Last fall we shared news about the Merit fiber optic network moving across Michigan. An October 24th press release from Merit announced that engineers recently completed another 3,000 foot segment. The expansion created a 10 Gbps connection between Alpena and Powers, Michigan. Powers is a rural community of less than 400; approximately 10,000 people live in Alpena. … Read More
We have reported on network neutrality many times in the past. This has been a policy debate on whether Internet service providers should be able to prioritize some content at the expense of others – should Comcast be able to charge me more to visit Fox News than it does to reach MSNBC? Should it be … Read More
As part of the Media Action Grassroots Network, we are releasing this postcard and have tweeted it to welcome FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and suggest an action the FCC should take.
Starting with the good news, voters in Colorado overwhelmingly supported municipal network intiatives. Longmont voted 2:1 in favor of bonding to fast track network expansion. We have covered this issue in great depth recently. Read all of our coverage of Longmont here. The local paper covered the referendum results in this story: 2B’s passage means approval … Read More
This week’s podcast features an interview with Education SuperHighway CEO Evan Marwell to discuss how we can make sure all schools have the Internet access they need to succeed. Education SuperHighway has a plan for connecting all schools with a fiber connection while also decreasing the need for long term federal funding of school connectivity. We … Read More
Seattle will choose its new mayor today in a race that was thrust into an unexpected media spotlight following the Washington Post story on Comcast contributions to the challenger. We covered it early from the perspective of how Comcast wants to send a message to other mayors that may challenge its effective monopoly. However, it bears … Read More
The Iowa community of 4,000 will take up Public Measure D on November 5th. Voters will decided whether to approve a $3.5 million bond issue to cover approximately half the cost to build a FTTH system. Incumbent Mediacom is distributing flyers throughout the community urging a “no” vote. Community leaders are doing their best to combat … Read More
In a reminder of the power embodied in massive corporations like Comcast, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is facing a challenger buoyed with sizeable contributions from the nation’s largest cable and Internet company. Why is Comcast so interested in defeating Seattle’s mayor? Payback and a warning to others. Lest any other big city mayors think it would … Read More
Centennial is asking its voters to reclaim local authority this election. City leaders want to make better use of an existing fiber optic system but a 2005 Colorado state law pushed by a corporate telephone company precludes it. If the citizenry reclaims its local authority through referendum, the City can take the next step toward providing … Read More
