Community Broadband Media Roundup - May 21

Alabama

Sen. Doug Jones pushes rural broadband expansion by Mitch Sneed, Alex City Outlook

 

Colorado

Cortez to reveal results from internet feasibility study by Stephanie Alderton, The Cortez Journal

Pikes Peak region's rural communities looking for broadband on-ramp by Rachel Riley, Colorado Springs Gazette

 

Georgia

The Big Disconnect: Google Fiber’s Unfulfilled Promise In Atlanta by Jim Burress, WABE

Commission District 1: Patrick Davenport and Sharyn Dickerson by Blake Aued, Flagpole

Sharyn Dickerson: Create a Municipal Broadband Network. If determined to be feasible, given a recent presentation to Athens-Clarke County, work to establish a Municipal Broadband Network. The goal would be to provide residents living in more rural portions of our community (e.g.: District 1) with secure and reliable internet access.   Consider possible capital funding needed to build wireless network system through a future Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax project.

 

Massachusetts

Sandisfield candidates talk roads, broadband, economic development by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle

 

Michigan

TCL&P wants fiber network operator by Jordan Travis, Traverse City Record-Eagle

One Democrat’s Bold Plan to Win Back Rural Trump Voters: Cheap Internet by Gideon Resnick, The Daily Beast

In Michigan, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed has embraced that philosophy. But he's also gone a small step further, with a quirky, more modern policy twist designed to bridge the divide between Democratic urban areas and rural Republican ones.

He wants to give people cheap Internet.

El Sayed, whose unique bio as a Muslim doctor and public health expert serves as the kind of Democratic ideal in 2018, proposed what he is calling the Internet for All or MI-Fi plan last week, which would essentially create net neutral public broadband in the state.

 

Minnesota

Broadband service spreading in rural Murray, Pipestone counties by Karl Evers-Hillstrom, The Daily Globe

Last year, Murray County and Pipestone County partnered with four other southwest Minnesota counties and the Blandin Foundation to conduct feasibility studies — also done by Finley and CCG — in hopes of getting a similar outcome.

Pipestone County’s study was completed in February 2017, and later that year, Ruthton-based Woodstock Telephone received a $363,851 grant from the Minnesota Border-to-Border Broadband to provide fixed wireless broadband to rural Pipestone County.

The state’s 2017 report found that most of the geographic area of rural Pipestone County is underserved (internet speeds less than 100Mbps download/20Mbps upload) and large sections of the western and northwestern part of the county are unserved, or without any form of broadband internet (less than 25/3).

County board looks to enter broadband program by Ben Farniok, Southern Minnesota News

 

Missouri

People should have equal access to internet services by Andrew Braun, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

New Jersey

Menendez, small business owners argue for restoration of net neutrality by Briana Vannozzi, New Jersey TV Online

In December, the Republican lead FCC voted to end the statute creating equal treatment for all internet service providers, citing a free market as the goal. But advocates argue ISPs [internet service providers] could block or slow down content, creating tiered networks, in favor of larger corporations able to pay higher fees for faster service. Democrats in the U.S. Senate are poised to pass a resolution under what’s known as the Congressional Review Act, to overturn it.

“Forty-nine Democrats, all 49 Democrats in the U.S. Senate, have signed to the petition to have this vote and are committed to voting for it. One Republican, Susan Collins, has committed to voting for it,” Menendez said.

“If a hosting service increases the price because the ISP is charging them more, everything will trickle down to us so I may not be able to sell a service that I see for $100 to a brokerage because now my hosting service may be $5,000 a month,” said Alcides Aguasvivas, co-owner of Pix-l Graphx.

 

North Carolina

Wilsonian recognized as advocate for local broadband by Brie Handgraaf, The Wilson Times

 

Oregon

High-Speed Internet Coming To Hillsboro, Officials Say by Hillsboro Patch

 

Tennessee

What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Rural Tennessee? by The Memphis Daily News

Rural broadband is a game changer. High-speed broadband is not a luxury: it is a utility, as important as lights and water. Broadband would improve educational and business opportunities in our rural areas, allowing small businesses and entrepreneurs to deliver their products around the world. Former Gov. Ned Ray McWherter had an equation: roads plus education equals jobs. I put a 21st century spin on my fellow West Tennessee Democrat’s equation by adding broadband. While we have put some resources towards this on the state level, we must do more.

MUS FiberNet meets mounting demand by Morristown Citizen Tribune News Staff

 

Virginia

Surry not only county hunting solutions by Diana McFarland, Smithfield Times

Nelson County considers transferring network to CVEC by Emily Sides, Nelson County Times

Universal broadband plan is presented by Virginia Business

 

Washington

Port of Skagit, utility district form broadband company by Skagit Valley Herald, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

 

West Virginia

We can lead the way with broadband advancement by The Journal-News Editorial Board

 

Wisconsin

Reedsburg Utility re-brands to tout unthrottled gigabit internet service by Erica Dynes, Reedsburg Times-Press

 

General

If we want better broadband, more research needs to come first by Ingrid Schroeder, The Hill

This is Ajit Pai, Nemesis of Net Neutrality by Andrew Rice, Wired

Senate votes to overturn Ajit Pai’s net neutrality repeal by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

The US Senate today voted to reverse the Federal Communications Commission's repeal of net neutrality rules, with all members of the Democratic caucus and three Republicans voting in favor of net neutrality.

The Senate approved a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would simply undo the FCC's December 2017 vote to deregulate the broadband industry. If the CRA is approved by the House and signed by President Trump, Internet service providers would have to continue following rules that prohibit blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization.

ACLU: LocalGov Guide to Providing Net Neutrality by Efficient Gov Staff