Tennessee

State House Speaker Harwell expects rural broadband bill delay to next year by Richard Locker, Commercial Appeal

Supporters of a bill seeking to allow municipal broadband providers to expand high-speed Internet service to rural areas are calling the measure long overdue by Erik Schelzig, Daily Journal

'AT&T is the villain' in battle over rural broadband access, Republican lawmaker says by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Virginia

Sunset Telecommunications trying to buy BVU's Optinet by David McGee, Bristol Herald Courier

We've covered BVU in the past for their successful establishment of a municipal network as well as their expansion into surrounding communities. Developments in Bristol impact the community's access to fast, affordable, reliable Internet access via the municipal utility. All the community's achievements in bringing the BVU OptiNet to the people of Bristol will soon just be a chapter in the city's history, if this deal goes through.

West Virginia

Internet bill would build government-owned high-speed 'middle mile' by Pamela Pritt, Charleston Register-Herald

General

On American Indian reservations, challenges perpetuate the digital divide by Julianne Tvetan, ArsTechnica

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California

Huntington Beach, Calif., considers offering broadband as a utility by Anthony Clark Carpio, GovTech

Colorado

Colorado should let communities decide on broadband options by Karen Sheek, David Romero and Dennis Coombs, The Denver Post

Most connected community by Steamboat Today Editorial Board

The project ushers in a new era of connectivity for local institutions and could also open up new opportunities for local Internet service providers to use the new fiber to improve and expand private broadband service.

In our opinion, there’s not anything that can have a bigger impact on our community’s future than having better broadband service.

Oregon

Eugene looking to expand public Internet fiber network downtown by Christian Hill, The Register-Guard

Such capacity is important for technology and other companies that use vast amounts of data to serve customers or to perform functions such as video conferencing.

Supporters say businesses connected to the existing publicly owned network are paying $99 a month for speeds up to 1 gigabit, or 125 megabytes per second, a speed that allows a user to download a high-definition movie in 36 seconds. Large Internet service providers can offer such speeds downtown but charge hundreds of dollars a month for the service, the city said.

Tennessee

Cleveland Utilities studying ways to expand broadband by Dave Flessner, Times Free Press and GovTech

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Minnesota

Building a 21st century broadband infrastructure by Senator Amy Klobuchar, Walker Minnesota Pilot

Minnesota Governor recommends $100 million rural broadband funding by Colin Wood, GovTech

Oregon

Survey to gauge public's interest in a city-owned fiber network by Phil Favorite, Lake Oswego Review

By operating its own fiber broadband network as a utility, the city would be able to set and control consumer costs and services while giving citizens a voice in pricing and content. That wouldn’t be the case if the city offered no alternative to for-profit companies such as CenturyLink, Comcast or Frontier, which currently operate broadband networks in the area, or Google Fiber, which is considering moving into the market.

Although Lake Oswego was identified in 2014 as a potential “fiberhood” — an area that could receive Google Fiber’s high-speed Internet service — the timeline has been vague. In March, Lazenby suggested to the council that the city didn’t have to wait for Google to make up its mind; instead, the city could build out a fiber-optic infrastructure through a public-private partnership, ultimately creating a city-owned utility.

Tennessee

Libraries lend mobile Wi-Fi hot spots to those who need Internet service by Tony Gonzalez, National Public Radio

Tennessee to evaluate broadband access by Jamie McGee, The Tennessean

Wisconsin

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California 

Santa Cruz forges 'homegrown' fiber optic Internet partnership by Jessica A. York, Santa Cruz Sentinel

Santa Cruz, Ca unleashes innovative public-private broadband partnership by The Coalition for Local Internet Choice

Canada

Town's only ISP shuts down, leaving residents unserved by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Maryland

Westminster, Md., tackles gigabit broadband by Colin Wood, GovTech

Council narrowly agrees to municipal broadband study by Karie Simmons, Newark Post Online

Massachusetts

Mass Broadband and WiredWest have a 'good meeting' in Boston after public conflict by Mary Serreze, Mass Live

Mass. Broadband on July 30 issued a policy that individual towns must retain title to their own broadband infrastructure. WiredWest then apparently continued to advance its plan for collective ownership, as reflected in its business plan and operating agreement released in October and November.

..."Ownership of the network does remain the biggest sticking point," he said. "But the good news is that the board of Mass. Broadband agreed to take another look at the ownership issue. That's big."

Gigabit Internet prices in this small town may one day beat Google Fiber by Clinton Nguyen, Motherboard

Massachusetts town builds iteself 2 Gigabit fiber for $75 a...