Klindt | Transcript 140 |
99 5/20/2014 | Catching Up with the RS Fiber Co-op in Minnesota | Update on the RS Fiber Co-op project in Minnesota | Mark Erickson and Cindy Gerholz | Transcript 99 |
92 4/1/2014 | Understanding the Georgia Communications Cooperative | Discussion on how cooperatives work together and expand the regional network in Georgia and challenges to connect rural premises with fiber optics | Mike Foor | Transcript 92 |
46 5/14/2013 | North Georgia Network Brings Gig to Schools, Jobs to Region | The origin of the North Georgia Network and its economic and social impact on the region | Paul Belk | Transcript 46 |
Image Credits:
Rural Barn Flag, woodleywonderworks, Creative Commons license
Minnesota House Chamber, Chris Gaukel, Creative Commons license
Oops! Comcast Called Out For Fabrications Concerning NextLight
Sharing information about the fabulous work by communities investing in publicly owned Internet infrastructure is a full-time job. So is correcting the misinformation spread by national providers trying to undermine that important work. Fortunately, there are people with firsthand knowledge of those inaccuracies who can set the record straight.
It Started As A Simple Question
A recent post on Reddit shows an email exchange between the Senior Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Comcast and the General Manager at NextLight in Longmont, Colorado. The email started when a resident from Fort Collins sent a message to the city council. Fort Collins is looking at better connectivity and researching their options.
The Fort Collins City Council forwarded those questions to Comcast and asked some one at the company to explain the difference between their gigabit connectivity and the gigabit service offered by NextLight, the municipal network in Longmont. As can be expected, Comcast’s representative replied with a long list of inaccuracies and outright falsities. In addition to claiming that Longmont’s service adds charges where it does not, Comcast’s rep tries to convince the Fort Collins City Council that NextLight’s service is inferior, but the fact show otherwise.
Fortunately, the email found its way to General Manager at NextLight Tom Roiniotis, who made the time to correct the misinterpretations. As is often the case in the “webiverse,” the email with accurate information found its way to Reddit.
The post, cleverly titled “GM drops the mic on the Comcast rep” is here, but we’ve also republished it. For some testimonies on Longmont’s NextLight service, check out the comments on the Reddit thread.
ON REDDIT: