The New York Times, April 27, 2014 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — LAST week’s proposal by the Federal Communications Commission to allow Internet service providers to charge different rates to different online content companies — effectively ending the government’s commitment to net neutrality — set off a flurry of protest. The uproar is appropriate: In bowing before an … Read More
In the wake of Google’s announcement that Portland could be one of the next communities for the Google Fiber network, CenturyLink is circulating an offer to select apartment buildings to apply for CenturyLink fiber. This appears to be more than the standard fiber-to-the-press-release responses we often see from the big telephone companies that prefer to lobby, … Read More
WSOC TV in Charlotte recently looked at Salisbury’s four-year-old Fibrant network. Reporter Tenikka Smith investigated what a municipal network could do for Charlotte. Charlotte is also one of the communities working with Google in hopes of having it expand to them. That interest has led AT&T to consider updating its comparatively pathetic DSL services as well. Smith spoke … Read More
Recent reports out of the FCC say that it will allow ISPs to create and sell “fast lanes” of Internet access to the companies with sufficiently deep pockets to afford them. While some people argue over whether this violates network neutrality principles or not, the more important point is that most communities have no control over how the … Read More
Broadband is a topic of interest in several state legislative chambers this session. In a recent Government Technology article, Brian Heaton focused on five states where community broadband is particularly contentious. In some cases, legislators want to expand opportunities while others seek to limit local authority. We introduced you to the Kansas anti-competition bill in January. The … Read More
Nestled in a valley in the Colorado rockies, the city of Montrose has voted overwhelmingly to reestablish local authority over whether to build a municipal fiber network. With nearly 20,000 people, Montrose does have cable service from Charter and DSL from CenturyLink but neither service is meeting local needs. Virgil Turner, Director of Innovation and Citizen … Read More
In a recent SLOG post from the Stranger, Ansel Herz commented on Mayor Ed Murray’s recent statement on broadband in Seattle. Murray’s statement included: Finding a job, getting a competitive education, participating in our democracy, or even going to work for some, requires high speed internet access. I have seen people say online, “I don’t need … Read More
The Free Press announced that more than 50 public interest groups, including the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, signed on to its letter in opposition to the Time Warner/Comcast merger. The letter, addressed and delivered to Attorney General Eric Holder and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, begins: The proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger would give one company enormous … Read More
In a recent New York Times article, reporter Kate Murphy shined a light on fiber’s increasing role in economic development. Murphy discussed several of the same networks we have followed: Wilson, NC; Chattanooga, TN; Lafayette, LA; and Mount Vernon, WA. Murphy acknowledged that successful companies are moving from major metropolitan areas to less populated communities out … Read More
