Public Knowledge and the Center for Media Justice have an eye on the transition from traditional copper landline telephone service to Internet-protocol services. As we move forward, both organizations continue to educate citizens on telecommunications policy and how it can affect us. On December 12, at 2:00 p.m. EST, both groups will collaborate for a webinar … Read More
Government Technology, December 11, 2013 Gigabit Squared’s plan to bring broadband Internet service to 12 neighborhoods in Seattle may be in jeopardy. Mayor Mike McGinn told GeekWire earlier this week that Gigabit Squared is facing financing problems causing it to delay installation of the high-speed network. He questioned whether the project – now a year removed … Read More
When it comes to building a community owned wireless network, few have more experience than Matthew Rantanen, our guest for the Community Broadband Bits podcast this week. Rantanen has an impressive list of titles, two of which are Director of Technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) and Director of the Tribal Digital Village … Read More
We last took a look at Palm Coast’s FiberNET over two years ago when Broadband Communities featured the open access fiber network along Florida’s upper east coast. Due to its initial focus on community anchor institutions and incremental build out, FiberNET serves as an outstanding example of how to justify a network investment with cost savings. … Read More
In 1999, Laurens County Schools and Dublin City Schools needed to move past dial-up Internet access. The City of 16,000 built a fiber network to serve students in the community. It now also serves local government and businesses in the Dublin area. Once the network was in place, AT&T and Charter Communications began building in Dublin. … Read More
Ellensburg, located in central Washington, is considering the pros and cons of a municipal fiber network. A big pro for the community of 18,000 is the ability to predict costs rather than depend on Charter Communications. Charter wants to begin charging $10,300 per month for municipal connectivity it previously supplied at no cost in return for … Read More
The City Council of Columbia is moving forward with efforts to improve connectivity in the town of 113,000. In November, elected officials hired a consultant to analyze the community’s current infrastructure and develop a broadband plan. According to a Tribune article, the initiative will be a collaborative effort between the City, Boone County, and the University … Read More
As of December 2, students and staff in Cedar Falls schools have access to 1 gig Internet service from Cedar Falls Utilities (CFU). The WCF Courier reports that the Board of Education recently decided to switch from the Iowa Communications Network (ICN): Doug Nefzger, the district’s financial officer, said though Des Moines-based ICN has been a great … Read More
On November 25, the Baltimore Sun ran this opinion piece by me regarding Baltimore’s approach to expanding Internet access in the city. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake recently spoke the plain truth: “You can’t grow jobs with slow Internet.” This simple statement is the best explanation for why Baltimore is examining how it can use existing City … Read More
