Arkansas

Telecom, utility partnership pursues Arkansas gigabit by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor

The rural telco is South Arkansas Telephone (SATCO) and the power company is Ouachita Electric Cooperative (OECC). The telecom, utility partnership has formed a new company called Arkansas Rural Internet Service (ARIS) – and according to ARIS Director Mark Lundy, each owner has a 50% share of ARIS.

 

Colorado

Broadband initiative moving forward by David Persons, Estes Park Trail Gazette

Idaho

Open Access Idaho broadband network lets customers switch to a new ISP in seconds by Karl Bode, TechDirt

Minnesota

Lincoln County Board talks broadband by Jody Isaackson, Marshall Independent

North Carolina

North Carolina's new broadband plan forgets to include 'Don't let ISP lobbyists write Shittty state telecom laws' by Karl Bode, TechDirt

The FCC's action specifically targeted bans in both Tennessee and North Carolina, both states where incumbent telecom lobbyists quite literally control state legislatures. Both states' dysfunction on this front is legendary, yet both chose to sue the FCC in court to, they claim, defend "states rights" from federal government "overreach.”

Tennessee

Consumers reports surveys rate EPB best in the nation for TV, Internet by...

Colorado

A lesson in broadband projects by Dennis Webb, Grand Junction Sentinel

Idaho

Idaho Falls mulls expanding fiber-optic Internet connections by Sarah Glenn, Idaho State Journal

Tennessee

Chattanooga was a typical post-industrial city. Then it began offering municipal broadband by Peter Moskowitz, The Nation

“Really, these last two years you’ve seen it pick up steam,” said Christopher Mitchell, the director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). “It’s just going to keep on spreading.”

Six years ago, Chattanooga was the only city offering publicly owned 1-gigabit Internet service. Today, over 50 communities do, according to ILSR, and there are over 450 communities in the United States offering some form of publicly owned Internet service. Many municipal networks are in small towns and rural areas where private high-speed access is hard to come by. But several dozen are in cities like Chattanooga, where there are other, private options that tend to be much more expensive and slower than what governments have proven they can provide.

Innovation district offers opportunity to close 'digital divide' by Gabrielle Chavalier, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Vermont

Souvernet's fiber network adds partners to help connect Vermont's 'Last Mile' by Vermont Biz

General

Why municipal broadband by Charles Cooper, The Urbanist

So, the most obvious problem that Municipal Broadband solves is that...

Idaho

Idaho Falls exploring options to provide fiber optic connections to homes by KIDK-3 TV

The city’s current fiber infrastructure has not only improved operational efficiencies for the city and its utilities, but it has also facilitated economic development, competitive internet service rates and helped maintain city rights-of-way.

Ammon moves to create fiber optic district by KIDK-3 TV

Maryland

How fiber broadband factors into this Maryland town's future by Stephen Babcock, Technical.ly Baltimore

Minnesota

Session implodes at midnight over roads, public works by J. Patrick Coolican, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The spending agreement included new spending on key Dayton priorities: $35 million on rural broadband Internet development, $35 million on closing economic disparities for people of color with another $17.5 million every year going forward, and $25 million on prekindergarten access, with $55 million every year thereafter to help disadvantaged children get ready for school. Dayton had sought much larger amounts for all of these initiatives.

Missouri

Politicians fail in bid to squash municipal broadband in Missouri by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Missouri's attempted municipal broadband ban fails by Fierce Telecom

Virginia

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California

California Department of Technology to extend fiber to City of Sacramento by News Staff, GovTech

The Department of Technology in April agreed to extend the department's fiber ring to the city of Sacramento in an arrangement that the department says will save the city and the state money over the long term.

"This agreement will replace leased, vendor provided, critical network FRS circuits with city fiber, saving CDT approximately $20,000 per month. Although CDT [California Department of Technology] was required to initially spend approximately $117,000 to build out seven sites, the cost will be recouped in less than 6 months once the CDT vendor fiber contracts are terminated. In return, CDT will become the Internet Service Provider for the City of Sacramento, allowing the city to eliminate costly vendor-provided ISP services," the Department of Technology announced on its blog April 28.

Colorado

Mayor: 'Gigabit here we come' by Jenni Grubbs, Fort Morgan Times

Missouri

Muni broadband limits tucked into totally unrrelated traffic bill in Mo. by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Missouri is one of about 20 states that already have restrictions on municipal telecom services, but Fraker's proposal would make it more difficult for cities and towns to offer broadband. The amendment was described yesterday by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance's Community Broadband Networks project, which urged Missouri residents to contact the bill sponsors "and explain how you feel about amendments that do not relate to the substance of their bill."

AT&T hides anti-muni broadband language in Missouri traffic bill by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

New Mexico

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