Wired West Creates Long Video Discussing Their Need for Better Broadband

Los Alamos County, New Mexico is inching closer to the launch of its “Atomic Fiber” county-wide open access fiber network, recently announcing they’ve received signed contracts with the partner ISPs that will be tasked with providing affordable fiber access to local residents.

Two dozen state lawmakers in Maryland have signed on to the Broadband Opportunity and Fairness Act, state legislation that seeks to address broadband affordability. Introduced by Delegate Kris Fair (D-3A, Frederick Co.), the bill now has 25 co-sponsors and is slated for a Feb. 12 legislative hearing before the House Economic Matters Committee. Companion legislation has yet to be filed in the Senate, though Delegate Fair’s office says they are in discussions with state Senators about advancing a bill through that chamber as well.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a dramatic expansion of the state’s Municipal Infrastructure Program. It will result in an additional $36 million cash infusion for the growing number of creative, community-owned and operated fiber expansion projects in the state, as the existing program has already funded more than $268 million in assorted open access fiber projects across the state.

Kitsap Public Utility District continues to expand its popular open access fiber network, bringing affordable next-generation broadband access to island locals. An updated KPUD case study indicates that the existing network is currently comprised of more than 900 miles of fiber, with 21 new distribution nodes coming online early 2026. That node expansion is being heavily aided by $6.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Chicopee Electric Light (CEL) has chosen Sertex Broadband Solutions to help the Massachusetts-based municipal utility expand access to affordable fiber across the city of 55,000.

In a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we tell the story of how 19 very small Western Massachusetts towns worked together over a decade and a half to build an alternative to the monopoly broadband marketplace and deploy their own municipal networks. It's a unique story of perseverance and the power of public partnerships. "Seeking the Commonwealth of Connection: How Small-Town Volunteers and Public Partnerships Transformed Internet Access in Western Massachusetts tells the story of how this came to be, and the impact it is had for residents, businesses, and community anchor institutions in the region.