Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
Next Century Cities and Google Fiber are taking applications for the 2017 Digital Inclusion Leadership Awards. The deadline is Friday, February 10, 2017.
From the award announcement:
Mount Washington has selected a firm to handle the design and construction services for its planned Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network.
Mount Washington
The next time you’re attending a city council meeting, a local broadband initiative committee meeting, or just chatting with neighbors about better local connectivity, take a few copies of our Why Local Solutions? fact sheet.
Friends of Municipal Broadband are asking citizens who want the state to improve connectivity in Virginia to attend a hearing of the House Commerce and Labor Committee tomorrow, Feb. 2nd. They want Virginians to speak out against HB 2108, affectionately known as “Byron’s Bad Broadband Bill.”
Laurinburg, North Carolina, is considering opening its fiber-optic network to private providers.
The 2017 Mountain Connect Broadband Development Conference is set for May 22-24 at the Keystone Resort & Conference Center in Colorado. This year’s theme is Building Sustainable Communities through Smart Networks and you can now register online.
Some of the topics to be discussed at the conference:
Even after constituent calls and emails, and a threat from Governor McAuliffe to veto her bad broadband bill, Del. Kathy Byron is trying to shove through her anti-competitive HB 2108. The legislation will prove fatal for local telecommunications authority if it passes.
Colorado
One town's quest to join tech revolution - and what it says about digital inequality by Kyle Spencer, Christian Science Monitor
As bills in Virginia and Missouri state legislatures are up for review this year, take a few minutes to listen to Christopher Mitchell and Lisa Gonzalez discuss state preemption, past, present, and future in episode 10 of the Building Local Power podcast.
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam doesn’t want the public’s money to pay for publicly owned Internet infrastructure. He has no problem, however, writing a $45 million check backed by taxpayers and payable to the likes of AT&T in Tennessee.
"A Little Song, A Little Dance, A Little Seltzer Down Your Pants"
Glenwood Springs recently released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) as it looks for firms to help them develop broadband planning.
Our newest fact sheet, More than just Facebook, provides an overview on how Internet access and fast, affordable, reliable connectivity reaches most aspects of our lives.
Governor Terry McAuliffe is one of a many voices that are speaking out against Del. Kathy Byron’s Bad Broadband Bill, reports the Roanoke Times.
As SB 186 sits patiently in committee, advocates of better broadband from the private and public sectors are banding together to share their thoughts on the bill. They believe that the bill will stifle attempts to improve connectivity throughout the state.
Local officials in Columbia County, Georgia, wanted better public safety communications, synchronized traffic signals, and better connectivity for government facilities. They decided the best strategy was a publicly owned network and their decision is creating opportunities they hadn't anticipated.
Date: January 25th, 2017
Contact:
Christopher Mitchell
612-545-5185
"Byron’s Bad Broadband Bill" has been criticized from City Council meeting rooms, at Boards of Supervisors meetings, and from Mayors’ offices across the state.
On January 26th, one half hour after the House adjourns, the Virginia House Commerce and Labor Committee will hear HB 2108, known around our office as “Byron’s Bad Broadband Bill.” We encourage you to contact members of the committee to let them know that the bill is not good for bringing better con
Ars Technica - January 25,2017
Written by Jon Brodkin
Three more Virginia communities declared opposition to the proposed state legislation that would limit municipal networks. Nelson County, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach all have spoken out against the bill, HB 2108. We expect more communities to speak out over the next few weeks.
