Community Broadband Media Roundup - February 26

Alabama

City looking at broadband access models by Michele Gerlach, Andalusia Star News

The mayor made his comments before having council members review a 19-minute video chronicling the efforts of Ammon, Idaho, to do just that.

The city of more than 15,000 people “is taking its destiny in its own hands,” the mayor said. The city installed broadband infrastructure, and sold its excess capacity. It has built its network slowly, and has no debt associated with the infrastructure.

Ammon is using a Local Improvement District (LID) approach to connect premises to the infrastructure. The city determines the boundaries of where the project will occur and property owners have the opportunity at the beginning of the process to pay for connecting to the network by attaching the cost over 20 years to their property.

 

Colorado

Firestone ballot to include municipal broadband measure by Sam Lounsberry, Longmont Times-Call

Municipal broadband: Loveland council faces next step by Julia Rentsch, Loveland Reporter-Herald

Members of the Loveland City Council might decide Tuesday to finalize several measures that will allow city staff to move forward with developing a municipal broadband utility.

If adopted, the three ordinances scheduled for a second reading would allow city staff to direct time and resources toward fulfilling seven recommendations by the Loveland Broadband Task Force. Following the recommendations would result in the city having a build-ready network design, a detailed business implementation plan and the structures in place for governance of an enterprise utility, as well as a more accurate cost-to-build estimate, in the next four to six months.

Mountain Parks Electric to build fiber-optic backbone for internet service by Sawyer D’Argonne, Sky Hi News

Cortez, regional leaders search for solutions on broadband by Stephanie Alderton, Cortez Journal

Estes Park EDC Meeting to Discuss Fast, Affordable Broadband for the Estes Valley by Adam Shake, Estes Park Trail Gazette

 

Missouri

Missouri lawmakers push for better broadband internet by Justin Corr, KY3

It's something that can affect your healthcare, business opportunities, and more... it's broadband internet. More than one million Missourians don't have access to it. But, lawmakers at the state and federal level are trying to change that.

One report says 1.25 million people in Missouri, about 20 percent of the population, don't have access to broadband internet. Most of those people are in rural areas. However, getting broadband access to more people seems to be a priority for a lot of your lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans. That includes Springfield's-own, Representative Curtis Trent (R-Springfield). "It will enable economic development, telemedicine, virtual education. I mean, there are really limitless applications."

Cooperation brings broadband internet service to tiny Missouri town by Marty Smith, STL News

Tension between city, Fidelity over internet by Abby Hess, West Plains Daily Quill

 

Oregon

Oregon bill aims to restore net neutrality protections by Eric Tegethoff, KTVZ

Oregon's effort to restore net neutrality moves forward by Mike Rogoway, Oregon Live

 

Tennessee

Smart grid research on Chattanooga's muni-broadband network by GCN Staff, GCN

Cheatham County Democrats hosts broadband expansion forum by Kelly Fisher, The Tennessean

 

Vermont

13 Central Vermont Communities Look To Bring High-Speed Internet To Region by Amy Kolb Noyes, Vermont Public Radio

Vermont Protects Net Neutrality in Middle Finger to FCC by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

 

Virginia

CVEC seeks support in delivering high-speed internet access by Emily Sides, Virginia News Advance

 

Washington

KPUD extending speedy fiber internet connections to homes by Tad Sooter, Kitsap Sun

 

General

Communities can’t afford to wait for the federal government to obtain next gen broadband by Blair Levin, Brookings Institution

Since our team finished work on the 2010 United States National Broadband Plan, I have met with hundreds of local government officials to discuss their own broadband futures. The conversations usually begin with me asking, “Five years from now, do you think your community will have the bandwidth it needs to ensure continued economic growth and social progress?” No public official ever responded, “Yes.”

This answer made it easy to kick off a discussion about what each community could do to accelerate the deployment of next generation bandwidth for their residents and businesses. The most entrepreneurial communities followed through by organizing themselves to improve the math for private investment and were rewarded with improved local broadband networks. In contrast, the communities who waited for the market or the federal government to help are largely still waiting today for improvements.

Trump needs to do more to get more Americans online by Rob Pegoraro, Yahoo Finance

Chris Mitchell, director of community broadband networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, suggested more support for rural electric cooperatives, one plank of a Democratic infrastructure proposal.

“Rural electrics have tremendous potential to deliver the best internet access to rural America at the lowest taxpayer subsidy cost,” he said.

Charter fails to defeat lawsuit alleging false Internet speed promises by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

Despite States’ Efforts to Protect Net Neutrality, Courts Will Hold the Real Power by Ethan Stoetzer, Government Technology

CenturyLink Loses Another 90K Frustrated Broadband Customers by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

To kill net neutrality, FCC might have to fight more than half of US states by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

The legislatures in more than half of US states have pending legislation that would enforce net neutrality, according to a new roundup by advocacy group Free Press. So far, the states that have taken final action have done so through executive orders issued by their governors. Those are Vermont, Hawaii, Montana, New Jersey, and New York.

The legislative process obviously takes longer and is more uncertain because it requires votes by state lawmakers in addition to a governor's signature. Many bills are submitted in state legislatures without ever coming to a vote. But it wouldn't be surprising if some states impose net neutrality laws through the legislative process. The Washington State House of Representatives approved net neutrality rules by a vote of 93-5 on Wednesday, pushing the bill along to the state's Senate. In California, the state Senate passed a net neutrality bill last month.

FCC Broadband Availability Data Derided As Inaccurate, 'Shameful' by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Could The End Of Net Neutrality Mean The Rise Of Public Broadband? By Dan Seitz, UpRoxx

Building Fiber to Anchor Institutions by POTs and PANs Blog

Ajit Pai's plan will take broadband away from poor people by Gigi Sohn and Amina Fazlullah, Wired

The FCC's New Broadband Availability Map is a Misleading Joke by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

FCC's Final Rule on Net Neutrality Sparks Legal Challenges by David Jones, E-Commerce Times

Rural communities have not seen any additional investment as a result of the rule reversal, according to Christopher Mitchell, director of community broadband networks at the Institute for Local Self Reliance.

CenturyLink last month announced plans to focus more of its future investments in high-speed, high density urban areas, he noted.

The ILSR does not plan to file a lawsuit, but it has pledged its support to other organizations that take the fight to court.

"We continue to work with rural groups to improve Internet access, but most of the hope lies with local groups and states -- not the federal government," Mitchell told the E-Commerce Times.