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Short History of Powellink Muni Fiber in Wyoming
I wrote this short case study of the Powell network in Wyoming for our Breaking the Broadband Monopoly report but it never got published on this site.
Does AT&T Really Own the Wisconsin Legislature? Battle Over WiscNet Continues
There are many places to find information about AT&T's war on WiscNet, a great credit to those who recognize the importance of WiscNet to schools, libraries, and local governments around the state.
Resolution and Statement In Support of WiscNet
As more people and organizations in Wisconsin learn of AT&T's attempts to kill a taxpayer-money saving network in Wisconsin, the list of letters supporting WiscNet is increasing. We want to highlight two.
Ponca City Residents Get Upgrade to Free Wi-Fi Network
Ponca City, Oklahoma, has long allowed residents to use a city-owned Wi-Fi network at no charge. They make no promises regarding speed or ability to access the network inside the home because the network primarily serves the needs of police, fire, and other municipal departments.
Wisconsin Superintendent: No Really, Broadband is Essential for Education
Tony Evers, the Wisconsin State Superintendent, has voiced concerns about a provision in Wisconsin' budget bill that we discussed yesterday.
AT&T Tells Wisconsin "All Your Tax Dollar Are Belong to Us"
For the rest of the summer, Wisconsin could be the new battleground in the ongoing effort for big companies like AT&T and Time Warner Cable to secure their de facto monopoly positions.
In North Carolina, Time Warner Cable passed a bill effectively preventing communities from building next-generation networks offering services far superior to what TWC offered.
Poignant Videos from North Carolina H129 Legislation
Though the North Carolina fight is over, I wanted to include these two videos in our archive in case they are useful to those in the future who will undoubtedly cover the same ground.
Policy In-Depth: Debate over Muni Broadband Competing With Private Sector
On June 1, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation held an oxford-style debate over the proposition: "Governments should neither subsidize nor operate broadband networks to compete with commercial ones."
Blast From "Muni" Wi-Fi Past: Tempe Awarded Ownership of Citywide Network
MuniWireless has published a story noting the outcome of Tempe's lawsuit against Commonwealth Capital Corp in which the city was awarded $1.8 million in pole rental charges from a private company dealing with a failed Wi-Fi network.
Tempe, like many other communities circa 2006, had hoped a
Mitchell and Baller Defend Community Networks in ITIF Debate on June 1
Sign up for a live webcast (or if you are in DC, please attend) of Jim Baller and Christopher Mitchell engaging in an Oxford-style debate on the subject of community broadband with Rob D. Atkinson and Jeff Eisenach on June 1 at 9:00 EDT.
nDanville's Quiet Success in Rural Virginia
nDanville, the open access fiber-optic network operated by the City's public power company, has been quietly succeeding in southern Virginia.
Government Technology on TWC Bill in North Carolina
Government Technology has run an excellent article discussing the passage of Time Warner Cable's bill in North Carolina.
Seattle Mayor Uses City Conduit to Connect Pioneer Square
In the campaign for Mayor, Seattle Mayor McGinn frequently proposed the city getting more involved in improving broadband access.
Community Groups Oppose AT&T Takeover of T-Mobile
We at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance signed on to a letter organized by our friends at the Media Action Grassroots Network asking the FCC and Department of Justice to thoroughly review AT&T's proposed takeover of T-Mobile --
Lake Minnetonka Communities Complete Market Study
The Lake Minnetonka Communications Commission has finished its market study of some 17 communities in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. LMCC has long been examining solutions that will expand fast, affordable, and reliable access to the Internet.
Rural Broadband MountainConnect in Colorado
Folks in Colorado will want to check out the 2011 Rural Broadband MountainConnect conference at Mt Princeton Springs, Nathrop, Colorado from June 12-13.
New Hampshire Bill Fails to Expand Community Broadband Authority
New Hampshire law makes it more difficult for communities to build broadband networks by only allowing bonds to finance broadband networks in "areas not served by an existing broadband carrier or provider." (See Title III, Chapter 33 of NH law.)
Such a requirement means that local governments could only build networks in area
After 4 Years, TWC Buys Its North Carolina Legislation
Last year, we put together a report with graphs showing how superior the community fiber networks are compared to incumbent operators like AT&T and Time Warner Cable.
Boston Seeks Additional Power to Regulate Cable
With so many community broadband stories breaking this week, I did not dig into an update to Boston seeking authority to regulate some cable rates in response to the many rate hikes they have endured from Comcast.
Satellite Access to the Internet is NOT Broadband
We have long maintained the obvious, that the technical problems (e.g.