Alaska

Feds offer $1 billion to improve broadband access in rural, remote Alaskan communities by Tim Ellis, KUAC

Colorado

High-speed Internet in Silverton pulls mining village out of digital desert by Jason Blevins, Denver Post

City evaluating options for broadband service by Mike Beckstead, The Coloradoan

Longmont power to ask for $7M budget boost for NextLight project by Karen Antonacci, Longmont Times Call

Kentucky

City moving forward broadband plan by Andrew Adkins, Ashland Daily Independent

North Carolina

Greenlight likely to disconnect Pinetops by Brie Handgraaf, The Wilson Times

Officials said the city attorney is expected to discuss the city’s options with council members following an August ruling by the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that barred the city from expanding high-speed internet service beyond the county borders. The Federal Communications Commission supported the expansion of Greenlight Community Broadband into Pinetops, but the court determined the commission didn’t have the authority to supersede a state law limiting municipal services areas. 

Tennessee

Bledsoe Telephone Co-op adds Gig service in Sequatchie Valley by Dave Flessner, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Ohio

Pioneering a digital destiny for Stark County by Marc Scheider, Canton Repository

Our country is at its best when we as a people come together for the benefit of all. My family has seen the advent of municipal water, regional sewer, and the electrification of the United States. All of these resulted in enormous wealth creation and the improvement of living standards. The Internet is the fourth utility. Our team thinks of it as the forth utility, and I count myself lucky to see this once-in-a-lifetime technology transcend from a luxury to a public utility able to advance us all.

Washington

Seattle residents continue to push for city-owned broadband by Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Wisconsin

Madison looks to close digital divide by Shamane Mills, Wisconsin Public Radio

A company hired by the city of Madison called ResTech will use fiber optic cable to offer Internet starting at just under $10 a month in a new pilot program called Connecting Madison. City officials hope the program will reduce the number of homes in Dane County without Internet access, which is currently 14,000 residences.

Madison municipal Internet pilot project in underserved communities moves forward by Abigail Becker, The Capital Times

General

Why no one likes Comcast, but everyone has it by Jess Bolluyt, Gear and Style Cheat Sheet

FCC, America lose big on municipal broadband by Joan McCarter, Daily Kos

California

Internet improvements to go before City Council by Felicia Alvarez, Davis Enterprise

The fiber pioneers by Timothy Downs, American City and County

“Santa Monica is a great example of how a local government can develop a long-term vision and create significant economic benefits with low risk investments,” Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a proponent of municipally owned networks, says. “Without spending any new money, it built a great fiber-optic network along major streets and ultimately began generating revenue from fiber leases and operating a free Wi-Fi network in popular tourist destinations.”

Colorado

Broadband could be $125M effort for Fort Collins by Kevin Duggan, The Coloradoan

Georgia

Spotty Internet in rural Georgia draws lawmakers' focus by Jill Nolin, Dalton Daily Citizen

Pennsylvania

It's time to 'beef up' to rural Internet speeds by Observer-Reporter Editorial Board

Virgnia

Internet expansion in the works for Augusta County by Clarissa Cooper, News Leader

Colorado

Voters to Decide Whether El Paso County, Colo., Will Provide High-Speed Internet to Less-Populated Areas by Matt Steiner, The Gazette

Illinois

Comcast’s $70 gigabit deal is shockingly difficult to sign up for by Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica

Massachusetts

Living without broadband still a reality for many towns by G. Michael Dobbs, The Reminder

Mississippi

Rural communities left behind due to lack of high-speed internet by Zack Orsborn, Daily Journal

North Carolina

Tillis helped big business monopolize internet services in NC by Bill Faison, News & Observer

One of the first pieces of anti-resident, pro-big business legislation to run through the House was the bill that Tillis now touts as being a taxpayer bill. It was not. It was a power and money grab by wealthy out-of-state companies to disadvantage North Carolina residents – nothing more. The residents lost.

 

Ohio

Editorial: Embrace group's effort to bring high-speed broadband to Stark by Canton Repository Editorial Board

Tennessee

Commissioner, senator spar over broadband by Brian Graves, Cleveland Daily Banner

Colorado

Lafayette eyes municipal broadband, EcoPass for November ballot by Anthony Hahn, Colorado Hometown Weekly & GovTech

Larmier County refers broadband-law exemption to November ballot by Dallas Heltzell, BizWest

El Paso County may ask voters to help bring Internet service to rural communities by Matt Steiner, Colorado Springs Gazette

Maryland

Maryland city to link up with county-owned high-speed Internet service by Erika Butler, GovTech

Minnesota

World-class broadband access is needed for a world-class city by Mike Schlasner, Rochester Post Bulletin

Rochester makes smart move by evaluating Internet options by Christopher Mitchell, Rochester Post Bulletin

Going back 20 years in Rochester, anyone could become an Internet service provider. You had buy some modems, lease a few telephone lines and set up a billing system. But today, after a series of deregulatory decisions, a few big cable and telephone companies basically control all high-speed Internet access in the U.S.

Building a network now requires a major investment, which is why there is so little private-sector competition.

Colorado

Municipal broadband? Superior to weigh question for November ballot by Anthony Hahn, Colorado Hometown Weekly

Wary of big spending, Boulder faces high risk in broadband pursuit by Alex Burness, Boulder Daily Camera

Idaho

Ammon to break ground on fiber district by Kevin Trevellyan, Post Register

Minnesota

Advocate for community broadband access by Tom Poe, St. Cloud Times

Last year, the FCC reclassified communications over the internet as a public utility. Corporations are no longer able to control access to the internet. With that fact in mind, it's time for Minnesota to act and institute affordable community broadband infrastructure for all communities.

Broadband study nears completion by Jason Sorenson, Fairmont Sentinel

North Carolina

Court ruling cold unplug Edgecombe town from broadband by Bryan Mims, WRAL

Pennsylvania

Lancaster city announces pre-registration for municipal broadband network; pricing set by Dan Nephin, Lancaster Online

Wisconsin

California

Cruzio to launch high-speed Internet pilot project by Jessica A. York, Santa Cruz Sentinel

The move is designed to create a demonstration area ahead of completed public-private negotiations with the city of Santa Cruz to co-develop a new $30-$40 million broadband utility citywide. Cruzio expects to display both the construction methods and business model needed to wire up each participating home and extend its underground fiber optic cable network “backbone” by self-funding the first step.

Colorado

Boulder County, Colo., considers putting municipal high-speed broadband on November ballot by John Fryar, GovTech

Florida

AT&T fined $106K for overcharging schools in Florida under E-rate program by Sean Buckley, FierceTelecom

Massachusetts

Colrain forming new broadband committee by Diane Broncaccio, The Recorder

Minnesota

Border-to-Border Broadband working for Southeast Minnesota by Mary Phipps, The Kenyon Leader

Tired of waiting for corporate high-speed Internet, Minnesota farm town builds their own by Ben DeJarnette, Yes! Magazine

Minnesota

City studies $50 million broadband plan by Andrew Setterholm, Rochester Post Bulletin & GovTech

Tennessee

Broadband service is vital for Tennessee businesses, new study shows by Dave Flessner, Times Free Press

Vermont

ECFiber Awards Design and Engineering Contract by BBC Wires 

General

A Broad(band) reach: Bringing the Internet to rural America by John Breeden II, StateTech Magazine

For the most part, large cities don’t have a major problem with broadband installation. The populations are so dense that many private broadband providers will take on the expense of building and maintaining networks, confident that customers will follow. But smaller, more rural areas, or those in traditionally economically disadvantaged areas, may not attract a major internet provider right off the bat.

The answer might be for a city’s IT leaders to roll up their sleeves and do it themselves.

How cities can strike smarter deals with private broadband network providers by Alex Koma, StateScoop

Massachusetts

Leyden opens broadband discussions with MBI by Shelby Ashline, The Recorder

Tennessee

Tennessee needs more competition between Internet providers, according to state report by Emily Siner, Nashville Public Radio

But almost all businesses — more than 90 percent — reported that they're not happy with their current options for getting online and aren't finding affordable alternatives.

The study says one of the keys to better internet in Tennessee is increasing competition, noting that businesses with more internet options had much faster speeds. It recommended that the state to reduce regulations, making it easier for more companies to provide internet in more places.

Tennessee study shows state remains a broadband backwater thanks to AT&T lobbyists, clueless politicians, and protectionist state law by Karl Bode, TechDirt

Broadband is a key part of today's infrastructure by Johnson City Press

General

Are Public-Private Partnerships the best path to municipal broadband? by Jen Kinney, Next City & Public CEO

California

Refund program to help expand broadband Internet service by Rachelle Chong and Lloyd Levine, Sacramento Bee

Colorado

Big choices ahead as Boulder pursues faster, cheaper broadband by Alex Burness, Boulder Daily Camera

Erie, Superior weigh municipal broadband ballot question by Anthony Hahn, Colorado Hometown Weekly

Massachusetts

Mount Washington gets $230K grant to deliver broadband access by Derek Gentile, Berkshire Eagle

The town has won a $230,000 grant from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute to support the construction of a fiber-to-home network that will deliver broadband access to the residents of this town. At this point, according to town officials, more than 60 percent of the residents of the smallest town in Massachusetts have committed to subscribing to the service.

North Carolina

Waynesville enters agreement to expand broadband by Smoky Mountain News

Getting the Internet to everyone in WNC by Tom Vinyard, Citizen-Times

General

Why we need affordable broadband for anchor institutions and communities by John Windhausen Jr., Bloomberg Government & StateScoop