The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a national nonprofit working to empower communities by striking at the roots of monopoly power and striving toward a vision of thriving, diverse, equitable communities. We use in-depth research, reporting, and data analysis to produce influential reports and articles. Our analyses are frequently featured in national news media and sought out by policymakers. We work closely with a broad range of local community leaders, elected officials, and a diverse coalition of allies to advance these ideas and policies.

Community Broadband Organizer

ILSR is looking for an enthusiastic candidate to assist these local organizing efforts. Our Community Broadband Networks program has many resources and contacts that can dramatically accelerate local organizing efforts. This position will require frequent meetings with local groups to understand their goals and challenges, as well as organizing more general support systems like mutual-aid calls and other resources as needed. Success will mean many more communities will achieve digital equity more rapidly than would otherwise occur.

Responsibilities

• Meeting with local leaders/activists working on community broadband planning or building networks; helping to educate local efforts on common challenges, constraints, and opportunities.
• Learning about broadband technology, policy, and related state and federal tools.
• Finding alignment and opportunities in the work of allies in the field and engaging on them.
• Occasionally developing one-pagers and other basic materials with colleagues at ILSR.
• Knowing when to ignore bullet points.
• Reporting back to ILSR colleagues on trends, challenges, and creative solutions and soliciting feedback to continue helping local efforts.

A Successful Candidate

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) as a host organization for two Leading Edge Fellowships, which demonstrates the potential of humanistic knowledge and methods to solve problems, build capacity, and advance justice and equity in society. Leading Edge Fellowships place recent humanities PhDs with nonprofit organizations committed to promoting social justice in their communities.

In Fall 2021, the program will place up to 41 recent PhDs to work on projects at partnering organizations. Fellows receive an annual stipend of $60,000, as well as health insurance and professional development funding. Fellows lead substantive projects that draw on the skills and capacities honed in the course of earning the humanities PhD, including advanced communication, research, project management, and creative problem solving. This initiative is made possible through the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Applications are due May 6, 2021 (9pm EDT). For more information, visit https://www.acls.org/Competitions-and-Deadlines/Leading-Edge-Fellowships

ILSR will host two fellowship positions:

PROJECT 1

Bridging the Digital Divide in Native Nations

For communities across the country considering whether to invest in building a municipal broadband network, a new study published last week on the economic value of the EPB fiber network in America’s first “gig city” is a must-read.

The independent study, conducted by Bento Lobo, Ph.D., head of the Department of Finance and Economics at the Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, found that the celebrated city-owned fiber network has delivered Chattanoogans a $2.69 billion return on investment in its first decade.

In 2010, EPB Fiber, a division of Chattanooga’s city-owned electric and telecommunications utility formerly known as the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, became the first city in the United States to build a Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) network offering up to 1 Gig upload and download speeds. In 2015, EPB began offering up to 10 Gig speeds.

It cost approximately $220 million to build the network, however, “the true economic value of the fiber optic infrastructure for EPB’s customers is much greater than the cost of installing and maintaining the infrastructure,” Lobo said. “Our latest research findings show that Chattanooga’s fiber optic network provides additional value because it provides high speeds, with symmetrical uploads and downloads, and a high degree of network responsiveness which are necessary for the smart grid and other cutting-edge business, educational and research applications.”

Image

Among the study’s key findings:

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a national nonprofit working to empower communities by striking at the roots of monopoly power. We use in-depth research, reporting, and data analysis to work with communities as well as produce influential reports and articles. Our analyses are frequently featured in national news media and sought out by policymakers. We work closely with a broad range of allies to move these ideas and policies.

ILSR is looking for a Broadband Writer/Researcher within the U.S. to join a growing team within ILSR focused on ensuring all Americans have fast, affordable, and reliable Internet access. This person will work with Sean Gonsalves and Ry Marcattilio-McCracken to develop research as well as create short- and long-form content focused on improving Internet access both in urban and rural areas. This might seem like a dry and technical issue, but it is a vibrant and exciting field that is also one of this generation’s biggest equity and justice challenges.

Check out the job duties and skills needed below.

Job responsibilities include:

• Writing stories for MuniNetworks.org, a clearinghouse of the latest news, comprehensive reports, and statistics about community broadband networks.
• Writing and collaborating with the team on larger reports.
• Managing research ongoing on the cities and cooperative that are building networks.
• Monitoring an overwhelming number of Google alerts and other streams of information to keep track of local developments around community networks.
• Working with the team to develop and review research projects and creative efforts to share our work.

A successful candidate is:

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is looking for a Broadband Writer/Editor to join a small team within ILSR focused on ensuring all Americans have fast, affordable, and reliable Internet access. 

With Katie leaving to add her acumen, insight, and research skills to ILSR's Energy Democracy team across the virtual hall, there's a signifcant void to fill. Coverage of electric cooperatives here might never recover, and we'll certainly miss her.

Check out the job duties and skills needed below.

Job responsibilities include:

• Writing stories for MuniNetworks.org, a clearinghouse of the latest news, comprehensive reports, and statistics about community broadband networks.
• Writing and collaborating with the team on larger reports.
• Managing research ongoing on the cities and cooperative that are building networks.
• Monitoring an overwhelming number of Google alerts and other streams of information to keep track of local developments around community networks.
• Working with the team to develop and review research projects and creative efforts to share our work.

A successful candidate is:

• An exceptionally good writer with the ability to convey complex ideas in a clear and compelling way. Able to write quickly when needed.
• Attentive to accuracy, detail, and nuance.
• Strongly motivated.
• A strong analytic thinker who can identify the pivotal questions and gaps in a piece.
• Possesses a genuine enjoyment of collaboration with a willingness to give and receive honest feedback. Skilled at helping team members improve the articles they contribute.
• Passionate about the ILSR’s mission of countering corporate monopolies and building community power.
• Enthusiastic about puns, alliteration, or some other means of playing with words.

Preferred qualifications:

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) is looking for a new Research and Policy Director to help raise awareness of digital equity issues and support digital inclusion practitioners across the country.

The position is full time and remote, with an expected salary range of $60,000 - $65,000, dependent on experience.

For more information and to apply, visit NDIA’s website. NDIA will consider applications on a rolling basis.

Position Details

According to NDIA, responsibilities of the Research and Policy Director include:

• Conducts statistical research and analysis to guide and support NDIA’s advocacy as well as affiliate development.
• Learning from NDIA’s affiliates and in collaboration with affiliates and partners, conduct and guide development of NDIA’s policy positions. Written work includes official comments to government agencies, white papers, blog posts, and guidebooks.
• Contributes to the NDIA website and social presence by publishing blog posts and assists with other communication tasks as requested.
• Participates in local, state, and national meetings and conferences.
• Speaks at events and on webinars.
• Works with partners and policymakers to identify how policies can be improved to support digital inclusion work.
• Monitors and engages on federal, state, and local policies that impact digital equity and the efforts of our affiliates.
• Speaks with media to explain on the ground digital inequities and advocate for needed policy changes.
• Support NDIA’s national conference, Net Inclusion, by helping craft the agenda, identify speakers and encourage participation.

Desired qualifications:

Ready to see your name in lights? (Okay, okay, just 12 point font.)

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is seeking a Broadband Writer and Editor to join the Institute’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Community Broadband Networks team works to ensure all Americans have fast, affordable, and reliable Internet access by researching, reporting, and advising on issues such as community-owned broadband, network neutrality, and universal access. The new Broadband Writer and Editor will manage our site, MuniNetworks.org, and work closely with rest of our small but dedicated team.

View the listing on ILSR.org or below.

Responsibilities:

• Managing MuniNetworks.org (this site!), a clearinghouse of the latest news, comprehensive reports, and statistics about community broadband networks. This includes researching, interviewing people over the phone, and authoring articles as well as managing posts, podcasts, and research material created by the team (65%)
• Managing our archive of materials about municipal networks, cooperative networks, and other approaches in the broadband area (10%)

  Monitoring an overwhelming number of Google alerts and other streams of information to keep track of local developments around community networks (15%)

• Working with the team to develop and review research projects and creative efforts to share our work. (10%)

A Successful Candidate Is:

• An exceptionally good writer with the ability to convey complex ideas in a clear and compelling way. Able to write quickly when needed.
• Attentive to accuracy, detail, and nuance.
• A strong analytical thinker who can identify the pivotal questions and gaps in a piece.
• Possesses a genuine enjoyment of collaboration with a willingness to give and receive honest feedback. Skilled at helping team members improve the articles they contribute.
• Passionate about ILSR’s mission of countering corporate monopolies and building community power.
• Enthusiastic about puns, alliteration, or some other means of playing with words.
• Interested in helping to produce and potentially edit podcasts.

Preferred Qualifications:

If you're a regular visitor to MuniNetworks.org, you may also be someone ideally suited for a position we recently learned about with the Minnesota Department of Commerce. They're hiring a Telecommunications Analyst. The position application period is open until January 23, 2020, so now is the time to apply.

Check out the position posting here, where you can learn more about qualifications, salary, and benefits.

From the job summary:

This position performs a variety of tasks to fulfill the Department's statutory responsibilities with respect to the telecommunications marketplace. The telecommunications unit seeks to protect consumers from abusive tactics, and works to advance competition in a manner that is consistent with the public interest. The successful applicant will review new and existing telecommunications carrier petitions to determine compliance with statutory requirements and Minnesota rules.  The position will investigate problems experienced by consumers, and competitors in the marketplace; draft reports for actions before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission; and enforce statutes, rules and Commission orders.

Good luck and remember, the application deadline is January 23, 2020.

When it comes to opportunity for startups, the folks at Inc. Magazine turned to Startup Genome, an innovation policy company that examines important factors to develop its Surge Cities index. Startup Genome looked at seven of the most important indicators, including seed funding and job creation, and created a top-50 list of places most friendly for startups. Chattanooga came in at 36 on the list, mostly due to its fiber optic network.

Inc.com described Chattanooga as the Gig City "where approachability meets opportunity" and went on to write:

In 2010, Chattanooga became the first U.S. city to offer inexpensive gigabit-speed internet to all of its residents. Since then, the Tennessean city's economy has flourished, entrepreneurial activity has spiked, and resources for startups have proliferated. These include the Company Lab, a nonprofit accelerator that hosts Chattanooga’s annual Startup Week, and the INCubator, a massive 127,000-square-foot complex currently housing 55 startups, including 3-D printed builder Branch Technology, which has $9.5 million in funding. Today, it ranks 25th in the country for net business creation. Entrepreneurs are also drawn to the area because of its big city culture and small town vibe, says Alexis Willis, director of small business and entrepreneurship at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. “Hearing about Chattanooga's [high-speed] internet may have brought them here, but then they’re like, ‘I want to move my whole family here’ and they end up sticking around,” she says. --Cameron Albert-Deitch

According to the Executive Director of CO.LAB Marcus Shaw, the EPB Fiber Optic network turned a congenial city into one roaring for entrepreneurs. "The gig was the impetus for this next generation of entrepreneurship," Shaw said. "This modern era of entrepreneurship is less than 10 years old, and where we've come in 10 years is phenomenal."

CO.LAB works with startups, offering courses on the information and skills that help innovators breed success in new endeavors.

Startup Genome looked at these factors when considering what cities made the list: