Community Broadband Media Roundup - May 15

Community Broadband Stories, by State:

California

A Disconnected Valley: SCV's high-speed technology crawls by Jana Adkins, Signal Santa Clarita Valley

Why Santa Monica Built its Own Internet Service: It all comes down to how well you connect, and when you do - word travels quickly by Jana Adkins, Signal Santa Clarita Valley

Massachussetts

Hyper-fast Internet coming to parts of Westfield, but it's not from a company you'd guess by Dan Glaun, MassLive.com

Minnesota

How the Legislature is cheating Greater Minnesota on broadband by Brian Lambert, MinnPost

North Carolina

North Carolina sues FCC over Wilson community broadband decision by Rick Smith, WRAL TechWire

"Rural areas in North Carolina already suffer from some of the slowest speeds in the nation because the big telecom giants see no financial reason to connect them," the Institute said. "The FCC ruling will help communities that will never be covered by these corporations to finally have Internet access beyond dial-up service."

NC Attorney General appeals FCC municipal broadband ruling, Associated Press

Washington

Seattle City Council hears case for public Internet by Josh Green, KING-TV

Municipal broadband in Seattle? New group lobbies city for public Internet by Taylor Soper, GeekWire

“The big electric companies had formed into giant monopolies, not unlike the monopolies we deal with today with Internet,” [Christopher] Mitchell said. “They repeatedly claimed that local government could not operate a municipal electric grid and said it would end up in failure and disaster. As you know in Seattle, that’s not true. We’ve seen local government take technology of the day and craft it so everyone benefits from it.”

Broadband access: An essential part of modern lives by Deanne Ly, Seattle Times

It is truly unfortunate that those in lower-class areas such as South Park do not get the same high-quality Internet as those in South Lake Union because they cannot afford the exuberant prices of monopolies like Comcast or Century Link.

Lower-class neighborhoods would benefit greatly from this program and it is imperative that we give equal opportunities to all. It is time for monopolies to stop controlling the lives of many.

Gigabit Cities

How Digital Equity Is a Driving Force for Some Gigabit Cities by Michael Grass, Route Fifty

“We cannot create gated digital communities,” the mayor noted. In fact, Chattanooga is known for its municipally-operated 1-gigabit high-speed fiber-optic network, which connects every home and business over 600 square miles in and around the city. “We want to use our gig network to break down barriers,” Berke said.

Gigabit Cities: I've Seen the Future by Ray Le Maistre, Light Reading

6 Steps Towards a Gigabit City by Mari Silbey, Light Reading

Gigabit Cities Live Hits Atlanta by Alan Breznick, Light Reading

Other Community Broadband News

ALEC-Based Restrictions on City-Run Internet at Risk After FCC Ruling by Allan Holmes, The Center for Public Integrity

Obama's Broadband Legacy by John M. Eger, Huffington Post

It is in the city and region that Obama sees hope for the nation's future, and it's broadband that he sees as a vital first step toward a whole new economy based not on manufacturing or even service provision but on knowledge or, more precisely, creativity and innovation. Now, for the first time in years, the door is open for cities everywhere to take the lead in building a broadband infrastructure that can be one of the fastest, cheapest Internet services imaginable.