This is the transcript of Episode 204 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. The spotlight is on the self-reliant communities of Churchill County in Nevada. The general manager of Churchill Communications explains how the county has been providing connectivity since the late 1800s. Listen to this episode here.

Mark Feest: We are a local operation that has been the first in Nevada to build fiber-to-the-home. We've shown we can do it.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to Episode 204 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Lisa Gonzalez. In this age of companies changing hands and consolidation, it's rare to find a telecommunications provider like Churchill Communications. As you will hear in this interview with Mark Feest, this county-owned and operated entity has been serving people in and around Fallon, Nevada, since the late 1800s. It all began with the self-reliant attitude, some local leaders' desire to keep their community connected, and the purchase of a Western Union telegraph wire. Mark is the General Manager of Churchill Communications and shares the story of the county-owned network. Subscribers have access to high-quality connectivity in a very rural area thanks to this publicly owned network. At the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we strive to bring you interesting stories like the one in Churchill, Nevada. We also bring you these stories with no commercials, but our work does require funding. Please take a few moments to go to ilsr.org or muninetworks.org and donate today to help us continue our mission. If you've donated before, thanks for your continuing support. If you're a new donor, welcome aboard, and thank you. Now here are Chris and Mark Feest from Churchill Communications. By the way, listen closely for some news from Mark.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell, and today I'm speaking with Mark Feest, the General Manager for Churchill Communications in Nevada. Welcome to the show.

Mark Feest: Thank you.

Chris Mitchell: Tell us a little bit about Churchill Communications, or actually the county in particular, Churchill County. What's the county like?

This is episode 203 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. Jody Wigington and Greg Williams join the show to explain how the municipal utility and the Appalachian Electric Cooperative hope to partner to increase Internet access near Morristown, Tennessee.

Greg Williams: A consumer that is served by Morristown on one side of the street has FiberNet and the person on the other side of the street that is served by AEC cannot get FiberNet.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to Episode 203 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. From the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, this is Lisa Gonzalez. In this episode, Chris interviews Jody Wigington, General Manager and CEO from Morristown Utilities System in Morristown, Tennessee. He also talks with Greg Williams, General Manager of the Appalachian Electric Cooperative. We're bringing the two together today because they are exploring a partnership to expand the reach of fiber-based services in the areas around Morristown. As many of our listeners know, Morristown's Municipal Network, FiberNet, offers gigabit fiber to the home services to the utilities system's customers. In Tennessee, electric cooperatives in rural areas have been hesitant to use their infrastructure to offer high-quality internet access, as we're seeing in other states. State law prevents them from obtaining the legal ability to offer telephone or video services, which are important to generating revenue, especially in smaller communities. This new partnership has the potential to establish a new model in rural Tennessee. Now, here are Chris and Jody Wigington, General Manager and CEO of Morristown Utilities System, and Greg Williams, General Manager of the Appalachian Electric Cooperative.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell and today I'm speaking with Jody Wigington, the General Manager and CEO of Morristown Utilities System in Tennessee. Welcome to the show.

Jody Wigington: Thank you.

Chris Mitchell: Also in Tennessee, Greg Williams, the General Manager of the Appalachian Electric Cooperative. Welcome to the show.

Greg Williams: Thank you.

This is Episode 202 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. Matt Polka of the American Cable Association explains what the marketplace is like for small- and medium-sized providers. Listen to this episode here.

Matt Polka: Really, the reason we fight is to continue to give our members, as smaller providers, an opportunity to compete in the marketplace and to at least be one competitive voice in that market.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to Episode 202 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. It's common knowledge that big corporate Internet service providers, such as Comcast, CenturyLink, and AT&T have armies or lobbyists meeting the state and federal officials everyday. What do smaller, local providers do when they anticipate an impact on their business due to proposed legislation, new rules, or changes in regulations. They joined forces to make their opinions heard. Today, Chris shares his conversation with Matt Polka, President and CEO of the American Cable Association. The ACA represents cable, phone, and fiber to the home operators and municipalities who describe themselves as small- and medium- sized independent operators. These entities are vital in bringing service to smaller markets and rural areas. Check out their website at AmericanCable.org. Here are Chris and Matt, discussing the organization, some of the member's policy goals, and a few of the pros and cons of working as a smaller provider in today's market.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. Today I'm speaking with Matt Polka, the President and CEO of the American Cable Association. Welcome to the show.

Matt Polka: Thanks Chris. Great to be here with you today.

Chris Mitchell: Well, I was excited to run into you, in Iowa, for the Iowa Association of Municipal Utility Conference. I always meet great people down there. I've long known about the ACA, but I wasn't sure if all of the people who listen to this show have heard of it. Why don't you tell us what the ACA is?

This is episode 201 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. Fairlawn, Ohio, is about to build a fiber network, called FairlawnGig. Chris digs into the details. Listen to this episode here.

Ernie Staten: Here, in the city we don't charge for any infrastructure that we build in the city. We are going to charge for the service, but we are not going to charge for that particular infrastructure.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode two hundred, one of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, I'm Lisa Gonzalez. We regularly use the term, essential infrastructure, to describe Internet networks. For years experts and everyday people have compared the Internet to something as basic and necessary as the streets we drive on. In this episode Chris talks with Ernie Staten, deputy director of public service in Fairlawn, Ohio. The city recently announced, that it would bring better connectivity to it's community with a publicly owned network. In this interview, Ernie explains how the community is embracing the philosophy of Internet networks as essential infrastructure. As they move a head with their fiber optic project. Learn more about the new network at FairlawnGig.net. Now, here's Chris with Ernie Staten, deputy director of public service at the city of Fairlawn, Ohio.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another addition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell, and today I'm speaking with Ernie Staten, the deputy director of public service at the city of Fairlawn in Ohio. Welcome to the show.

Ernie Staten: Thanks for having me.

Chris Mitchell: Absolutely. Let's talk a little bit about Fairlawn, just to get going. Tell me what is Fairlawn like? How big is it? Where is it located? That sort of thing.

This is Episode 200 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. Lisa returns to the show for another episode of Crazy Talk. Chris and Lisa skewer a recent report from a telco-funded think tank. Listen to this episode here.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell, and today I'm with--

Lisa Gonzalez: Lisa Gonzalez. Hey everybody.

Chris Mitchell: Hey. Did you see that coming?

Lisa Gonzalez: See what coming?

Chris Mitchell: You. Today we're doing another of our crazy talk series.

Lisa Gonzalez: Crazy.

Chris Mitchell: We haven't done one for while, but boy, while we've been gone the talk has gotten crazy. In particular today we're going to talk about a report from the-- I would say somewhat Orwellian State Government Leadership Foundation, and the report written by a doctor, George S. Ford. A guy who strikes me would insist that you call him doctor. The title of the report is the impact of government owned broadband networks on private investment and consumer welfare.

Lisa Gonzalez: What do we know about Dr. Ford, Chris?

Chris Mitchell: The funny thing is Dr. Ford is like one of those mercenaries. He does what his employers tell him to from what I can tell. More than ten years ago when AT&T-- For people who aren't familiar with the history we'll go through it a little bit, but AT&T used to really like competition. AT&T used to be a long distance company that was not allowed to engage in local competition. Then SBC, one of the former mobile companies that got broken up, they bought AT&T. AT&T went from a company went from a company that really like local municipal networks to being a company that really did not like local municipal networks.

Lisa Gonzalez: Imagine that.

This is episode 199 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. Valparaiso, Indiana, uses a dark fiber network to serve businesses and encourage economic development. Chris chats with Patrick Lyp about the funding mechanism behind the project and what's next. Listen to this episode here.

Patrick Lyp: This one company had established the need and then, as we spoke to other businesses in the community, it became abundantly clear that this was a deficiency access to fiber and our community was limited.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to Episode 199 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. Valparaiso, Indiana, northeast of Chicago, has recently announced the Valparaiso Dark Fiber Project. The City is employing a dark fiber network to serve existing local businesses and spur economic development. In this episode, Chris connects with Patrick Lyp, general counsel and economic development director for the City. The two cover how the community decided to invest in this dark fiber project, their funding mechanism and expectations for the network. The Community Broadband Bits Podcast brings you information from communities like Valparaiso every week, commercial-free. Your contribution will help us continue to share stories from these communities. Contribute today at ilsr.org or muninetworks.org. Click the donate button. Thanks for doing your part. Now, here's Chris with Patrick Lyp, general counsel and economic development director for Valparaiso, Indiana.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. Today, I'm speaking with Patrick Lyp, the general counsel and economic development director for the City of Valparaiso in Indiana. Welcome to the show.

Patrick Lyp: Chris, good morning. How are you?

Chris Mitchell: I'm doing well. I'm excited to hear a little bit more about your community. I think people have heard of Valparaiso, the university, but tell us about the community that surrounds it.

This is episode 198 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. Mark Erickson and Jake Rieke join the show to discuss the new cooperative model of RS Fiber. Listen to this episode here.

Mark Erickson: With the cooperative, yes we have to make some money, yes we have to pay the bills, but how can we serve our customers first and the bottom line second?

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to Episode 198 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. Rural homes and businesses don't need high quality internet access only for streaming movies, checking email, and watching funny cat videos. Today's agriculture, including family farms, need access to fast, affordable, reliable connectivity for uploading crop reports, checking real time commodity prices, and to remotely monitor the status of crops and livestock. Unfortunately, farm technology is far ahead of large corporate provider infrastructure investment in rural areas. Farmers must depend on slow connections that nullify the advantages of modern technology. In Episode 198, Chris talks with Mark Erickson and Jake Rieke. Mark is the Director of the Economic Development Authority in Winthrop, Minnesota. Jake is a farmer in Renville County, Minnesota. In Renville County and nearby Sibley County, both farmers and people in town tired of waiting for the incumbents to provide 21st Century connectivity, in order to bring the connections they needed for economic development, education for their kids, and to help keep their rural communities competitive, they formed the RS Fiber Cooperative. The organization is owned and controlled by members and this now brings service that outperforms the internet access found in the metro. How did they do it? Mark and Jake who were instrumental in moving the project forward share their story. You can learn more by reading our new report, RS Fiber: Fertile Fields for New Rural Internet Cooperative. Download it at ilsr.org. Now, here are Chris, Mark Erickson, and Jake Rieke.

This is Episode 197 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. Charles Barr and Lauren Saine from Webpass join the show to describe their approach to competition and networking. Listen to this episode here.

Charles Barr: The more competition, the better, must be a competitive utility and we don’t want to be in a situation where people can't change. They need to have a choice.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 197 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. In most urban centers residents can expect to find large corporate providers offering Internet service with very little competition. This week Chris talks with Charles Barr, President of Webpass and Lauren Saine, the company’s policy advisor. Charles describes Webpass’ history and growth and its focus on providing service to apartments, condos and commercial buildings in San Francisco and 7 other cities. As Webpass grows in San Francisco, they're working with city leaders to help them design better policy that will encourage competition. Learn more about the company and their approach and Webpass.net. Now, let's get to the interview, here is Chris with Charles Barr, President and Lauren Saine, policy advisor from Webpass.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell. Today I'm speaking with Charles Barr, the President of Webpass. Welcome to the show.

Charles Barr: Thanks Chris, pleasure to be here.

Chris Mitchell: We also have Lauren Saine, policy advisor to Webpass on the call as well.

Lauren Saine: Hi Chris.

Chris Mitchell: I want to learn a little bit more about Webpass. We're going to talk about what cities can do to improve Internet access in your view and you guys have a couple of proposals. Let's start off with a simple question. What is Webpass?

This is Episode 196 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. Fred Pilot, author of "Service Unavailable:America's Telecommunications Infrastructure Crisis," joins the show to discuss his ideas about market-based solutions and large-scale government investment. Listen to this episode here.

Fred Pilot: Here we are 20 years later with this huge amount of access disparities, poor value. The market's not going to fix this, the government has to step in and do this.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to Episode 196 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. For decades, we have relied on the private market to build, expand and upgrade Internet infrastructure across the US. As a result, there are locations, especially in rural America, that are unserved or grossly underserved. Fred Pilot, the author of "Service Unavailable: America's Telecommunications Infrastructure Crisis", visits with us this week. He's been studying the problem for years and he talks with Chris about his plan for government investment on a large scale. The plan is to get US household connectivity back up to speed. You can purchase Fred's e-book at bookbaby.com, but also be sure to check out his blog at eldotelecom.blogspot.com. He reports on telecommunications infrastructure issues and offers news, analysis, and information on policy developments. Now here are Chris and Fred Pilot, author and blogger, talking about telecommunications infrastructure in the US and Fred's ideas to use a different model toward ubiquitous connectivity.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another addition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell and today I'm speaking with Fred Pilot, author and blogger. Just published a book, "Service Unavailable." Welcome to the show.

This is Episode 195 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. Ben Venable, Project Manager of Montgomery's Cyber Connection, joins the show to discuss Alabama's first Carrier Neutral Location. Listen to this episode here.

Ben Venable: A company in Birmingham that was looking to revamp their network completely and they now decided to move completely their IT organization to Montgomery just to have a presence at the Internet exchange.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to Episode 195 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute of Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez.

Lisa Gonzalez: Montgomery, Alabama is home to a significant D.O.D. presence. When the city and the D.O.D. found the area was lacking the infrastructure needed for both economic development and military purposes, it was time to take action. In February the city announced that it would be partnering to develop Alabama's First Carrier Neutral Location or CNL. A CNL is a space owned and maintained by a neutral party where Internet service providers can connect to each other. Not long ago the community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado embarked on a similar project. This week Chris learns about Montgomery's project from Ben Venable, project manager of Montgomery's Cyber Connection. He explains how and why the project came about as well as the long and short term plans the city has for its Internet exchange.

Chris Mitchell: Welcome to another edition of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast! I'm Chris Mitchell. And today I'm speaking with Ben Venable. Project manager for the Montgomery Cyber Connection in Montgomery, Alabama. Welcome to the show.

Ben Venable: Good afternoon. Thank you for having me.

Chris Mitchell: So let's start off with just a brief description for people that haven't been there. How big is Montgomery? What kind of city is it?