Recently in Community Networks... Week of 6/12

Hi All –

Some movement in the United States in some states on how to fund/support CNs.

See below.

Jane

Internet Society | www.internetsociety.org

Skype: janercoffin

Mobile/WhatsApp: +1.202.247.8429

From: ILSR's Community Broadband Networks Initiative <broadband=muninetworks.org@mail77.atl111.rsgsv.net> on behalf of ILSR's Community Broadband Networks Initiative <broadband@muninetworks.org>
Reply-To: ILSR's Community Broadband Networks Initiative <broadband@muninetworks.org>
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at 11:46 AM
To: Jane Coffin <coffin@isoc.org>
Subject: Recently in Community Networks... Week of 6/12

Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org... -> Read More

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@CommunityNets

Community Broadband Networks

Muninetworks.org

On May 30th, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill that will allow communities to bond for publicly owned Internet networks. This bill restores local authority in a profoundly impactful way, offering a roadmap for other states concerned with setting their communities up for success.

In other news: Frontier Communications is now under investigation by the state regulatory commission for its role in harming the growth of local connectivity in a small town in Greater Minnesota; we sit down with leaders of the Downeast Broadband Utility in rural Maine to discuss rural broadband and local partnerships; and the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives published a report on the role cooperatives play in spreading Internet access infrastructure.

New Hampshire Sets the Example: Expands Local Authority for Broadband Investment

On May 30th, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed SB 170, a bill local community leaders had watched for more than a year. The measure will allow municipalities to bond for publicly owned Internet network infrastructure. Advocates, local elected officials, and citizens have been seeking the authority for years. SB 170 may raise some questions as it's implemented, but the bill is significant because it symbolizes this state's decision to expand local authority for broadband investment, rather than limit the power of local communities.

Read the final version of SB 170 here.

...Read the article...

Frontier Under Investigation, Minnesota PUC Schedules Fall Public Hearings

National ISPs with millions of customers are some of the most hated companies in the U.S. Poor customer service, contract tricks, and a refusal to upgrade services are only a few of the common complaints from subscribers who are often trapped due to lack of competition. Frontier Communications is proudly carrying on that tradition of deficiency in Minnesota. In fact, the company’s excellence at skullduggery has drawn the attention of the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which launched an investigation into the service quality of Frontier this spring.

...Read the article...

Making A Broadband Utility in Maine - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 309

The Maine towns of Baileyville and Calais are known for their beautiful scenery and their clean rural lifestyle; soon the region will also be known for its broadband. The two communities have joined together to form the Downeast Broadband Utility (DBU) in order to develop a regional fiber optic network for businesses and residents. Julie Jordan, Director of DBU has joined Christopher this week to talk about the project.

...Listen to the podcast...

Step-By-Step Advice in 2017 Report on Cooperatives and Broadband

Thanks to the Blandin on Broadband Blog for bringing this report to our attention.

The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives published a report, “Cooperatives and Rural Broadband: A Selective Survey,” in January 2017 on the role of cooperatives in providing broadband service. A Rural Cooperative Development Grant from the USDA (awarded in 2015) funded the project. The report offers step-by-step advice on broadband projects and dives into the details of Wisconsin’s cooperatives.

...Read the article...

Pilot Project Waiting to Land in Bartow, Florida

Bartow, Florida, has owned and operated its own fiber network for years as a way to connect municipal facilities and offer high-quality connectivity to a few select businesses. Now, they’re on the verge of expanding use of their fiber by developing a pilot project to connect more businesses and also residents.

...Read the article...

Community Broadband Media Roundup - June 11

Arkansas
Digital divide about more than minimal connections by Michael Lazzara, Fayetteville Observer

Colorado
Loveland council to vote on awarding contract for municipal broadband network design to Nokia by Julia Rentsch, Loveland Reporter Herald

Georgia
Lawmakers look to ‘small cell’ tech for rural high-speed internet answers by Diane Wagner, Northwest Georgia News

Kentucky
Louisville's digital divide is about more than internet access — here's why by Bridgett Weaver, Louisville Business Journal [Subscription Required]

Minnesota
Measuring Broadband's (Public) Return on Investment by Tim Marema, The Daily Yonder

...Read the article...

@CommunityNets

Community Broadband Networks

Muninetworks.org

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