Colorado

Councilers to review broadband options by Saja Hindi, Loveland Reporter Herald

Various options include a public-policy-only model, in which the city will use policy tools and standards to streamline construction and reduce infrastructure costs; an infrastructure provider/dark fiber leasing model, in which the city will provide conduit and/or dark fiber to other organizations and providers; open access provider, in which the city finances and operates the physical broadband infrastructure; municipal retail, in which the city finances and operates fiber and sometimes cable services to businesses and residents; or public-private partnership, in which the city participates in financing with private companies.

City officials are currently working on the development of a request for proposals to have a firm conduct an assessment and feasibility analysis.

Massachusetts

Plans moving along for Greenfield broadband by Aviva Luttrell, Greenfield Reporter

Minnesota

Broadband funding in Minnesota and Crookston - Local officials: funding boost would by sweet by Mike Christopherson, Crookston Times

Tennessee

Haslam criticizes EPB broadband expansion bill, draws fire from proponents by Andy Sher, Chattanooga Times Free Press

AT&T fights to keep your Internet as slow as possible by Joan McCarter, Daily Kos

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

Iowa

Mediacom sues to stop Iowa City municipal fiber build by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Kentucky

Some telecoms, anti-government groups oppose new state broadband network by Tom Eblen, The Lexington Herald Leader

Maine

Cool and connected - a funding opportunity to expand broadband in communities by Peggy Schaffer, Bangor Daily News

New York

Albany hires Schenectady firm to study broadband access by Jordan Carleo-Evangelist, Albany Times-Union

Oregon

Rural broadband workshop coming to Bend by Stephen Hamway, The Bend Bulletin

Tennessee

TechKnow - The US digital divide: who gets high-speed Internet? by The Global Herald

Washington

Washington law would let counties sell broadband service when Comcast won't by Chris Morran, The Consumerist

Washington considers public broadband bridge bill by Bailey McCann, CivSource

West Virginia

ISPs try to kill open-access fiber network, avoid competition by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

General

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

California

Catching fiber by Kara Guzman, Good Times Weekly

“We’re solving our own market problems with a local company, through local government, to protect our community’s interests,” says Guevara. “This isn’t solely about technology. The Internet is access to the world and all the ideas and all the things to come that we can’t even foresee. 

Delaware

Newark, Del., to study municipal broadband options by Phil Goldstein, State Tech Magazine

Michigan

Charlevoix County to expand high-speed Internet to county transit by Jordan Spence, Petoskey News

Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tenn., utility's Smart Grid receives national environmental recognition by Dave Flessner, GovTech

Washington

Broadband adoption reaches a standstill in tech-savvy Seattle by Tod Newcombe, Governing

General

FCC Chair: 39% of rural America lacks broadband access by Chris Morran, The Consumerist

A big part of the problem with providing high-speed Internet to rural America is infrastructure. Many of these areas are served by old copper-line networks that telecom companies have repeatedly been accused of neglecting and allowing to fall into disrepair.

We still suck at bringing quality broadband to all Americans by Karl Bode, TechDirt

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

Delaware

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

Newark to study municipal broadband by Xerxes Wilson, Delaware Online

Iowa

 Dubuque enhances broadband access by The Telegraph Herald

Massachusetts

Gigabites: Massachusetts Town Proves Gigabit Demand by Mari Silbey, Light Reading

Holyoke Fiber Optic Group hoping for discussion with municipal utility by Mike Plaisance, MassLive

Minnesota

Firms are interested in running Monticello’s city-owned broadband network by Tim Hennigar, Monticello Times

New Hampshire

Activism needed for local broadband by James A. Rousmaniere Jr., The Keene Sentinel

West Virginia

Broadband service remains urgent need in W.Va. by Toril Lavender, Herald Dispatch

Wisconsin

Madison eyes public broadband system to compete with private sector by Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

General

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 month by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Community Broadband Stories By State

Colorado

Voters ask city to continue broadband conversation by Darin Atteberry, The Coloradoan

Last month, 83 percent of Fort Collins voters chose to overturn Senate Bill 152, removing legal barriers to the city of Fort Collins’ direct or indirect involvement in providing high-speed broadband. That vote allows us to spend the next several months carefully exploring possibilities in order to identify and begin planning for an appropriate model in Fort Collins.

It is clear that this community wants next-generation high-speed broadband access. City Councilmembers and I regularly hear from residents and businesses that the status quo is not working, and that faster speeds and greater reliability are crucial moving forward.

Massachusetts

MBI faults WiredWest plan, won’t use state money for it by Diane Broncacchio 

Massachusetts Broadband Institute pulls funding from WiredWest, advises towns to walk away from proposed contract by Mary Serreze

Minnesota

Competition and community savings by Christopher Mitchell, Pioneer Press

Update: Local telecom companies receive broadband grants, local projects supported by Nancy Madsen, Mankato Free Press

New York

Will Monroe County open up its fiber network? by Rachel Barnhart, Rochester First

Washington

Colorado

More questions and answers on county's broadband project by The Herald Times

Minnesota

Local telecom companies receive broadband grants, local projects supported by Nancy Madsen, Mankato Free Press

15 rural areas picked to benefit from $11M in broadband Internet funding by Adam Uren, Bring Me the News

New York

City of Rochester, Monroe County unite to improve fiber ring by Nate Dougherty, Rochester Business Journal

Tennessee

EPB, state attorey general clash over FCC rule on municipal broadband by Dave Flessner, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Washington

Seattle mulls building its own Gigabit fiber network by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

"No" vote isn't stopping push for municipal broadband in Seattle by Josh Cohen, Next City

Upgrade Seattle, a grassroots campaign fighting for municipal broadband, says this is actually a big step forward on their long road to public Internet.

“It was wonderful to just further the conversation with council and the media,” says Sabrina Roach, one of Upgrade’s volunteer organizers. “We were able to make the case for why Seattle needs municipal broadband.”