Tag: "transcript"

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 122: Bob Frankston

Posted November 3, 2014 by christopher

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 122 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Bob Frankston. Listen to this episode here.

00:05:

Bob Frankston: The Internet is basically a discontinuity from the tradition of communications as a service. It's something we can do ourselves. And that's very empowering. And that's the future we need to look towards.

00:16:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hello there. Welcome to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Lisa Gonzalez.

Today we have another visit from Bob Frankston. Bob and Chris have talked together in a couple of other Community Broadband Bits Podcasts, and we always enjoy having him back again. Many of our discussions focus on communities that have done interesting things with connectivity. But when Bob visits, he always makes us look at the definition of connectivity. In this discussion, Bob and Chris get into the economics of bringing ubiquitous access to the U.S., among other things. Policy makers often draw parallels between the Internet and our extensive systems of roads, or our efforts to electrify the entire country. Bob and Chris look a little deeper into these comparisons. They take a hard look at the economics of fiber networks, and how current practices need to change to take full advantage of its possibilities. Bob has an extensive library of writings at frankson.com . So if this conversation piques your interest, be sure to check out his work. Here are Chris and Bob for an interesting conversation.

01:22:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. And today I'm speaking with Bob Frankston. Welcome back to the show, Bob.

01:31:

Bob Frankston: Well, thank you. Glad to be here again.

01:34:

Chris: You and I spoke in -- I believe it was the single digits, one of the earliest episodes of the Community Broadband Bits. And there, I think we went a little bit more over your background. But you've been programming for over half a century. And you've been an entrepreneur. And, for our purposes, you've done a lot of writing about telecommunications networks, and people can find that at frankston.com . And I encourage them to go check it out. Now, is there...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 120: Responding to Crazy Talk

Posted October 29, 2014 by christopher

Thank to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 120 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Christopher Mitchell and Lisa Gonzalez - Responding to Crazy Talk regarding the FCC Petitions from Chattanooga and Wilson. Listen to this episode here.

00:04:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hey, everybody. This is Lisa Gonzalez, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Welcome to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. And I'm here with Chris. Hey, Chris, what's going on?

00:14:

Chris Mitchell: Hey, Lisa. You know, I've been traveling quite a bit lately.

00:18:

Lisa: That's right.

00:18:

Chris: I was just in Seattle and Mount Vernon, and before that I was in the New England area. A lot of people are doing some interesting things. And I was kind of curious. When I've been away from the office, has -- there hasn't been any crazy talk, has there been?

00:31:

Lisa: Oh, Chris, there's always crazy talk. [laughs]

00:34:

Chris: Well, then, maybe we should talk about some crazy talk today.

00:37:

Lisa: Yeah. Yeah. You know, everybody who listens to the podcast knows that there's a big issue going on with the FCC right now. And what they're doing is -- they're examining some petitions and taking public comments. Because the cities of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Wilson, North Carolina, filed some petitions. And we've talked about this before, also. Because there are state barriers that are preventing them from expanding and serving the communities around them. There's been all sorts of articles in the news -- opinions -- about how they can or cannot do this, how the FCC has no right.

And we've seen four different arguments over and over again. And I was thinking this would be a good time for you and me to talk about those four basic arguments. What do you think about that?

01:23:

Chris: Yes. Let's do that.

01:25:

Lisa: OK. Um, well, the first argument -- and the one that I see more than any other argument -- is, the organizations that want to block the FCC from allowing Chattanooga and Wilson to expand, always say that the FCC does not have the authority to remove or prevent these state laws. They don't have the authority to restore local telecommunications authority...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 121 - Next Century Cities

Posted October 29, 2014 by christopher

Thank to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 121 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Deb Socia of Next Century Cities. Listen to this episode here.

00:04:

Deb Socia: ... communities must have self-determination -- that making decisions at the level of the community is where the best decisions get made.

00:13:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hello there. And welcome again to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez.

Once again, Chris is out on the road, and he's sharing his experiences with us. This past week, Chris was in Santa Monica for the kickoff of the Next Century Cities. The organization is a city-to-city collaboration advocating fast, affordable, and reliable Internet access for everyone. As one of the organizers, Chris moderated a panel of CIOs from member communities. While he was there, Chris also took a few moments to connect with Deb Socia, Executive Director of the organization. In this interview, the two discuss the organization's membership, principles, and the role of they expect to play in improving Internet access across the U.S. Video of the full event is available at nextcenturycities.org . It includes the mayors' panel discussion, moderated by Susan Crawford, in addition to the panel discussion moderated by Chris. Here are Deb and Chris, discussing Next Century Cities, with info on how your community can join.

01:14:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to anther edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. This is another live edition. This is Chris Mitchell. And today I'm with Deb Socia, Executive Director of the newly-launched Next Century Cities. Welcome to the show.

01:28:

Deb Socia: Thank you. Wonderful to be here.

01:30:

Chris: You and I are working together on this Next Century Cities. And we're speaking a day before it launches, and it will air a day after it launches.

01:37:

Deb: Yeah.

01:37:

Chris: So it's a -- you know, it'll be a little interesting to try and figure out how to phrase things properly. But you're the Executive Director. And I'm doing some policy work, as my title is Policy Director. And that's within my capacity. So people shouldn't be confused. I'm still with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance...

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Transcript: Rural Utilities Building Broadband Networks

Posted October 7, 2014 by christopher

Thank to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 109 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Alyssa Clemsen-Roberts. Listen to this episode here.

00:16:

[Teaser]

Alyssa Clemsen-Roberts: They provide services that the market is not filling in their area, and they do it very well.

00:22:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hey there. This is the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. And I'm Lisa Gonzalez. Today, Chris interviews Alyssa Clemsen-Roberts. She is Manager of Industry Affairs for Rural Infrastructure Issues at the Utilities Telecom Council. Alyssa and Chris discuss the growing role of cooperatives in bringing broadband to rural America. Unlike large ISPs, that need to provide maximum profit for distant shareholders, cooperatives are owned by the people they serve. As a result, their decisions take into account their benefits to the local community. As Alyssa notes, cooperatives know how to fill the gap left by big corporate providers.

We often focus on restrictions that prevent municipalities from offering telecommunications services. But cooperatives often face similar state barriers. As we look for ways to expand to residents, businesses, and other entities, co-ops can play an important role -- that should not be restricted by state legislation. Co-ops reinforce the concept of local choice.

Here are Chris and Alyssa.

01:24:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to the Community Broadband Bits podcasts. I'm Chris Mitchell. And today I'm speaking with Alyssa Clemsen-Roberts, the Manager of Industry Affairs for Rural Infrastructure Issues at the Utilities Telecom Council. Welcome to the show.

01:39:

Alyssa Clemsen-Roberts: Thanks for having me, Chris.

01:41:

Chris: The Utilities Telecom Council, often dealing with rural issues -- UTC abbreviated -- what is it?

01:50:

Alyssa: UTC is a global trade organization, and we represent critical utilities. So that could range anywhere from electric, gas, to water utilities. And our primary focus is on their telecommunications that they use to support their core business. Our issues range anywhere from spectrum issues, cybersecurity, smart grid and network modernization, colocation and joint use, and then, of course,...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 113 - Peter d'Errico of Leverett, Massachusetts

Posted August 26, 2014 by christopher

Thank to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 113 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Peter d'Errico of Leverett, Massachusetts. Listen to this episode here.

00:15:

Peter d'Errico: It certainly is true that if taxes go up in a town that has a democratic form of government like a town meeting, it means that people have decided to do it for themselves. No bureaucrat decided to do this and tax them.

00:27:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hello there. And welcome again to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez.

Peter d'Errico, a member of the Select Board in Leverett, Massachusetts, joins Chris this week. Peter's also chairman of the town's Broadband Committee. We first noticed Leverett, a town of only about 2,000 people, in the spring of 2012. The community was plagued by unreliable wireline telephone service and horrible cell phone coverage. Residents relied on dial-up, satellite, and DSL for Internet access. In fact, about 6% of the population had no Internet access at all. Community leaders, including Peter, knew they had to act or risk being left even further behind. Over the past two years, the town has worked toward deploying its own fiber-to-the-home network, to serve every home and business in the community.

People in Leverett decided to fund the project with a slight increase in property taxes. As Peter explains in the interview, the move will actually save money for subscribers, because current rates for inferior service are so high. This small town in Massachusetts is a powerful example of how one local community exercised its own self-reliance to establish a necessary service.

Here are Peter and Chris.

01:40:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. And today, I'm speaking with Peter d'Errico, from Leverett, Massachusetts. He's a member of the Select Board, and chairman of the Broadband Committee for an exciting project. Welcome to the show.

01:57:

Peter d'Errico: Thank you. Good to be here.

01:59:

Chris: I'm excited to have you on this show. We've been following your project for a long time. Why don't you tell us a little bit about Leverett, in western Mass, where you're located,...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 112

Posted August 25, 2014 by christopher

Thank to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 112 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Caitlin Copple and Karen Palmer of Missoula. Listen to this episode here.

00:15:

Caitlin Copple: I think you just have to care about creating high-paying jobs in your community. I mean, to me, that is what it really comes down to.

00:21:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hi there. Welcome to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez.

Missoula is one of several Montana cities that have recently begun taking steps toward publicly-owned broadband infrastructure. Like many other communities we encounter, Missoula has a fair amount of fiber in the community. Unfortunately, that asset is not used to its fullest potential. In this edition of the Podcast, Chris visits with Caitlin Copple, one of the City Council members in Missoula who is leading the charge for better broadband. Also joining in is Karen Palmer, Director of Operations for LMG Security. LMG is a local firm that requires fast, reliable, high-capacity connections to conduct business.

Missoula recently released the results of their feasibility study, so Caitlin and Karen take some time to describe the need, the plan, and offer advice for other communities where businesses cannot get what they need from incumbents. Here are Chris, Caitlin, and Karen.

01:31:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. And today, I'm speaking with some folks from Missoula, Montana. Welcome to the show, Caitlin Copple, City Council member.

01:46:

Caitlin Copple: Hi. Thanks for having me.

01:48:

Chris: And Karen Palmer, the Director of Operations for LMB Security. Welcome to the show.

01:53:

Karen Palmer: Thank you, Chris.

01:55:

Chris: So, Caitlin, you and I met in -- Austin, I want to say -- is that where we met?

01:58:

Caitlin: Yes! We had this -- well, I had this rock star moment, because you were in the cab with us, and I was just, oh my gosh, I follow him on Twitter!

02:04:

Chris: I was just excited that for the -- I think it was for the super shuttle -- and I was excited to not be bored for 30 minutes, because other...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 110

Posted August 25, 2014 by christopher

Thank to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 110 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Will Aycock of Wilson and Danna Bailey of Chattanooga. Listen to this episode here.

00:15:

Danna Bailey: When we have neighbors outside of our service territory who are specifically asking us to come and serve them, we want to be able to respond to that in a positive way.

00:24:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hello, and welcome to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Lisa Gonzalez.

Earlier this month, the communities of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Wilson, North Carolina -- both with municipal networks -- filed petitions with the FCC. Both communities requested the agency to use its authority to preempt state laws. Those laws, put in place through lobbying efforts from big-name incumbents, prevent either network from serving their neighbors. For some time now, neighboring communities have approached Wilson and Chattanooga, requesting that they expand their networks to serve their neighbors. Existing state laws preclude Greenlight, in Wilson, and Chattanooga's Electric Power Board from serving beyond strict geographic borders. In recent months, Chairman Wheeler has publicly announced that the FCC will do all it can to encourage expansion of broadband networks. He specifically pointed to the FCC's authority in Section 706, to preempt such state laws, that do nothing to encourage deployment, and only serve to protect large corporate provider interests. On July 28th, the FCC established a schedule in which it intends to take comments on both petitions. Open comments are due August 29th. Reply comments are due September 29th. We encourage every American who wants ubiquitous connectivity to file comments in support of the Wilson and Chattanooga petitions. Federal preemption of these anti-muni laws will be a significant victory toward restoring local telecommunications authority.

In this podcast, Chris and I spend some time discussing the petitions, the circumstances in Wilson and Chattanooga, and what you can do to share your opinion with the FCC.

As a bonus, Chris touched base with Danna Bailey, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Chattanooga's EPB, and Will Aycock, General Manager of Greenlight in...

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Community Broadband Bits Transcript - Episode 111

Posted August 21, 2014 by christopher

Thank to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 111 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Hunter Newby. Jeff provides transcripts of some of our conversations but does not necessarily endorse ideas expressed.

00:15:

Hunter Newby: It's the difference commerce, you know, and the economy growing, and not.

00:20:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hey there, and welcome again to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I am Lisa Gonzalez.

This week, Hunter Newby, founder and CEO of Allied Fiber, returns to talk with Chris. If you caught our last interview with Hunter, you'll recall their conversation about the benefits of the carrier-neutral network model offered by Allied Fiber. In this interview, Chris and Hunter delve deeper into the concept of fiber as real estate, and how that concept can be expanded to bring better connectivity to every user -- government, business, and residential. As connectivity becomes more entrenched in our everyday activities, we need to recognize that a variety of models are available. There's no one-size-fits-all for local communities. Hunter and Allied Fiber offer one possible example and a launching point for future approaches.

Here are Chris and Hunter Newby from Allied Fiber.

01:25:

Chris: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell, and today, I'm back with Hunter Newby, the CEO and founder of Allied Fiber. Welcome to the show.

01:36:

Hunter Newby: Thanks, Chris. Great to be back.

01:39:

Chris: So, today, we're going to pick up where we left off, a little bit. Previously, we were speaking about your approach to backhaul -- this "fiber as real estate" carrier-neutral type facilities. And today we're going to be applying that more to local governments -- communities where they have residents that they want to connect rather than solving a backhaul type problem. And seeing as how we're recording this in the middle of the summer, thinking of movie blockbusters, I was thinking we could start by talking about -- if we had a city that was destroyed by an alien invasion that, as inventive humans, we beat back, and then we had to rebuild that city, what would we be doing in terms of having -- installing fiber in conduit at the beginning...

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Transcript: Christopher Mitchell on KGNU's "It's the Economy"

Posted June 25, 2014 by christopher

This is a transcript from a 27 minute radio interview I did with Gavin Dahl from KGNU radio's "It's the Economy" show." Listen to the show here. Many thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript.

http://www.kgnu.org/economy/6/19/2014

00:34:

Gavin Dahl: Tonight, on "It's the Economy," interviews with Professor Jesse Drew, author of the book, "A Social History of Contemporary Democratic Media," and Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative, with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm your host, Gavin Dahl. Stay tuned.

00:50:

[musical interlude -- "Money"]

01:30:

Dahl: For the past five years, Christopher Mitchell has run the fabulous website muninetworks.org, advocating for communities across America who build their own broadband infrastructure, to insure access to reliable, affordable, fast networks. He's the Director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Thanks very much for joining me on "It's the Economy," Christopher.

01:53:

Christopher Mitchell: Thank you for having me.

01:55:

Dahl: So you were in Colorado last week for the rural Mountain Connect gathering.

[Mountain Connect Rural Broadband Conference]
http://www.mountainconnect.org/?page_id=28

Tell us what was significant about these meetings up in Vail?

Mitchell: Sure. It was an exciting time. This is a really great conference, and -- in part because it's a really regional conference. A lot of the time, I go to events -- it's more of a national group, where attendees may not know each other and have the same history; whereas, in Mountain Connect, there's a lot of people who have a sense of -- you know, if someone else in the audience is asking a question, it may be from a different community, but it's from someone who has a similar experience. It's in the Rockies. So, it just had a great vibe to it. It's a lot of people who were there to try and make sure that their community had the connectivity that it needs to really take advantage of the modern technological changes.

02:42:

Dahl: And so, the fastest networks in the country are built by local...

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