Stimulus Updates
NTIA head Larry Strickling has suggested that if an incumbent wants to veto a stimulus grant in its territory, the data it uses to show the area is served will be on the public record.
Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
News
Slick Sam and Bandwidth on the Bayou
As promised a few weeks ago, Ellen Perlman has written a piece on the story behind the Lafayette, Louisiana publicly owned FTTH network. This might just be the best network available in the U.S. in terms of offering the fastest speeds at the more affordable prices and offering the most benefit to the community.
Tacoma Click! Network 10 Year Anniversary
Congratulations to Click! on its ten years of service to the community.
This video is no longer available.New Network Neutrality Bill
Representatives Markey and Eshoo have introduced a House bill to preserve network neutrality on the Internet - a means to ensure users are able to choose what sites they visit rather than allowing gatekeepers like AT&T or Comcast to influence the decisions by speeding up or slowing down some sites.
Roundup: Lafayette, Syracuse, Incumbent Bailout, and MAIN
Another roundup of semi-recent news:
- Lafayette's groundbreaking network is exciting the folks at Governing.com - they say, "The Future of the Internet is in Lafayette, Louisiana." Ellen Perlman hints are future coverage of the network as well:
Paul Bunyan Coop Brings Fiber to Rural Minnesota
Many people in rural areas get their phone services from a cooperative telephone company. When it comes to fiber in rural areas, some of these cooperatives are on the cutting edge.
FTTH: Making That Business Model Work
A one hour slideshow discussing the economics of FTTH - unfortunately it seems to have rudimentary controls that do not allow fast fowarding or rewinding, so pay attention! You can also read the bullet points to get a sense of whether you will be interested or not.
How NTIA Dismantled the Public Interest Provisions of the Broadband Stimulus Package
After winning the election, the Obama Administration announced that broadband networks would be a priority. True to its word, the stimulus package included $7.2 billion to expand networks throughout the United States.
Boston vs. Verizon
A recent editorial in the Boston Globe caught my attention - Fiber-optic nerve.
Many Cities Realize Stimulus Rules Slanted Against Them
In a recent article, the Star Tribune asks if Minnesota cities are shut out by broadband rules. Of course, this applies to all cities, not just those located in Minnesota.
North Carolina Fight over Mapping
Fiona Morgan, a frequent writer at Indyweek in North Carolina, has weighed in with excellent coverage of the situation in North Carolina as the cable and telephone companies continue their attempts at stifling competition in the state.
Keep the Internet Free
Megan Tady reminds us both that today is the last day to submit comments to the FCC about a national broadband policy and why we need to fight for it.
It comes down to this: we have an unprecedented opportunity to finally create a national broadband plan in the U.S.
Roundup: Chattanooga, Seattle, Portland, and More
A couple of short interesting stories this week:
The Chattanoogan.com published a "Declaration of Independence from Comcast", written by a "fi-oneer" or person who is testing the new publicly owned FTTH services.
NOFA Reactions: a Mini Round Up to Broadband Stimulus Rules
I have been digesting the NOFA (the rules for broadband stimulus projects) and I am stunned at just how much I disagree with them.
Op-Ed: Support Publicly Owned Broadband
The Charleston Gazette published this opinion piece encouraging publicly owned broadband on July 5, 2009:
Geoff Daily Vidchat about MuniNetworks.org
Geoff Daily, from App-Rising.com, and I recently did a vidchat about muninetworks.org and its purpose. App-Rising.com pulled some key points from it, but you can view the entire 9 minute segment below.
Reclaim the Media Report: Seattle Needs Public Broadband
Reclaim the Media has published a position paper making the case for a publicly owned fiber network in Seattle. Seattle is in a difficult position, being served by Comcast and Qwest's copper networks while the suburbs are being snapped up by Verizon's fiber-powered FiOS and nearby publicly owned Tacoma Click!
Fairpoint May Declare Bankrupty
Last year, Verizon sold all of its landline assets in New England to a tiny company named Fairpoint.
UTOPIA's Roller Coaster Ride Continues
Anyone who tells you that UTOPIA is a "success" or that it is a "failure" is probably minimizing important problems or victories for the network. The Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, like so many other things in life, is a mixed bag.
For those new to UTOPIA, it is a large multi-community full fiber network that operates by only selling wholesale access to service providers.