On the day that celebrates our Independence as a nation, I encourage you to consider how we can declare independence as a people from the corruption of our nation, specifically the corruption of a few very powerful people and corporations of our republic. Larry Lessig offers a perspective below in a popular TED Talk. This is … Read More
Evanston, Illinois, home to Northwestern University, has decided to expand its fiber network in a new project to connect residents and businesses in a targeted area. In 2012, the city and NU joined forces to apply for an Illinois Gigabit Community grant and the pair won the award this past January. Together, the entities won $2.5 … Read More
I was troubled to see Broadband Communities publish an odd and misleading story about Palo Alto in the May-June issue [pdf]. Authored by Stephen Blum of Tellus Venture Associates, a consultant that has been hired by Palo Alto in the past, it showed a remarkable level of ignorance about community owned fiber networks and broadband more … Read More
Waverly, a town of 10,000 in Iowa, decided to create a city owned telecommunications utility with a successful referendum vote in 2000 but has only recently decided to move forward with a major investment to offer services. Mike Litterer, Interim General Manager of Waverly Light and Power, joins us to discuss the project. Following the vote, … Read More
Knoxville Metro Pulse reporter Paige Hunton published a story last month about a common complaint from downtown residents and businesses – “Downtown Knoxville’s Internet Access Kinda Sucks. Can It Be Fixed?” The problem worked its way from local talk to twitter and city leaders have met with residents and business owners to publicly discuss options. This is … Read More
Westminster, Maryland, began public consideration for community broadband investment last fall and has now decided to “stick our toe in the water and see how it works.” The Carroll County Times recently reported that the community will move ahead with engineering for two community pilot projects. Local leaders see this as an opportunity to flesh out any challenges … Read More
In 2010, Silverton, Colorado, decided to build a fiber-optic loop for savings and better connectivity in rural San Juan County. At the time, Qwest (now CenturyLink) provided a microwave connection to the town of around 630 residents. After taking state money to connect all the county seats, Qwest decided to take fiber to everyone except Silverton, … Read More
Our listening audience hears Chris Mitchell interview people every week for the Broadband Bits Podcast. Now it is time for the interviewer to become the interviewee. Chris took a few minutes to participate in the June 2013 episode of the Whatcha Workin’ On Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. He told us a little about how … Read More
Longmont, Colorado, kept its eye on the prize. City leaders’ vision, to bring high-speed connectivity to residents, businesses, schools, libraries, and government facilities began many years ago and the community faced multiple challenges. Citizens knocked down legislative barriers through referendum, fought corporate misinformation campaigns, and contended with tough economic times. Throughout the ordeal, community leaders held … Read More
