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CNN Shares Stories of Disconnected Rural Residents During Pandemic, Quotes Christopher Mitchell

Katie Kienbaum — Fri, 01 May 2020 19:34:38 +0000

CNN Shares Stories of Disconnected Rural Residents During Pandemic, Quotes Christopher Mitchell

Katie Kienbaum Fri May 1, 2020

Fri May 1, 2020

Not only has the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic exposed our nation’s dire lack of medical equipment and protective gear, but it has also shone a light on the inadequacy of our rural broadband networks.

A recent CNN article, “Why rural Americans are having a hard time working from home,” by Harmeet Kaur, explores the many struggles that rural households face now that jobs, schools, and everything else has moved online and their outdated broadband connections can’t keep up.

“We Should Be Embarrassed”

CNN reports that while only 1.4 percent of urban Americans don’t have access to broadband speeds of at least 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 3 Mbps upload, more than a quarter of rural households don’t have broadband available to them. And almost three quarters don’t have access to faster upload speeds of 25 Mbps.

Press Release: FCC Efforts to Track Broadband Have Failed

shrestha — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 17:34:55 +0000

Press Release: FCC Efforts to Track Broadband Have Failed shrestha Mon Apr 27, 2020

Mon Apr 27, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. (April 24, 2020) - The Federal Communications Commission has concluded that broadband is being deployed “on a reasonable and timely basis” across America.

The FCC has admitted on many occasions that it does not know who has broadband or where it is available. Congress has told the FCC to fix its failed data collection. States have had to develop their own approaches because they cannot rely on the FCC’s deployment data. Georgia found that the FCC massively overestimates rural broadband availability.

Christopher Mitchell Joins Broadband Breakfast Live Online

shrestha — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:33:04 +0000

Christopher Mitchell Joins Broadband Breakfast Live Online shrestha Wed Apr 1, 2020

Wed Apr 1, 2020

Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Community Broadband Networks initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, recently appeared on Broadband Breakfast Live Online on March 31 to discuss the impacts of the pandemic in the broadband sector. Along with Christopher, the panel discussion was joined by host Drew Clark, Editor and Publisher at Broadband Breakfast, Gigi Sohn from Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, and Ben Bawtree-Jobson, CEO of SiFi Networks. The panelists explained policies to support universal broadband access, shared issues with telehealth, and suggested short-term solutions to bridge the homework gap.

Orlando Sentinel Op-Ed: Big Wireless Providers’ Growth Limits Local Choice

shrestha — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 17:08:33 +0000

Orlando Sentinel Op-Ed: Big Wireless Providers’ Growth Limits Local Choice shrestha Fri Mar 27, 2020

Fri Mar 27, 2020

Katie Kienbaum, Research Associate at ILSR, wrote an op-ed that the Orlando Sentinel published on March 5, 2020. Katie wrote about how lobbying from the big wireless companies at the state legislature restricts local communities from making their own decisions. She also touched on the importance of protecting local authority to allow communities to have their own right to make decisions.

Here is the full piece:

Imagine moving into a new home. One of the reasons you chose this house was the view from your daughter’s bedroom of the park across the street, a nice change from the alleyway her room overlooked in your old apartment.

Christopher Mitchell Interviewed by Wisconsin Public Radio

shrestha — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:23:07 +0000

Christopher Mitchell Interviewed by Wisconsin Public Radio shrestha Fri Mar 13, 2020

Fri Mar 13, 2020

On February 17, Christopher Mitchell spoke on Wisconsin Public Radio's "Central Time" about the need for broadband access in unserved areas and how communities have taken a different approach to increase reliable and affordable Internet access. The discussion also touches on funding program, which is an important factor for local providers to expand broadband infrastructure in rural areas.

Christopher Mitchell Discusses Rural Networks and Huawei Concerns on Marketplace Tech

Jess Del Fiacco — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:22:08 +0000

Christopher Mitchell Discusses Rural Networks and Huawei Concerns on Marketplace Tech

Jess Del Fiacco

Jess Del Fiacco Tue Nov 12, 2019

Tue Nov 12, 2019

Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Community Broadband Networks initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, recently appeared on Marketplace Tech to discuss security concerns around Chinese equipment used in many rural broadband networks.

Christopher explained why this equipment has become so ubiquitous, details some of the potential security issues, and talks about how proposals to remove and replace the equipment might affect networks. In response to a question about how this will impact consumers, Christopher said:

Katie Kienbaum Writes About Potential for Municipal Broadband in Cleveland Heights

Jess Del Fiacco — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 15:43:25 +0000

Katie Kienbaum Writes About Potential for Municipal Broadband in Cleveland Heights

Jess Del Fiacco

Jess Del Fiacco Thu Oct 24, 2019

Thu Oct 24, 2019

In a letter to the editor published on Oct. 18th at Cleveland.com, Katie Kienbaum, researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, discussed the benefits a municipal broadband network could bring to Cleveland Heights. She also refuted an earlier piece that cited faulty data in order to claim most municipal networks are failures.

Read her piece below:

Robert Schwab’s opinion piece from Oct. 13 misconstrued the viability of municipal broadband and ignored the many opportunities it could offer Cleveland Heights.

American Conservative: Fleeced by the Telecoms and Your State is Blessing It

Jess Del Fiacco — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:48:53 +0000

American Conservative: Fleeced by the Telecoms and Your State is Blessing It

Jess Del Fiacco

Jess Del Fiacco Mon Oct 21, 2019

Mon Oct 21, 2019

On Oct. 21, 2019, The American Conservative published a piece written by Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Christopher discusses broadband preemption and the importance of localities being able to pursue the broadband solution that best fits their needs. Read excerpts from his piece below:

When first presented with the idea of a city-run network, [Joey] Durel was skeptical but open minded. He looked toward the Lafayette Utility System, which already handled electricity, water, and wastewater for the community—and had a much better reputation than the cable and telephone monopolies—to make an assessment.

Press Release: Blandin Foundation Recognizes Christopher Mitchell’s Leadership on Broadband Policy

Jess Del Fiacco — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 20:25:34 +0000

Press Release: Blandin Foundation Recognizes Christopher Mitchell’s Leadership on Broadband Policy

Jess Del Fiacco

Jess Del Fiacco Thu Oct 10, 2019

Thu Oct 10, 2019

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. (October 10, 2019) - The Blandin Foundation, an organization dedicated to strengthening rural Minnesota, awarded Christopher Mitchell with a Blandin Foundation Courageous Leadership Award at their 2019 Broadband Conference. The award celebrates acts of leadership that have significantly contributed to the vibrancy and livability of rural Minnesota communities. Christopher directs the Community Broadband Networks initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR).

Intelligencer Op-Ed: Satellite Internet access isn’t good enough for Pennsylvania

Jess Del Fiacco — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 15:04:53 +0000

Intelligencer Op-Ed: Satellite Internet access isn’t good enough for Pennsylvania

Jess Del Fiacco

Jess Del Fiacco Thu Aug 29, 2019

Thu Aug 29, 2019

An op-ed written by Katie Kienbaum, Research Associate at ILSR, was published in The Intelligencer. Katie addresses the inadequacy of satellite Internet access and why federal funding should go to real broadband solutions. Find the full piece below:

The digital divide is about to get much larger in rural Pennsylvania, and the federal government is bankrolling it.
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, held a reverse auction that distributed approximately $1.5 billion to Internet access providers to connect underserved rural communities across the country. While this was an important step toward improving Internet access in many communities, in others it was a perverse step backwards — especially in Pennsylvania.