Minnesota Public Radio’s Daily Circuit show – March 4, 2015 The Federal Communications Commission voted last Thursday to approve the open internet policy known as net neutrality. Free internet advocates are thrilled with the ruling, but others have voiced skepticism about the importance of the vote. What will change now that net neutrality is approved? Will … Read More
Various Sources, February 26 – March 1, 2015 ILSR was part of a broad coalition that had been working to get the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules to protect the development of municipally owned broadband networks across the country along with supporting net neutrality. Here are a selection of media stories that ILSR was … Read More
The Daily News Journal, March 1, 2015 MURFREESBORO – Along with its vote to support net neutrality, the Federal Communications Commission ruled Thursday that city-owned broadband services can expand into areas overlooked by commercial providers. The decision quietly played out minutes before the FCC took up the higher-profile issue of Internet neutrality, which imposed the toughest … Read More
Minnesota Public Radio, February 27, 2015 The question of whether to allow a second cable TV provider into Minneapolis is setting off a contentious debate. Comcast currently has a monopoly on the market. It was required to offer service to the entire city, not just wealthier neighborhoods, when it moved in. Now CenturyLink wants to provide … Read More
Fast Company, February 20, 2015 Comcast, Verizon, AT&T: Watch out. In order to increase competition and expand high-speed Internet access to areas without, the Federal Communications Commission is set to vote next week to support the rights of cities to create their own fiber networks. Hundreds of communities have already built their own public broadband infrastructure in … Read More
On January 14th, President Obama visited Cedar Falls, Iowa, to share his strategy to expand high-speed connectivity to more Americans, encourage competition, and galvanize economic development. Obama’s plan centers around community networks and he announced that the next step will be eliminating barriers in 19 states that usurp local authority to invest in publicly owned infrastructure. … Read More
When we started to hear rumors that the White House was investigating community owned networks, we were excited but not sure what to expect. I have to admit that seeing President Obama – the President of the United States – saying that Cedar Falls was smart to invest in themselves was much more powerful than I … Read More
Sierra Club – Nov/Dec 2014 One of the things that makes greenwashing possible is the structure of the American media. Reporters have an instinctive affection for the unexpected or counterintuitive, so when the press release from Walmart arrives pledging to shift to 100 percent renewable energy and touting the solar panels on the roofs of some … Read More
“The FCC should be extremely wary of any arguments that claim paid prioritization or other discriminatory practices are necessary to increase investment in next-generation networks.” — ILSR, July 18, 2014 For months the FCC has considered comments from the public as it examines network neutrality. There have been more than 3 million submissions; a vast majority … Read More
