News

Blast From "Muni" Wi-Fi Past: Tempe Awarded Ownership of Citywide Network

By

Christopher Mitchell

on Jun 1, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 31, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 30, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 29, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 27, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 26, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 25, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 25, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 24, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 23, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 21, 2011

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

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 20, 2011

We have long maintained the obvious, that the technical problems (e.g.

RedHat VP Calls on Gov Perdue to Veto NC Anti Community Network Bill

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 19, 2011

As time runs out on the future of affordable, fast, and reliable broadband in North Carolina, more are calling on Governor Perdue to veto H129, the bill pushed by Time Warner Cable to kill local authority to invest in essential infrastructure.

Cortez, Colorado, Also Launches Open Access Network

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 19, 2011

On the heels of our story announcing a new open access community fiber project in Idaho, we have learned of a similar project in Cortez, Colorado. Cortez is the county seat of Montezuma County in the extreme southwest of the state and has approximately 8,000 residents.

Community Fiber Group in San Francisco Organizes for Network

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 18, 2011

An article in the San Francisco Bay Guardian about public opposition to AT&T's further cluttering the right-of-way with 726 metal boxes to start delivering their super DSL U-Verse alerted me to people getting organized for community fiber.

AT&T's U-verse upgrade would enable it to offer connection speeds three tim

The Daily Show on FCC Commissioner's Comcastic Retirement

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 18, 2011

The Daily Show joined many others in being outraged at FCC Commissioner Baker leaving the FCC to work for Comcast-NBC a few months after approving the deal.

Lessig, Doc Searls, and Others Call on Gov Perdue to Veto TWC Bill

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 17, 2011

As readers know, we have devoted a lot of effort to educating everyone about Time Warner Cable's Bill in North Carolina to kill local authority to build broadband networks.

Idaho Town Builds Incremental, Open Access Network

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 17, 2011

A small Idaho town near Idaho Falls in the eastern part of the state, Ammon, is creating a new approach for a small open access fiber-optic network.

PBS on Fiber-Optics in Need to Know

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 16, 2011

Rick Karr, a correspondent with PBS' Need to Know, travels to Europe to investigate why some countries there have surpassed the US in fast, affordable, and reliable access to the Internet -- with a real choice among service providers to boot! Video is approximately 12 minutes.

This video is no longer available.

Stephens County Considers Broadband Feasibility Study in NE Georgia

By

Christopher Mitchell

on May 16, 2011

Counties in northeast Georgia are among the latest to examine their options to improve access to the Internet in local communities due to the massive failure of the private sector to adequately invest in essential infrastructure needed for economic development and maintaining a high qu