Tag: "transcript"

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 60

Posted January 8, 2015 by

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 60 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with John Bowcut on the success of Spanish Fork Community Network. Listen to this episode here.


00:16:

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

In this episode of our podcast, Christopher Mitchell introduces us to John Bowcut, Director of Information Systems and Network Director of the Spanish Fork Community Network in Utah.  Spanish Fork began working on its publicly-owned network in 1999, when both business and residential customers expressed their need for better telecommunications.  Since then, it has saved substantial public dollars and brought more reliable and affordable connectivity to the community.  Spanish Fork also uses its network to share local live and recorded events via its local station.  The community programming has proved to be one of the most popular features of the Spanish Fork Community Network.  Here are Chris and John, talking about the network and its place in the community.

01:06:

Chris Mitchell:  Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast.  Today, we're talking with John Bowcut of Spanish Fork, Utah.  He's the Director of Information Systems and the Spanish Fork Community Network Director.  Welcome to the show.

01:21:

John Bowcut:  Thank you.

01:22:

Chris:  So, I've been in Utah -- mostly southern Utah.  And I flew through Salt Lake City once.  It's incredibly beautiful.  I don't know how anyone gets any work there done.  But perhaps you can tell us a little bit about where Spanish Fork is located and the size of the town.

01:38:

John:  We're about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City.  And it's a nice little community.  You know, it started out really as a farming community, and it's grown into a lot more than that.  And so, we have about 35,000 residents.  And there's about 10,000 homes in Spanish Fork.

01:57:

Chris:  The city has its own electric utility.  Is that right?

02:00:

John:  That's correct.  We've actually had an electric utility since the...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 124

Posted January 8, 2015 by

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript of Episode 124 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Hannah Jane Sassaman on using the franchise to organize against Comcast. Listen to this episode here.

 

00:04:

Hannah Jane Sassaman: Internet Essentials is a really important example of why letting big companies like Comcast own all of the infrastructure that lets us communicate and determine the policies that let us communicate is exactly the wrong idea for the next generation.

00:20:

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

Hannah Jane Sassaman, Policy Director for Media Mobilizing Project, joins Chris today. The project is centered in Philadelphia, where a significant amount of the population is trapped in the digital divide. As most of our listeners know, Comcast offered Internet Essentials a few years ago to sweeten their NBC merger proposition. The program was supposed to get more lower-income people online, but it has had dismal results. In this interview, Hannah describes how the Media Mobilizing Project discovered Comcast's immense political clout in Philadelphia that went far beyond exposition as a cable TV and Internet provider.

As the community discovered how the multibillion-dollar corporation was taking advantage of them, animosity grew, and they decided it was time to hold Comcast's feet to the fire. Philadelphia's franchise agreement with Comcast is coming to an end, and the Media Mobilizing Project saw this is an opportunity to demand Comcast finally pay its fair share. They have begun a grassroots movement to pressure local officials to require any new agreement to include more affordable services for local citizens, a requirement that Comcast pay its fair share in taxes, and that Comcast employees should receive the benefits they deserve. The Media Mobilizing Project provides more detail on the platform at its website capcomcast.org. Here are Hannah Jane Sassaman and Chris, discussing efforts to tell Comcast to support its home town.

01:58:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 119

Posted January 7, 2015 by

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 119 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Senator Schmit, Representative Simonson, and Danna Mackenzie on State of Minnesota's Border to Border Broadband Fund. Listen to this episode here.

 

00:05:

Danna Mackenzie: What we wanted to do was figure out what is the appropriate and right role for a state to enter into this conversation, and to incent the construction and build into areas of the state where it's currently -- no other incentives have worked to date.

00:22:

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

During the last legislative session, lawmakers in the state of Minnesota appropriated $20 million to a grant program to encourage the deployment of broadband infrastructure. The state is now taking applications for that program until October 28th. As part of the measure, the legislature also created the State Office of Broadband Development. In this podcast, Chris visits with two of the lawmakers that were instrumental in passing the measure, Senator Matt Schmit and Representative Erik Simonson. He also visits with Danna Mackenzie, the Executive Director for the State Office of Broadband Development.

In order to get the initiative adopted, it was important to show need, desire, and support for the appropriation. Senator Schmit and Representative Simonson, both from greater Minnesota, explained how they reached out to Minnesota communities, how they took public opinion back to their colleagues, and what they hoped they can accomplish with this modest state investment. In order to learn more about the grant program, Danna helps explain the details about eligible applicants, expectations for its distribution, and some of the requirements for funded projects. When crafting the requirements for the program, the authors wisely chose to include specs that ensure a long-term solution. Here's Chris, visiting with Senator Schmit, Representative Simonson, and, last of all, Danna Mackenzie.

01:51:

Chris Mitchell: This is Chris Mitchell, now, talking with Senator Matt Schmit, of the DFL...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 118

Posted January 7, 2015 by

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 118 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Elin Katz and Bill Valee on better Internet access for Connecticut communities. Listen to this episode here.

00:05:

Elin Katz:  What are the economics of this going to be? Are you saying, well, no, we're going to have a model that comes at no cost to any citizen, but will get you the goal of sort of rolling through different neighborhoods?  So, those are the hard questions.

00:18:

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

In this episode, Chris takes us to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he recently attended a Broadband Communities Economic Development Conference. While he was there, he met up with Elin Katz, the Consumer Counsel for the state of Connecticut, and Bill Vallee, state Broadband Policy Coordinator. Elin shared some exciting news about efforts to expand gigabit access in three Connecticut communities. Businesses in the region have expressed a need for fast, affordable, reliable access. Community leaders are taking steps to create an environment friendly to private enterprise, with a strategy that embraces publicly-owned infrastructure. The project in mind is an "open access" network, and ISPs have already expressed interest. Elin, Bill, and Chris discuss how these communities are taking advantage of their existing assets, how they are adopting a collaborative approach, and some of the state regulatory changes that facilitate broadband deployment in Connecticut. Here is Chris, with an on-site interview with Elin Katz and Bill Vallee. 

01:25:

Chris Mitchell:  Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. Today, live, coming to you from Springfield, Massachusetts, with Elin Katz, Consumer Counsel of the state of Connecticut. Welcome to the show.

01:38:

Elin Katz:  Thank you. Thank you very much.

01:40:

Chris:  And Bill Vallee, the Broadband Policy Coordinator in the state of Connecticut.

01:45:

Bill Vallee:  Nice to see you, Chris.

01:46:

Chris:  I...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 125

Posted January 7, 2015 by

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 125 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Susan Crawford on the Responsive City. Listen to this episode here.


00:05:

Susan Crawford:  Fiber has to be the bottom layer of the responsive city -- any city that wants to involve all its citizens and have a constant web of connectivity.

00:15:

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

Susan Crawford has been with us before, and we are thrilled to have her back again. Susan is a professor at Harvard University, and she also authored the book, "Captive Audience." She recently released another book, this time with Stephen Goldsmith, titled, "The Responsive City:  Engaging Communities Through Data-Smart Governance." While many of our listeners may be familiar with the term "smart city," Susan and her coauthor consider  a "responsive city" something quite different. In this podcast, she and Chris delve into exactly what the term means, how it differs from the term "smart city," and how publicly-owned fiber networks can help cities become more responsive. Municipal networks are tools to improve connectivity, save public dollars, and spur economic development. But they're also an important tool to encourage citizen engagement, a critical component of our democracy. Here are Susan and Chris.

01:16:

Chris Mitchell:  Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast.  I'm Chris Mitchell. Today, I'm speaking with Susan Crawford again, professor at Harvard University, and author of "Captive Audience." Welcome to the show.

01:29:

Susan Crawford:  Hey, thanks, Christopher. Glad to be here.

01:30:

Chris:  We're really glad to have you back. We talked with you previously, right after you'd released "Captive Audience." And I know it's been a big hit among the kinds of people that follow our site and are interested in municipal networks. Now you have a new book, that we're going to talk about today a bit, "Responsive City," a book that was coauthored with Stephen Goldsmith. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what is a "responsive city"?

01:54:

Susan...

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Transcript: Open Access and Incumbent Challenges Podcast Episode 128

Posted December 18, 2014 by Christopher Mitchell

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 128 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Eric Lampland of Lookout Point Communications. Listen to this episode here.

00:05:

Eric Lampland: But the monopoly is created by the physical infrastructure ...

00:08:

Chris Mitchell: Exactly.

00:08:

Eric: ... of those particular things, and so, yes, that does need to be replaced.

00:15:

Lisa Gonzalez: Hello. You are listening to the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. My name is Lisa Gonzalez.

In episode 80 of the podcast, we introduced you to Eric Lampland, Founder and Principal Consultant at Lookout Point Communications. In that episode, Chris and Eric discussed indirect cost savings from municipal networks. This week, Eric stopped by our Minneapolis office for a discussion about "open access," today and in the future. We find that many of the communities we study that deploy or consider municipal broadband networks see an open access arrangement as the preferred business model. Traditionally, this would mean that the municipality would provide the infrastructure and providers would offer commercial or residential services to customers over the infrastructure. We also find that a large percentage of those communities find it difficult to implement this model. In our conversation, we dig into some common challenges associated with municipal open access networks. We also talk about some possible cures, and we look at how the very definition of the term "open access" is changing.

Every week, we bring you the Community Broadband Bits Podcast advertisement-free. Please consider contributing in any amount to help us in carrying on this service. Just visit ILSR.org and click on the orange "donate" button.

01:38:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. Today, I'm in the office with Lisa Gonzalez.

01:47:

Lisa: Hey there.

01:47:

Chris: And we've got Eric Lampland back, the Founder and Principal Consultant for Lookout Point Communications.

01:53:

Eric: It's good to be here with you, Chris.

01:55:

Chris: Thank you for coming back in, Eric. We had a great...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 129

Posted December 18, 2014 by Christopher Mitchell

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 129 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Michael Liimatta of the nonprofit Connecting for Good in Kansas City, Missouri. Listen to this episode here.

00:04:

Michael Liimatta: It's a digital world that we live in. And so, if you're not online, you're not really a fully-functioning citizen.

00:11:

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

This week, Chris and his guest, Michael Liimatta, discuss digital inclusion efforts in Kansas City. Michael is President of the nonprofit, Connecting for Good, an organization in the region, aiming to bring more lower-income households online. As our listeners know, Google Fiber is now deploying in the community. Chris and Michael discuss whether or not the deployment has increased rates of adoption. Michael and Chris ponder some proposed ideas for bringing lower-income households online: Charging a very low rate. Should access be free? How does home access affect adoption, as opposed to access in a library or other community space? We encourage you to visit connectingforgood.org to learn more about the organization, especially if you feel your community could benefit from a digital inclusion program.

We bring you the Community Broadband Bits Podcast advertisement-free each week. Please consider contributing to help us continue to carry on this valuable service. It's easy. Visit ILSR.org and click on the orange "donate" button.

Here are Chris and Michael.

01:26:

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. And today, I'm speaking with Michael Liimatta, the President of a nonprofit organization, Connecting for Good. Welcome to the show.

01:40:

Michael Liimatta: Thank you very much.

01:42:

Chris: Michael, I'm really excited to have you on this show, because I know you've been doing excellent work in Kansas City. You and I are on a -- the same LISTSERV, where we talk about a lot of these different issues. And I've always found you to have -- I think you give a lot of deep thought to these issues, deeper than perhaps other people are. So, I was excited to...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 123: Aurora

Posted November 6, 2014 by Christopher Mitchell

Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for Episode 123 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast with Rick Mervine of Aurora, Illinois. Listen to this episode here.

00:05:

Rick Mervine: The objective here is not to go out and cover the same amount of money that they were paying before. The objective here is to make sure they get a scalable connection that can grow with their needs, and, you know, provide them a reasonable baseline of expense, with all the advantage -- with all the ability to take advantage of the technology.

00:23:

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

Not long ago, I visited with Rick Mervine, an Alderman from Aurora, Illinois. We started looking at the community of Aurora last year, and discovered that they have developed an interesting business model for their network, OnLight Aurora. They use both nonprofit and limited-profit entities. Since Chris has been globetrotting quite a bit lately, it's my turn to take over the microphone. And so this week, I decided to share some of the highlights of my conversation with Rick. The community realized in the early 2000s that there were a couple of reasons why publicly-owned infrastructure was a good idea. So they started with a vision, came up with a plan, and then deployed their network. The network began serving municipal facilities in 2008. And then about a year and a half ago, they branched out to work with community anchors and a few businesses. A key consideration has always been a long-term approach. Community leaders focus on the ability to develop a network that's scalable, to serve far into the future. Here's a little bit of my conversation with Alderman Rick Mervine, from Aurora, Illinois.

So, I'm talking today with Rick Mervine. He's an Alderman in Aurora, Illinois, home of OnLight Aurora. Hi, Rick. How are you?

01:39:

Rick Mervine: How are you doing, Lisa?

01:40:

Lisa: I'm doing great. Thanks for asking. What were some of the reasons why Aurora decide to go ahead and invest in a fiber network?

01:46:

Rick: The idea to do this didn't come from me. It came initially from the Mayor of the City of Aurora -- his name is Tom Weisner...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 122: Bob Frankston

Posted November 3, 2014 by Christopher Mitchell

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 Mitchell

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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