Tag: "event"

Give To The Max Day! Support ILSR And Local Communities!

Posted November 16, 2017 by lgonzalez

The Community Broadband Networks Team at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance invites you to lend a hand as we help build local economies in Minnesota and across the map. Today we’re participating in Minnesota's Give to the Max Day and we hope you’ll take a minute to contribute. Your donation allows us to assist local folks looking for ways to improve connectivity, but it goes even further.

Broadband And More

You're familiar with our broadband work, but the Institute for Local Self-Reliance also works with communities through our other initiatives. Our staff of policy and research experts investigate issues such as independent business, banking, energy, waste to wealth, composting, and the public good. We’ve been serving communities for more than 40 years.

ILSR champions local self-reliance, a strategy that underscores the need for humanly-scaled institutions and economies and the widest possible distribution of ownership. We work with citizens, activists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to design policies that meet our needs. We want to make sure that the benefits of our political economy benefits all local citizens.

We need your help! Donate here and thanks for supporting our work.

Livestream The Indigenous Connectivity Summit From Santa Fe

Posted November 8, 2017 by lgonzalez

In addition to municipal networks and rural cooperatives, Native American Tribal Governments have been instrumental in recent years in bringing better connectivity to rural areas. Many large incumbent providers won’t serve tribal lands because, as with other rural areas, they don’t consider the investment profitable. As a result, some of these communities have exercised their own resourcefulness and invested themselves through a range of creative solutions.

In order to share discoveries and methodology, the Internet Society has organized the Indigenous Connectivity Summit in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The event started this morning and runs through tomorrow. The agenda includes presentations from all types of experts who’ve worked on tribal community networks and topics cover business models, advocating, digital tools, and a range of other matters.

Check out the agenda here.

We realize this is last minute, but the folks at the Summit are live streaming the event so you can still almost be there.

You can also watch the event on Facebook.

Intelligent Communities In Dublin, Ohio, And Beyond - Community Broadband Bits Episode 278

Posted November 7, 2017 by lgonzalez

As an increasing number of communities invest in and explore the advantages of publicly owned networks, Christopher finds himself making more trips to cities and towns across the country. In addition to sharing what we discover about all the communities we research, he absorbs what he can from others who also document the way local folks are optimizing connectivity. Sometimes, he’s able to interview people like this week’s guest, Dana McDaniel from Dublin, Ohio.

Dana is City Manager of Dublin home of the Global Institute for the Study of the Intelligent Community, part of the Intelligent Community Forum. In addition to discussing the purpose and principals of the Forum and the Institute, Dana describes how the both use data they collect to share knowledge.

Christopher and Dana also spend time on the many benefits of the publicly owned fiber optic infrastructure in the Columbus suburb and the situation that led to their initial investment. Dana describes how fast growth in Dublin led to the community’s decision to protect other types of infrastructure and take control of their rights-of-way. Over time, they expanded the network, which led to economic development, cost savings, and private investment far beyond their expectations. It’s a great story they want to share with others.

Read the transcript for this show here.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

This show is 30 minutes long and can be played on this page or via iTunes or the tool of your choice using this feed.

You can download this mp3 file directly from here. Listen to other episodes here or view all episodes in our index.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and...

Webinar On CAF From SHLB: October 26th, 11 a.m. ET

Posted October 25, 2017 by lgonzalez

We’ve written about the Connect America Fund (CAF) on multiple occasions and recently alerted interested MuniNetworks.org readers to the FCC’s ongoing efforts to re-examine the CAF Phase II Auction procedures. On October 26th, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) is presenting a free webinar on CAF as part of their Grow2Gig+ Webinar Series.

SHLB will be offering a Universal Service Symposium in Washington, DC, on November 2nd and the information presenting in the webinar will help attendees prepare. Even if you’re not planning to attend the workshop, the webinar will offer information that will be useful if you have any interest in applying for CAF funds or if you are monitoring the FCC’s policies moving forward.

The webinar speakers are Carol Mattey and Rebekah Goodheart; John Windhausen will moderate. SHLB describes the event as:

The Connect America Fund (CAF) is a federal program that provides funding to defray the cost of operating and extending both fixed and mobile broadband networks to serve consumers and small businesses in rural, high-cost areas in the United States. CAF was created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fulfill the statutory mandate that all Americans have access to communications service that is reasonably comparable to what’s available in urban areas.

Join two former senior FCC officials as they discuss the History of the Connect America Fund, the Phase II Auction (Performance Standards, Application Process, and Auction Mechanics), as well as Reporting Requirements.

You can register online at the SHLB website and also review past webinars and check out other events on the calendar.

Atlanta November 7 - 9: Broadband Communities Conference Almost Here

Posted October 25, 2017 by lgonzalez

There’s still time to register and make your plans to attend the Fiber for the New Economy: Economic Development Conference presented by Broadband Communities Magazine. A fall trip to Atlanta on November 7 - 9 will include workshops, a range of economic development discussions, and the opportunity to view a new film on the broadband struggle in Pinetops, North Carolina.

There will be panel discussions and/or workshops on:

Financial modeling for community networks, CAF II, and other funding sources
Smart City and IoT initiatives
Rural communities, jobs, attracting entrepreneurs, and connectivity
Fiber and gigabit connectivity and their impact on local jobs, education, and residential access
State legislative efforts to improve connectivity and federal policies
Electric Cooperatives and connectivity
TV White Spaces, 5G, small cell deployment
Cooperative efforts between economic development and broadband experts
Latest research on broadband, economic development, and investment
Marketing for broadband networks
Partnerships between the private and public sectors
Fiber connectivity and MDUs
Approaches to addressing and reducing the digital divide

Pass The Popcorn

As an added bonus, attendees will be able to screen Do Not Pass Go: The Battle For Broadband, a short documentary film about Pinetops, North Carolina. The community was able to obtain gigabit fiber optic service from Greenlight, the municipal network from nearby Wilson. Shortly after, an appellate court determined that Wilson was acting outside of state law, forcing the two communities to find another way for Pinetops to keep high-quality Internet access. Their situation is still uncertain.

Christopher will be participating on the "Broadband Champions Speak Out" panel at 10 a.m. on Nov. 8th and will also lead the panel on "Spawning an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9th.

CLIC Day

If you’re able to come to the conference by Tuesday, November 7th, attend a special program offered by the Coalition for Local Internet Choice (CLIC). Members and leaders from CLIC will present updates on key legislative events, coping with misinformation, and the drive to...

Up North Blandin Border to Border Conference Reminder!

Posted October 20, 2017 by lgonzalez

Next week’s Border to Border Broadband Conference from the Blandin Foundation promises to be a great opportunity to meet like-minded people with an eye on infrastructure. This year, the event is titled “Bridging the Gaps - Expanding the Impact” and will take place at Madden’s on Gull Lake. If you haven’t already made your plans, now is an excellent time to plan on heading up north to enjoy some fall weather, Minnesota style.

The folks at Blandin shared more information about the event and we want to pass it on to you:

Minnesota is hosting its annual Border to Border Broadband Conference October 25-26 in beautiful Brainerd Minnesota on Gull Lake. Come learn about Minnesota's broadband innovative broadband infrastructure grant program that has had a significant impact on broadband deployment in some of the most rural places in Minnesota.

Blandin Foundation will present new research demonstrating the impact of investment in broadband infrastructure and adoption on five rural Minnesota communities where world-class broadband is meeting smart economic development strategies.

Providers and communities will host eight interactive learning stations showcasing successful rural projects funded through Minnesota’s Border-to-Border grant program.

Pre-conference sessions will include a Broadband 101 Workshop and a Digital Inclusion Showcase:

Laura Withers, Director of Communications, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association; Roberto Gallardo, Assistant Director, Purdue Center for Regional Development; and Aaron Brown, Iron Range storyteller, blogger (http://minnesotabrown.com/) and broadband advocate; are among the conference’s featured speakers.

Learn more at the conference website.

Webinar: Municipal Broadband Feasibility Studies, Oct. 18th

Posted October 13, 2017 by Matthew Marcus

When your community needs better connectivity, the best place to start is with a feasibility study, but each community's needs vary and what should you expect from such a study? What kinds of question should you ask? What should a consultant offer your community?

There is no single answer, but the best way to prepare is to seek out information on feasibility studies and determine what is right for your region or town. For communities in the planning phase of developing a municipal broadband network, Vantage Point Solutions is hosting the webinar: “Feasibility Studies for Municipal Broadband: The Good, the Bad, and the Best Practices.”

From the invitation:

When it comes to developing and expanding municipal broadband networks, there is no one-size-fits-all model. Proper planning will ensure the right solution is identified before significant time and money is invested.

In this webinar, Vantage Point Solutions will provide you with best practices and guidance on what you should do during the planning phase of a broadband project - and what you can save for later. This session will help you avoid pitfalls that create delays and problems and maximize the success of your planning process.

The webinar discussion will be led by Dusty Johnson and Lori Sherwood on Wed Oct. 18th at 3:00 pm. Register here.

Learn more about the art of the feasibility study from some of our Community Broadband Bits podcast episodes:

Couldn't Make It To Ammon? Event Videos Now Available

Posted October 9, 2017 by lgonzalez

You may not have been able to get to Ammon, Idaho, to attend the official lighting ceremony of the community’s open access fiber network. Perhaps you weren’t able to watch the stream to the event either; life is demanding and sometimes we just can’t fit everything into our day. But you can still watch the event at your own pace because we’ve broken down the presentations and panels for you.

Deb Socia (NCC) & Jeff Christensen (EntryPoint) Introduce Ammon Mayor Dana Kirkham :

https://youtu.be/YvBTjaoPRuc?t=35m30s

Mayor Dana Kirkham :

https://youtu.be/YvBTjaoPRuc?t=43m46s

State Senator Brent Hill :

https://youtu.be/YvBTjaoPRuc?t=47m38s

Keynote: How Does the City of Tomorrow Get ‘Smart’?

Glenn Ricart, Founder and CEO, US Ignite :

https://youtu.be/YvBTjaoPRuc?t=53m5s

Panel - How do we make ‘smart cities’ a reality?

Glenn Ricart, Founder and CEO, US Ignite
Shawn Irvine, Economic Development Director, Independence, Oregon
Aarushi Sarbhai, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Utah
Jeff Peterson, CTO, EntryPoint Networks
Moderated by Deb Socia, Executive Director, Next Century Cities

https://youtu.be/YvBTjaoPRuc?t=1h14m20s

Bobbi-Jo Meuleman, Chief Operations Officer, Idaho Department of Commerce :

https://youtu.be/YvBTjaoPRuc?t=2h27m29s

Policy Discussion: Does government have a role to play?

Christopher Mitchell, Director, Community Broadband Networks :

https://youtu.be/YvBTjaoPRuc?t=2h29m58s

...

Can't Be There? Livestream of Ammon Launch Oct. 5th

Posted October 4, 2017 by lgonzalez

If you can’t make it to Ammon to attend the launch of the city’s ground breaking open access fiber network, you can still enjoy the festivities. The event will be livestreamed starting at 10:30 eastern at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmATax9osBK4K2ZUiAtjXmQ/live

Ammon’s Mayor Deb Kirkham, State Senator Brent Hill, and even former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, in a video address, will share thoughts about the city’s pioneering infrastructure and what it means for this Idaho city of about 14,000 people. Christopher is in Ammon to celebrate with the community and speak on the significance of this local project.

If you need to brush up on Ammon’s software defined network (SDN) and the ways it has already improved life in the community, read our coverage before the event on October 5th. You can also take a few minutes to listen to episodes 259, episode 207, episode 173, and episode 86 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast to listen to conversations that describe the evolution of Ammon’s network.

Lastly, check out our video about the network and hear from the people in Ammon who are early adopters:

Fiber Launch Event In Ammon Oct. 5th

Posted September 28, 2017 by ChristopherBarich

The City of Ammon, Idaho, in partnership with Next Century Cities will host an event titled “The Launch of the Ammon Fiber Utility” to bring together representatives from Ammon and the region, policy and broadband experts, and key stakeholders to show off Ammon’s open access fiber network.

The City’s open access fiber network, named 2016 Community Broadband Project of the Year by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), is delivering gigabit connectivity to a community of 14,500 people.

The Launch of the Ammon Fiber Utility

The event will offer attendees the opportunity to hear more about the Ammon Model, learn how a conservative, rural town secured a high take rate, its software defined networking technologies (SDN), as well as a tour of its cutting edge facilities.

The full day event will take place Thursday, October 5, 2017, at the Ammon Operations Center and will include presenters from local government, nonprofit, and the private sector. In addition to Christopher, you can expect to see:

Glenn Ricart, Founder and CTO of US Ignite (Keynote)
Dana Kirkham, Mayor of Ammon
Bruce Patterson, Ammon CTO
Tom Wheeler, former FCC Chairman (video address)
Michael Curri, Founder and President, Strategic Network Group, Inc
Shawn Irvine, Economic Development Director, City of Independence, Oregon
Deb Socia, Executive Director, Next Century Cities

A Learning Experience

If you attend the conference, the morning program will start with keynote speakers and a series of panels:

Smart Cities Panel; researchers, developers, legal and policy experts will discuss current and future challenges.

Policy Discussion with Christopher Mitchell; on the role of government to solve the broadband challenges faced by communities utilizing historical experience inform future policy.

Economic Feasibility with Michael Curri; on community broadband...

community broadband networks

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