Iowa

MediaCom is suing Iowa City to prevent broadband competition by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Massachusetts

Holyoke Innovation District looks to take advantage of valley broadband Internet capacity by Jim Kinney, MassLive

Massachusetts government stymies WiredWest municipal broadband initiative, report says by Samantha Bookman, FierceTelecom

Minnesota

Report: The cooperative is a good model for publicly-owned broadband networks by Joan Engrebretson, TeleCompetitor

General

The broadband industry is now officially blaming Google (Alphabet) for...everything by Karl Bode, TechDirt

California

How we can close California's digital divide by Kish Rajan, TechWire

Santa Cruz public high-speed Internet project earns early jump-start by Jessica A. York, Santa Cruz Sentinel

Cruzio and Santa Cruz economic development officials are in the midst of talks to build a gigabit fiber-optic communications network, infrastructure designed to connect some 22,000 city properties. The citywide Santa Cruz Fiber project, requiring as much as a $52 million, 30-year city revenue bond to fund, is still years in the making. The proposal’s premise is that Cruzio would pay the city a set fee for every household and customer who opts in for gigabit service, paying off the city bond. If at the end of the term, Cruzio was unable to pay the full bond amount based on new customer accounts, the company would guarantee coverage of at least 80 percent of the bond. Under the proposed plan, subscribers would pay an estimated $60 to $75 a month for the service, though more subscribers would mean lower overall monthly bills, officials said.

Santa Cruz, Calif., deploys fiber-like wireless gigabit Internet through public-private partnership by Julia McCandless, GovTech

Minnesota

Minnesota will get it right on broadband by Jim Kohlenberger, Duluth News Tribune

New York

"Dig Once" approach to city infrastructure aims to tackle multiple systems, minimize disruption by Scott Willis, WAER

Ohio

Colorado

Colorado towns keep voting down state ban on municipal broadband by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

9 Colorado cities vote Tuesday on municipal broadband Internet; pot also on local ballots by Mark Harden, Denver Business Journal

County to study broadband possibility by Saja Hindi, Loveland Report Herald

Forty-four Colorado cities and counties joined several others last November to allow their local governments to offer broadband Internet, including Loveland, and Larimer County officials want to give their voters that same opportunity. Nine other Colorado cities also asked voters for that option Tuesday. Senate Bill 152, passed in 2005, prevents local governments from engaging directly or indirectly in broadband service unless voters repeal it locally.

"This ballot initiative is just to restore the county's ability to facilitate the provision of these services in partnership with a public or private entity or through the county itself," said Drew Davis, a business analyst with Larimer County Public Works.

Minnesota

Minnesota's biggest budget issues; statewide broadband debate by TPT Almanac At the Capital

Mississippi

More Internet options can lead to greater growth by Ron Guajardo, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Ohio

City of Fairlawn passes ordiances authorizing FairlawnGig Broadband project by City of Fairlawn, Ohio; Business Wire

Tennessee

California

Government, Google to help San Francisco improve its Internet connectivity by Jason Axelrod, American City & County Magazine

Michigan

Business depends on high-speed Internet by Sarah Lucas, Traverse City Record Eagle

New York

County, federal government to collaborate on local broadband deployments by Phil Goldstein, State Tech Magazine

In an interview with StateTech, Terrell said NACo “really wants to play the role of a facilitator and make sure that county governments have a seat at the table” as more local governments pursue improved broadband access. NACo wants to serve as a conduit between the federal and local governments, he said. NACo will work with NTIA in the next few weeks to create a webinar for county leaders to inform them about the Community Connectivity Initiative and how to work with NTIA directly.

North Carolina

RFP issues as part of Triad Regional Broadband initiative by City of Greensboro, North Carolina

Tennessee

Thunder Thornton finds way to bring "gig" to mountaintop development at Kimball by The Chattanoogan

Mr. Thornton said he was successful by going just across state lines to work and connect with North Alabama Electric Cooperative, along with assistance from Tennessee-based Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, and eventually bringing “the Gig” up 2,000 feet in elevation to Jasper Highlands’ mountaintop residents. 

Developer bypasses restrictions on rural Internet expansion by Chloe Morrison, Nooga.com

Utah

Colorado

Without SB 152 on the books, Colorado municipalities would not have to spend taxpayer dollars to reclaim local authority to build broadband networks.

Mancos seeks more Internet options by Jacob Klopfenstein, Pine River Times

SB 152 requires local government to seek voter approval before providing telecommunications services. It also prevents municipalities from entering into private-public partnerships or expanding networks to provide those services. The Mancos Board of Trustees passed a resolution March 9 urging citizens to vote in favor of authorizing the town to opt out.

Maine

Small Maine town hopes boosted broadband will stimulate economic development by Nick Sambides Jr., GovTech

Massachusetts

Western Mass. broadband 'pause' goes on and on by Steve Nelson, Berksire Eagle

Tennessee

Federal appeals court deciding municipal broadband expansion by The Associated Press

FCC heads to court for broadband's most important fight yet by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

For years we've noted how 19 states now have protectionist laws in place -- literally written by giant ISP lobbyists -- that prevent towns and cities from building their own broadband networks, or in some cases even striking public/private partnerships with companies like Google Fiber. Last year the FCC voted to dismantle these laws in two states -- Tennessee and North Carolina. Municipal ISPs there (Wilson, NC's Greenlight, and Chattanooga, TN's EPB) complained the laws were preventing them from expanding their gigabit fiber broadband services.

Alabama

Huntsville's broadband plan is a perfect example of public-private partnerships by Mac McCutcheon, AL.com

California

Internet gets go-ahead for lightning residential speeds by Jennifer Eden, Santa Monica Mirror

“Santa Monica is uniquely positioned to collaboratively innovate as a community to fully leverage the technology of a cutting edge fiber optic network,” Carter explained. “The goals of our Digital Inclusion Pilot go far beyond offering ridiculously fast internet. We fully intend to test replique de montre and launch services currently considered “futuristic” by the rest of the nation, during our pilot.”

San Francisco eyes municipal broadband by Bailey McCann, Civ Source

San Francisco's gigabit master plan: A sign of the times by Colin Wood, GovTech

San Francisco municipal broadband targets $26 monthly base price by Andrew Burger, Telecompetitor

In a news report, Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance said taking a public-private partnership approach enables city governments and gigabit fiber project partners the ability to concentrate on their respective strengths...

“I think for a long time, cities have wanted to build fiber networks where they would not have to offer services directly,” Mitchell was quoted. “So the cities would basically create the fiber network, but lease it or make it open to one or more providers that would use it to compete.”

Colorado

Google, Netflix stand up for community broadband in Colorado by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Minnesota

Alabama

You didn't notice it, but Google Fiber just began in the Golden Age of high-speed Internet access by Susan Crawford, Back Channel

Indiana

'Game of Gigs' organization aims to expand Bloomington, Ind., broadband by Megan Banta, GovTech

For Bloomington, Ind., citywide broadband should be less a question of if and more a question of how, local and national experts said Tuesday.

“Today is a beginning, not an ending,” Mayor John Hamilton said at the end of a four-hour symposium focusing on the benefits of high-speed network connectivity for economic development and quality of life in Bloomington. “My head is buzzing ... in a good way.” Hamilton repeatedly has pushed for the creation of a citywide, community-controlled broadband network since his campaign.

Kentucky

Here's how AT&T is fighting Google Fiber's expansion plans by Daniel B. Kline, Motley Fool

In Kentucky, AT&T looks to slow Google Fiber's expansion by Jake Ryan, NPR

What Google Fiber can and can't do to bridge Louisville's digital divide by David Serchuk, Louisville Business Journal

General

The feds want to keep your broadband provider's nose out of your online by Marguerite Reardon, CNET

Government plans to bring broadband to 20 million more by 2020 by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Connecticut

Connecticut high-speed Internet: Public or private utility? by John Dankosky & Tucker Ives, WNPR

Kentucky

This city's fight with AT&T could shape the future for Google Fiber by Brian Fung, Washington Post

Missouri

AT&T gave $62K to lawmakers months before vote to limit muni broadband by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

A few months before that vote, AT&T donated a total of $62,500 to political committees in Missouri. This included $20,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee, $20,000 to the Missouri Democratic State Committee, $7,500 to the Missouri Republican Party, and $15,000 to the Missouri Senate Campaign Committee (apparently a Republican group). One of the donations is listed by the Missouri Ethics Commission as occurring just two weeks ago, but we’ve been told it was made in September 2015 and not deposited until this month because the original check was lost.

AT&T donates $62.5K to Missouri lawmakers ahead of anti-muni broadband bill's passage by Sean Buckley, FierceTelecom

AT&T buying Missouri state law ensuring broadband there continues to suck by Karl Bode, TechDirt

North Carolina

MCNC CEO: N.C. will be the most connected state in the nation in four years by Lauren K. Ohnesorge, Triangle Business Journal

Virginia

Alabama

Google Fiber joins forces with municpal broadband network by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Google to use city-owned network to bring fiber to Hunstville by Wendy Davis, Media Post

This private-public model for broadband could spread far beyond Huntsville, according to muni-broadband proponent Christopher Mitchell, director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance's Community Broadband Networks Initiative.

"In many ways, I think this is a tremendously hopeful development," Mitchell tells MediaPost. "It gives cities a great confidence that if they build passive infrastructure, they will be able to work with ISPs."

Google Fiber is coming to Hunstville, Alabama by Kent Wallace, Financial CV

Google Fiber is bring its ultra-fast Internet service to Hunstville by Lee Roop, AL.com

Hunstville's model for Google Fiber is the future of broadband by Kari Paul, Motherboard

Missouri

AT&T gave $62K to lawmakers months before vote to limit muni-broadband by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Missouri already has a law from 1997 that says municipalities may not sell telecommunications services to the public with the exception of “Internet-type services.” This made it difficult to build a financially sound Internet service because it couldn’t be bundled with other telecom products like telephone calling, municipal broadband advocate Christopher Mitchell told Ars. Mitchell is director of the Community Broadband Networks project for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Arkansas

Alabama

Montgomery launches first city-owned Internet exchange point in Alabama by Colin Wood, GovTech

Kentucky

Center for Rural Development leading the efforts on broadband expansion in Eastern Kentucky by Kentucky Forward

Maine

Lakes Region towns collaborate to boost Internet speed by Tess Wrobelski, Keep ME Current

Massachusetts

Build a fiber network in Boston by Matthew Dailey, Boston Globe

The truth is that our tech infrastructure is in the same dismal shape as our roads and bridges. Boston, like a majority of American cities, pays more for slower Internet service than our international peers. If Boston is to remain a global hub of innovation — and on the “cutting edge of the common good,” as Mayor Martin J. Walsh promised in his State of the City address last month — it should build a citywide fiber-optic network that allows each residence and business an onramp to the information superhighway of the future.

New York

Toward a "Smart City" by Arthur Gonick, Saratoga Today