Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
Lake Oswego, Oregon, was pegged as a potential target for Google Fiber in 2014 but this town of 35,000 may not wait for the tech giant to bring fast, affordable, reliable connectivity. They may just do it themselves.
Colorado
Colorado Residents Vote Overwhelmingly In Favor Of Municipal Broadband by Karl Bode, TechDirt
After multiple delays, the much anticipated Roanoke-Salem fiber network in Virginia has its feet on the ground.
In a position piece released in October, Hillary Clinton voiced strong support for local authority:
While Google Fiber and AT&T focus on the large cities of the Research Triangle of North Carolina, the small town of Holly Springs is pursuing a third option.
While other communities in Colorado are just starting to reclaim local control over their broadband futures, the city of Grand Junction has moved forward.
Out on the coast of the great state of Washington, community networks are making waves.
Baltimore's City Council has decided it's time to move forward with a plan for city-owned fiber and they are putting pen to paper to get the ball rolling.
News Stories By State
California
Americans are paying more for broadband speed but getting less by David Lazarus, The Los Angeles Times
Colorado
It wasn’t just Colorado cities and counties along with Iowa communities voting this week. Back east, Greenfield, Massachusetts also rushed to the polls to support local Internet choice.
Colorado may have been the epicenter of local authority disruption this election cycle but two Iowa elections were also worth exploring.
Decorah Chooses Muni Authority
The "constant drumbeat" of complaints about poor connectivity pounding from Colorado communities ended with a climactic crash at the polls on Tuesday.
In October 2015, government officials in Erie County, New York announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking an organization to study the feasibility of building a county-wide broadband network.
As in the rest of the country, broadband is now a necessity for rural economic development in West Virginia. Taking on the challenge, Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone (SKSRT) cooperative overcame impressive obstacles to build a state-of-the-art fiber optic network.
The early 2000s created a boom of both public and private wireless projects throughout the U.S., but many struggled with unrealistic expectations and flopped. Successful muni wireless networks transformed themselves, adapting to the changing needs of the communities.
At a September conference in Lexington, Kentucky, Next Century Cities (NCC) hosted an influential and diverse group of leaders from the municipal broadband arena to share their experiences as leaders in community broadband.
One year ago, a wave started in Colorado as voters in a handful of communities chose to reclaim the local telecommunications authority revoked by CenturyLink lobbyists in 2005. This year, the wave is even bigger.
Colorado Communities Want the Choice
This time of year, goblins and ghouls are in plentiful supply. There is, however, a much scarier prospect than kids in rubber masks and bad Halloween candy: the reality of our monopolistic internet service providers. Enjoy the following images designed for Halloween and feel free to distribute widely.
