Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
media roundup
Content tagged with "media roundup"
Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 28
Alabama
Here's why Huntsville Internet customers should soon see lower prices by Travis Leder, TechAlabama
California
As Google Fiber scales down its broadband business, San Francisco moves ahead on its own by Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times
Google’s strategic shift shouldn’t have come as a surprise, says Christopher Mitchell, a broadband expert at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Signs abounded that the company, now called Alphabet, didn’t see broadband service as a core business and was becoming more interested in other ventures, including self-driving cars. Its insistence on building on its own terms should have been a warning for companies that thought it would be the answer to their digital dreams.
“When you’re begging for something from a big company like Google,” Mitchell says, “you take what you can get.”
Colorado
Superior, Lafayette to probe potential of municipal broadband by Anthony Hahn, Longmont Times-Call [Republished in Boulder Daily Camera & Government Technology]
Indiana
Fiber connectivity coming to Goshen departments by John Kline, Goshen News
Virginia
Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 21
Alaska
Fairbanks Representative looks to improve rural Internet by Dan Bross, Alaska Public Radio
California
As Google Fiber scales down its broadband business, San Francisco moves ahead on its own by Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times
Colorado
Will CenturyLink, Level 3 merger boost Boulder County broadband service? by Jerd Smith, Boulder Daily Camera
He's done battle with monopolies such as CenturyLink, demanding better service for his customers back when it was known locally as U.S. West and then Qwest, which once were the only places to get broadband connectivity. He's also taken advantage of the gaps these mega players leave open for small entrepreneurial companies like his.
"At a high-level I think it's too bad," Ilacqua said. "There is one less choice in the world."
Governments take on pot, broadband by Charles Ashby, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
County officials tout options after broadband measure by Katharhynn Heidelberg, Montrose Press (subscription required to view the entire article)
Fort Collins wants to talk high-speed Internet by Kevin Duggan, The Coloradoan
Massachusetts
Pole replacements are for broadband, not for PMLD by Phyllis Booth, Landmark News
Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 14
Colorado
Dozens more Colorado communities rejected SB 152, clearing the way for municipal broadband by Andrew Kenney, Denverite
Another set of Colorado counties vote to toss restrictive law, permit municipal broadband by Kate Cox, Consumerist
Part of the reason broadband competition is so dang hard to come by for millions of us? Protectionist, industry-backed laws that make it either obscenely difficult or outright illegal to start a public network. Colorado is one of the states with such a law on the books, but voters in the Centennial State are once again saying they’d rather municipal networks had a chance.
MuniNetworks, which supports and advocates for communities to be able to build networks when they choose, reports that every single one of the 26 local municipal broadband networks on ballots in Colorado Tuesday passed with flying colors.
Golden, Lafayette and 24 Colorado communities vote yes on broadband Internet alternatives by Tamara Chuang, The Denver Post & True Viral News
Colorado communities preempt state muni broadband limits by John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable
Colorado voters oppose Comcast-written protectionist state law by Karl Bode, DSL Reports
Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 7
Colorado
26 Colorado communities will vote on building their own Internet networks by Jason Koebler, Motherboard Vice
Next Tuesday, November 8, 26 separate Colorado communities will vote on whether their local governments should build high speed fiber internet networks to compete with or replace big telecom internet service providers.
So-called municipal fiber ballot initiatives have become an annual tradition in Colorado, as roughly 100 communities have voted on measures that provide legal cover to governments who want to build new networks.
Broadband: A necessity for building our economy by David White, Montrose Daily Press (subscription required to view the entire article)
Municipal initiatives on marijuana, taxes, broadband also on Colorado ballots by Joey Bunch, Colorado Springs Gazette
Fort Collins considers municipal broadband by Russell Haythorn, Denver Channel 7 ABC
Illinois
In Illinois, rural co-ops see energy advantage with broadband by David J. Unger, Midwest Energy News
The smart grid is only as smart as an Internet connection is strong. As advanced meters, smart thermostats and other web-enabled energy devices spread across Illinois and beyond, so too does the need for reliable, broadband communications.
In cities and suburbs, there is enough infrastructure to make it a non-issue. But in rural communities outside Chicago and other cities, roughly 39 percent of residents lack access to high-speed Internet service, according to a study last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Maryland
Community Broadband Media Roundup - October 31
Georgia
City and county launch municipal broadband survey by Jim Morekis, Connect Savannah
Minnesota
County's broadband speeds rank fourth-worst in MN by Marie Johnson, Perham Focus
RS Fiber: A new rural Internet cooperative by Scott Carlson and Christopher Mitchell, Broadband Communities Magazine
Rochester City Council needs to act on municipal broadband by Jim Jensen, Rochester Post Bulletin
New York
WCA enters partnership to bring smart growth and gigabit broadband to Westchester by Broadband Providers Magazine
North Carolina
Community broadband advocates butt heads with North Carolina officials on best path forward by Alex Koma and Colin Wood, StateScoop
North Carolina lawmakers could soon help close the divide in high-quality broadband access between the state’s urban and rural areas. By reversing policies restricting cooperatives, and local governments from offering internet service, citizens could gain new broadband options, according to a new study from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a group that advocates for municipal networks.
Tennessee
The city that was saved by the Internet by Jason Koebler, Motherboard Vice
Community Broadband Media Roundup - October 24
California
Legislation would give SF residents more choice in Internet service providers by Bay City News, San Francisco Examiner
Supervisor Mark Farrell on Tuesday introduced legislation requiring property owners to allow tenants in multi-unit buildings to choose their own internet service provider.
While federal law prohibits property owners and property managers from entering into exclusive agreements with service providers, ISP’s estimate that roughly 500 multi-unit buildings in The City have limits in place that effectively prevent residents from using alternate providers, according to Farrell.
Colorado
1A improves technology opportunities for the future by Sallie Clark, Colorado Springs Gazette
Take 10 minutes to participate in broadband survey by Craig Daily Press Editorial Board
Lafayette issue 2E: Authorizing municipal broadband by Boulder Daily Camera
Superior issue 2G: Authoritizing municipal broadband by Boulder Daily Camera
Connecticut
Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz named state broadband champion of the year by Norwalk Plus
Florida
Comcast to limit amount of Internet data customers can use monthly by Kara Duffy, CBS-12
Maine
Community Broadband Media Roundup - October 17
Connecticut
At least one state has a (fiber) backbone by Susan Crawford, Medium
Massachusetts
Susan Crawford makes the case for the Responsive Communities Initiative by Gretchen Weber, Harvard Law Today
New Hampshire
Broadband: A story of capacity and speed by Abby Kesller, Monadnock Ledger Transcript
North Carolina
Report calls for end of N.C. broadband restrictions by Tim Marema, The Daily Yonder
North Carolina’s small-city and rural residents could be a lot further along in adopting higher-capacity broadband at home if the state would ease laws that restrict phone and power cooperatives’ participation in the internet business, according to a new report.
New Mexico
One small college tackles the growing digital divide by Leah Todd, Santa Fe New Mexican
New York
4 Westchester cities join forces to bring ultra-high broadband to county by Michael Poyton, New Rochelle Patch
Oregon
Community Broadband Media Roundup - October 10
Colorado
Breckenridge to vote on broadband ballot measure by Kailyn Lamb, Summit Daily News
Massachusetts
Wellesley Municipal Light Plant seeking commercial customers to test broadband Internet service by The Swellesley Report
Broadband coming to Ashfield by Diane Broncaccio, Greenfield Recorder
New York
Gigabit Internet: 5 things to know by Jordan Fenster, Lohud Journal News
Gigabit: Why Westchester and not the Big Apple? by Avram A. Billig & Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, Lohud Journal News
Beneath the dense metropolis of New York City is a "rat's nest" of utility wires, according to Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Digging around these wires to install new cables is both costly and could lead to unintended outages. "If you're Verizon, there's a big incentive to have this kind of rat's nest because you already have your space," said Mitchell. Less densely packed communities are able to cut costs dramatically by using utility poles, which Mitchell cites as being around 10 times cheaper than digging.
North Carolina
Public housing broadband coming to North Carolina community by Olivia Neeley, GovTech
Pinetops loses high-speed Internet by Lindell John Kay, Rocky Mount Telegram
Community Broadband Media Roundup - October 3
Georgia
Broadband survey looks to boost Internet service in rural Northeast Georgia by Joshua Silavent, Gainesville Times
In Dahlonega, for example, residents have only Windstream to choose from. The only thing preventing new providers from emerging in rural parts of the state is economics.
“I don’t believe a monopoly is the answer,” Gooch said.
Indiana
Lafayette upgrades public Wi-Fi access by Jeremy Ervin, Lafayette Journal & Courier
Kansas
Public-private partnership sought for high-speed Internet service in Topeka and Shawnee County by Tim Hrenchir, Topeka Capital-Journal
Massachusetts
Cambridge needs strong dig once/touch once policies by Saul Tannenbaum, Medium
Broadband committee urges town to vote for muncipal light plant by John Osborn, Harvard Press
Minnesota
Ely vying for broadband grant, would benefit area by Tom Coombe, Ely Echo
North Carolina
Appeals court decision kills North Carolina town's gigabit Internet, could your town be next? by Brandon Hill, Hot Hardware
Tennessee
Community Broadband Media Roundup - September 26
Colorado
Centennial's gigabit Internet service now taking pre-orders by Tamara Chuang, Denver Post
Centennial was one of the first communities in the state to opt out of a 2005 state law known as SB152, which restricts municipalities from using taxpayer money to build broadband networks. By the time Centennial voted in 2013, the city of Longmont was alreadygetting its gigabit Internet service up and running. In Colorado, 71 cities and counties passed a measure freeing them to look into municipal broadband. Another 14 will try on the Nov. 8 ballot, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
Iowa
Community gets broadband update by Brittany Bierle, New Hampton Tribune
Kentucky
Kentucky's statewide broadband network moves forward with build-out by Government Technology News Staff
Massachusetts
Municipal broadband for Harvard? by John Osborn, Harvard Press
North Carolina
Muni ISP forced to shut off fiber-to-the-home Internet after court ruling by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica
Severed connection: Pinetops to lose broadband by Halloween by Brie Handgraaf, Wilson Times
Brave telco giants kill threat of decent Internet service in rural North Carolina by Shuan Nichols, The Register