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A growing number of local municipalities are finding ways to offer fee Wi-Fi. Vidalia is the latest according to a recent Miami Herald article. Community leaders hope to launch the new service by the spring of 2014. Vidalia, home to 4,300 residents, originally planned to use funds from a 2010 Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant … Read More
In July 2013, Christopher Mitchell interviewed Brian Skelton, General Manager of the Tullahoma Utilities Board (TUB), for Episode #54 of the Broadband Bits podcast. The Tullahoma News recently reported on the podcast in an article on LighTUBe, the municipal network serving the south central Tennessee community. Staff writer Kelly Lapczynski reported on the network: “We’ve made … Read More
ILSR’s Christopher Mitchell recently published an opinion piece in the Baltimore Sun. Comcast has abused its standing as the dominant provider for years and the community is examining options. Mitchell’s op/ed addressed the issue foremost in the mind of Mayor Stephanie Rawling-Blake: jobs and connectivity. In the past, City leaders have considered investing in a network … Read More
As new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler begins serving the public, we want to welcome him with open arms and some good advice. ILSR teamed up with the Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net) to create a personalized postcard with ILSR’s Christopher Mitchell. We hope he will print it out, frame it, and place it prominently on his desk. … Read More
ILSR, the Consumer’s Union, and Common Cause recently filed comments with the FCC as it examines E-rate. The agency’s Wireline Competition Bureau is currently reviewing the E-rate program for Schools and Libraries. The program provides funding from the Universal Services Fund to help schools and libraries pay for Internet access and other telecommunications services. The proceeding to … Read More
On November 5th, citizens of Longmont will vote on a referendum determining whether to expedite building a Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network by issuing revenue bonds, a process that would speed up the build by several decades. The network is being built by Longmont Power and Communications, a city-owned utility north of Denver, Colorado. The … Read More
Shafter, California, faced tough economic times when the end of the housing boom derailed its fiber optic network plans. Rather than discard a vision to use high-speed broadband as a catalyst for better quality of life and economic development, the community adjusted its plan and is realizing its long-term goal. With no borrowing or bonding, this … Read More
Waverly, a town of 10,000 in Iowa, decided to create a city owned telecommunications utility with a successful referendum vote in 2000 but has only recently decided to move forward with a major investment to offer services. Mike Litterer, Interim General Manager of Waverly Light and Power, joins us to discuss the project. Following the vote, … Read More
Accusations of special treatment for Time Warner Cable found their way into floor debate at the North Carolina General Assembly and it was no surprise to ILSR staff. Republican legislator and former Committee Chair Robert Brawley shared a revealing letter he wrote to Speaker Thom Tillis questioning his relationship with Time Warner Cable. ILSR covered Time … Read More
