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Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 14
Colorado
Dozens more Colorado communities rejected SB 152, clearing the way for municipal broadband by Andrew Kenney, Denverite
Another set of Colorado counties vote to toss restrictive law, permit municipal broadband by Kate Cox, Consumerist
Part of the reason broadband competition is so dang hard to come by for millions of us? Protectionist, industry-backed laws that make it either obscenely difficult or outright illegal to start a public network. Colorado is one of the states with such a law on the books, but voters in the Centennial State are once again saying they’d rather municipal networks had a chance.
MuniNetworks, which supports and advocates for communities to be able to build networks when they choose, reports that every single one of the 26 local municipal broadband networks on ballots in Colorado Tuesday passed with flying colors.
Golden, Lafayette and 24 Colorado communities vote yes on broadband Internet alternatives by Tamara Chuang, The Denver Post & True Viral News
Colorado communities preempt state muni broadband limits by John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable
Colorado voters oppose Comcast-written protectionist state law by Karl Bode, DSL Reports
Colorado voters continue to shoot down awful Comcast-written protectionist state law by Karl Bode, TechDirt
Minnesota
Otter Tail County's broadband speeds rank fourth-worst in MN by Maria Johnson, Wadena Pioneer Journal
North Carolina
Gig East panelists: Broadband key to future growth by Brie Handgraaf, The Wilson Times
What's standing between rural North Carolina and reliable Internet service? by David Hudnall, IndyWeek
Former FCC exec: NC needs to loosen rules on local broadband by Jane Albright, WRAL - TechWire
Vermont
Lame broadband a direct hit on Vermont's livelihood by Bryan Alexander, Vermont Digger
Grant will help expand broadband access by Rolf Parker, Deerfield Valley News
General
Trump could spell big trouble for broadband, net neutrality by Karl Bode, DSL Reports
How election day can shape states' community broadband laws by Craig Settles, CJ Speaks
The time for community broadband champions to engage their newly and re-elected state senators and representatives is from November 9 until January 3. Chris Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance says, “Concerned citizens need to organize and speak out. This is a great time for meeting your state representatives by phone, email, or in-person because the big industry lobbyists work them constantly. Let legislators know this is an important issue and you are watching them.”
Communities are finally taking back their broadband destiny from big telecom by Jason Koebler, Motherboard Vice
More cities, towns, counties, and municipalities are building, or are considering building, their own high speed broadband networks. And many of these networks have been hugely successful, even though they’ve been faced with legal hurdles and public relations campaigns from incumbent providers.
Photo of the Colt courtesy of logesdo via Pixaby.
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Colorado
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Arizona
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