Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
Katie Kienbaum
Before joining ILSR, Katie conducted outreach to members of rural electric cooperatives in western North Carolina. She holds a degree in economics and environmental studies from the University of Pittsburgh.
Stories by this author
American Sustainable Business Council Calls for Local Broadband Authority
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues and the federal response sputters, it’s clear that the responsibility of getting our local economies back on track now lies largely with cities and states.
More Fiber Than Cows: Report Confirms South Dakota’s Rural Networks Above Average
South Dakota has more cows than people — and if you live in a rural community in of the state, it’s possible that all those bovines may have better Internet access than you do.
Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 352
This is the transcript for episode 352 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher interviews Dr. Robert Wack about the impact of better broadband in healthcare. Read the transcript below, or listen to the podcast episode.
Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 374
This is the transcript for episode 374 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Stacy Evans from BrightRidge in Eastern Tennessee. They discuss the electric utility's new broadband project, which is bringing Fiber-to-the-Home and fixed wireless connectivity to homes and businesses in and around Johnson City, Tennessee.
Survey Supports Network Feasibility in Falmouth
Early survey results confirm the potential for a community broadband network in the coastal town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, reports The Falmouth Enterprise.
ILSR Challenges Frontier's Attempt to Block Rural Broadband Upgrades
Late last month, we reported on Frontier Communications’ claim that it now offers broadband in 17,000 rural census blocks in an effort to remove those areas from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) upcoming rural broadband funding program.
Homework Gap Hits Communities of Color Harder
Millions of students do not have access to adequate connectivity, but Black, Latinx, and Native children are disproportionately impacted by the “homework gap” — a term that describes the divide between students with access to home broadband and Internet-enabled devices and those without, as well as the challenges that unconnected students face.
Westminster Teens Use Fiber, MAGIC, and Tech Skills to Survive Zombie Apocalypse
When communities deploy Internet access infrastructure, they use their investment to reduce costs for telecommunications, improve local connectivity, and encourage economic development. In Westminster, Maryland, they’re also using their fiber optic network to boost local high school students’ tech skills in a fun and creative way. The community is using publicly owned fiber optic “magic” to multiply their youth’s opportunities.
Bipartisan Bills Introduced to Correct Tax Law Hindering Rural Co-op Broadband
Last November, we reported on a change to the tax code that is deterring rural telephone and electric cooperatives from leveraging government funding to expand broadband access.
Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 376
This is the transcript for episode 376 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher interviews Mark Buell and Katie Watson Jordan from the Internet Society about their work building trust on the Internet and increasing access in remote communities.