Earlier this summer, a small group of people gathered in the southern California desert for the first Tribal Wireless Bootcamp. Organized by a loose collection of people with a long history of building and encouraging nontraditional broadband networks, the focus was on building, maintaining, and troubleshooting wireless networks in Indian Country.… Read More
For local governments, fast, reliable, and resilient Internet service is crucial for public safety communications. When flames engulf the region, relaying critical emergency information with speed is paramount. Seconds matter. It’s equally important for citizens to get timely information on the course of wildfires, receive alert notifications or evacuation orders, and be able to connect with friends and family. … Read More
Host Jess Del Fiacco is joined by Ry Marcattilio-McCracken and Sean Gonsalves, Senior Researchers with ILSR’s Community Broadband initiative, as well as Christopher Ali, an Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. Christopher discusses his new book Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity and recent news in the broadband policy space.… Read More
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) represents an unprecedented amount of money flowing to local governments, and an equally historic opportunity to spend the money on bringing fast, affordable broadband access to the millions of unserved and underserved households… … Read More
Vinton, Iowa’s municipal communications utility, iVinton, connected its 1,000th subscriber with high-speed fiber optic Internet service this week. Demand for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connectivity across the 4.74-square-mile Iowa community (est. pop. 5,100) is so substantial that iVinton is having to schedule installations a month out as requests for residential service have surpassed the manpower available to complete them. … Read More
Ten years ago the local cable provider in Tuttle, Oklahoma (pop. 7,300) went bankrupt. After looking at community-owned networks around the country, city officials decided that it should invest for the well-being of its local economy and its residents, as well as to give local government the tools it needed to increase efficiency and save money. Its network, Tuttle Fiber, is complete today, and will deliver universal, fast, affordable, and locally accountable Internet access for decades to come.… Read More
In the Wall Street Journal, ILSR’s community broadband networks program director Christopher Mitchell talks about the new infrastructure bill, including its funding to state offices and failure to create government competition.… Read More
With the help of CARES Act funding, nonprofit economic development organization Ann Arbor SPARK is collaborating with the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County to undertake a broadband project that it’s hoping will really reestablish the region’s former reputation as a first-in-class industry and technology epicenter. The $2.4 million project will drive the installation of a new fiber backbone to attract businesses and, local leaders hope, spur broadband competition.… Read More
Our new report Minnesota Broadband: Land of 10,000 Connectivity Solutions showcases the diverse range of approaches communities and local ISPs have taken to expand affordable, high-quality Internet access in Minnesota. … Read More
