This week’s big news came out of Washington, specifically Seattle. The city just published a report examining the feasibility of a Chattanooga-type citywide municipal fiber network. The report and related materials are available here; read the news release here. In short, duplicating a Chattanooga-type approach appears too risky given the likely response from incumbents Comcast and … Read More
Last summer the community of Brentwood began working with Sonic.net in a plan to use publicly owned conduit for a privately owned fiber network. Earlier this month, the partners celebrated completion of part of that network and officially lit-up the first residential neighborhood served by Sonic.net’s fiber gigabit service. The Mercury News reports that residents are much … Read More
Communities all over Colorado have voted to reclaim local authority during the past year. Even though elected officials in Fort Collins are exploring the municipal network option, the City Council has yet to present the question to voters. Editors at the local news outlet, the Coloradan, recently expressed their support for a municipal broadband network, urging community … Read More
After reading “Amtrak’s Lessons for Access to the Airwaves,” I knew we wanted to talk to Michael Calabrese and Patrick Lucey of the Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation to discuss wireless policy. Unfortunately, scheduling challenges kept Patrick off the this show but we do have a great discussion for this week’s Community Broadband … Read More
Living Without Broadband In 2015: How 55 Million Americans Find Jobs, Study, Watch YouTube by Kerry Flynn, International Business Times Community Network News By State Ohio Ohio electric cooperative to provide fiber services to 15 school districts, local businesses by Sean Buckley, Fierce Telecom North Carolina For Wilson’s Greenlight Community Broadband, fiber waiting game in full swing by … Read More
For the first time in four years, EPB is asking its board of directors to approve a rate increase for electric power charges, reports the Chattanoogan. According to EPB, revenue from the Fiber Optic division has kept electric power prices in check for the past four years. Price increases are always a frustration for residents and … Read More
Residents in the southeast rural town of Frontenac, Kansas, will have access to fiber by the spring of 2016, reports the FourStatesHomePage.com. After receiving approval from the Frontenac City Council, the Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative announced that it intends to deploy fiber within the city of 3,400. Each home will have access; gigabit service will cost approximately … Read More
Thanks to Jeff Hoel for providing the transcript for the episode 153 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast about a movement for municipal networks in Seattle. Listen to this episode here. 00:05: Karen Toering: I think that Seattle’s ready. We’ve been doing some pretty good work out in the community. And, as Devin said, whenever … Read More
Dublin, Ohio’s Dublink has been saving public dollars and spurring economic development since 2002. The gigabit fiber network is on the verge of a 100 gigabit upgrade. The Dublin Villager reports that in early May the City Council voted to implement the 100-Gigabit Dublink Ignite program. According to the Villager: The city has budgeted $865,000 over … Read More
