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FCC and Network Neutrality - A Quick Take
A quick reaction to the court decision that the FCC cannot currently prevent Comcast from telling subscribers where they can and cannot go on the Internet: This is what happens when private companies own infrastructure.
Comcast owns the pipes so it makes the rules.
Free UTOPIA Podcast - Discussion with Todd Marriott
Jesse Harris interviews Todd Marriott, Executive Director of UTOPIA about the network, its relationships with the member cities, and their round two application for broadband stimulus funds.
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Audio Interview: Future of Telecom in Minnesota
Last week, I spoke with Jeff Pesek and Peter Fleck of Tech.mn about telecom and broadband in Minnesota.
Salisbury FTTH Network Picks a Name: Fibrant
The folks in Salisbury, North Carolina, have picked a name for their new FTTH network, Fibrant.
Video Pitches UTOPIA to Google for Gigabit Network
As part of his pitch to Google to partner with UTOPIA in Google's gigabit network experiment, Jesse Harris gives some of the history of the UTOPIA project.
Letters to the Editor in Chattanooga Boost Local Public Network
Recent letters in the Chattanoogan reflect frustration with the cable incumbent, Comcast, and the ease of switching to the publicly owned EPB Fiber network. This is one of them:
My Comcast exit was very easy. Step one: Make appointment to have EPB Fiber service installed.
We Need Fewer Stunts and More Infrastructure
Mike Schuster absolutely gets it right in his dismissal of public relations stunts to attract Google's Gigabit network:
Bear in mind, these stunts aren't even guaranteed short-term fixes -- they're one-in-a-million half-court shots.
FairPoint Continues Fight Against Competition in Maine
Light Reading took an in-depth look at FairPoint's anti-competition, anti-public ownership lobbying in Maine, where it is fighting a stimulus award to a consortium that includes a public entity.
On Opposite Coasts, People Organize for Broadband
I added these links to our link section in the right column, but wanted to note them explicitly.
Colorado's Least Populous County Wires Itself
Ran across this interesting story out of Silverton, Colorado - where Qwest has refused to provide a reliable telecommunications connection to the least populous county in Colorado.
Stop the Cap's History of Electrification
Stop the Cap has an interesting series looking back at the history of electrification in the U.S.
Highlights of Reactions to National Broadband Plan
Just a few short snippets, no real commentary from me today...
Tracy Rosenberg wrote Single Payer Broadband at the Huffington Post, noting:
Cities and states all over the country have been looking at the possibility of public networks.
Seattle Looks to Lafayette for Broadband Advice
Seattle, which was recently getting some tips from Tacoma, has now turned to Lafayette for more advice on building a publicly owned FTTH network.
WindomNet Covered by Local Fox Affiliate
In Mankato, the local Fox station covered the stimulus grants that will allow WindomNet to expand and offer services to nearby rural communities.
Free UTOPIA Podcast - Discussion with Provider Brigham.Net
Jesse Harris continues his monthly podcast show with an interview of Ken Sutton from Brigham.Net - a service provider from Brigham City that recently started offering services on the UTOPIA network.
Brigham.Net has developed a very loyal customer base -- an impressive feat as it was dependent on leasing loops from Qwest, its biggest competitor.
Wilson Promotes Public Fiber Network in Economic Development Video
The city of Wilson created a video to woo businesses to town - in it, they briefly discuss the publicly owned FTTH network they built, noting it offers the fastest speeds in the state.
Spanish Fork Community Network Adds Telephone
In 1999, the city of Spanish Forks in Utah began building a $7.5 million publicly owned cable network to offer broadband and cable television services. Since then, the network has created some $2 million in community savings from the lower rates created by competition.
Op-Ed: In Minnesota, a de facto limit on broadband
The Star Tribune ran my opinion piece on Monday, March 15
The vast majority of Minnesotans, like the rest of the country, are served by only two broadband suppliers: the cable or telephone company.
National Broadband Plan Reaction
The FCC has released its National Broadband Plan and I have perused it, in anticipation of digging into it. The vast majority of reactions seem to agree that it has some good parts and some disappointments.
The Fundamentally Unlevel Playing Field in Referendums
A recent article from GovPro.com, "Cities make end run around data network obstructions," has a good discussion of why referendums are not a good way of ascertaining community support for a community network:
A 2005 Colorado law bans municipalities from providing any type of advanced teleco