Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
Christopher took a break from his hosting duties and joined The Broadband Bunch podcast recently as a guest to talk about the roles and responsibilities of cities in expanding Internet infrastructure and access.
The Lafayette, Louisiana-based municipal network, LUS Fiber, is expanding into rural southwest Louisiana with the help of a $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).
Cortez is the latest community in the state of Colorado to decide whether to opt out of SB 152, which has since passage in 2005 has preempted local authority and prevented communities from building publicly owned telecommunications in
Snapshot
Washington Governor pledges to sign Public Broadband Act
Maine hearing will reveal State Legislature’s willingness to introduce competition to incumbent ISPs
California bill amended to remove bond initiative backing public infrastructure projects of local communities
The State Scene
Welcome to In Our View, a new series here at MuniNetworks. From time to time, we'll use this space to explore new ideas and share our thoughts on recent events playing out across the digital landscape, as well as take the opportunity to draw attention to important but neglected broadband-related issues.
Join us for Episode 10 of Connect This!, where hosts Christopher Mitchell and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) will be joined by Joanne Hovis (President, CTC Energy and Technology) and Doug Dawson (President, CCG Consulting) to talk about how communities c
Every week we write about the municipalities and the cooperatives that come together to bring high-quality, affordable, locally accountable Internet access to those who need it most. And it seems as if we're at a watershed moment as a nation: community solutions to broadband are poised to have their big day.
Schools offer not only education, but nourishment, a place to form friendships and bonds, and a way to make sure youth are safe. When the pandemic hit, schools had to transition to distance learning and, as a result, many students disappeared because their family didn’t have access to or couldn’t afford a home Internet connection.
The pandemic exacerbated extreme economic, racial, and social disparities that have long characterized New York City neighborhoods.
Separating the physical and service layers of our telecommunications infrastructure offers a host of benefits that communities should consider when investing in their future: from encouraging lower prices through competition, to offering schools and hospitals the ability to set up secure and instantaneous networks on the fly, to providing a seedbed for experimentation as we enter the secon
Snapshot
Maryland plans to funnel American Rescue Plan Act funding towards community broadband
Vermont Governor bolsters House plan backing Communications Union Districts
A national movement to address digital inclusion ignites
See the bottom of this post for related job openings
State Scene
When he was a colonel in the Virginia Militia, George Washington is said to have visited “Craig’s Camp,” a mountainous frontier outpost in southwest Virginia near the border of what would later become West Virginia.
In Ohio’s Miami Valley, the final phase of construction for one of the country’s first multi-jurisdictional networks, the GATEWay Public Fiber Network
Last fall we wrote about the launch of Project OVERCOME, a grant program "designed to connect the unconnected through novel broadband technology solutions" by soliciting applications from community-based organizations and ultimately award $2.7 million funded through the
While the day after Turkey Day is one of carb hangovers and movie marathons for many Americans across the country, on that cold day in November 2020, for the Providence, Rhode Island-based nonprofit One Neighborhood Builders (ONB), it was a day of celebration.
New York City is looking to take a bite out of the Big Apple’s broadband gap for residents living in newly built affordable housing.
There's been an explosion of federal dollars devoted to helping expand high-speed Internet access. This guide offers an overview of the different funding opportunities for communities interested in expanding broadband services. As application deadlines vary in some cases and other money must be spent within certain time frames, it is critical for states, municipalities, community organizations, and Tribal governments to start planning initiatives now.
Though voting was highly conflicted and debates lasted late into Sunday night, H.B.
The recently reintroduced Affordable, Accessible Internet for All (AAIA) Act would be a game changer. The bill includes funding and dedicated support to address barriers that prevent millions of Americans from having access to affordable, high-speed Internet connectivity. It backs measures that would encourage pricing transparency, promote Internet adoption and digital literacy initiatives, guarantee affordability, and protect the rights of workers who would build the networks. It also makes input from local, state and Tribal governments a central component of future infrastructure and overturn state preemption laws which prevent communities from building publicly owned networks.
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a national nonprofit working to empower communities by striking at the roots of monopoly power and striving toward a vision of thriving, diverse, equitable communities. We use in-depth research, reporting, and data analysis to produce influential reports and articles.
