Top Stories

ILSR Launches Broadband Data and Policy Forum

on Sep 1, 2026

Working with the Federal Communications Commission's broadband data is hard. It's complex, at times capricious, and presents a host of pitfalls for analysts and researchers around the country. ILSR is here to help. We're excited to host the Broadband Data and Policy Forum, a place where data researchers across all sectors can compare notes, share tools, and troubleshoot with one another. Join us as we build a community of practice!

Texas Hold 'Em: State Freezes BEAD Funding Amid Musk Favoritism Claims

Karl Bode

on Aug 27, 2026

The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) says that it has placed Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) broadband grant money on hold to address continued claims that the program has been unfairly tilted to the direct benefit of billionaire Elon Musk.

A dozen Hoopa Valley Tribe members stand in front new network operations center preparing to cut ribbon

‘Not Living in the Cloud’: Hoopa Valley Tribe Builds Digital Sovereignty With New Network Hub

Sean Gonsalves

on Aug 25, 2026

The Hoopa Valley Tribe is celebrating the opening of its new fiber network operations center as the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD) expands fiber-to-the-home Internet service throughout the Hoopa Valley Reservation and into neighboring communities just outside of its Tribal lands.

A computer screen has a sticky note attached to it that reads "No Internet Connection"

Researchers Say Federal Policy Is Pricing Low-Income Pennsylvanians Off the Internet

Karl Bode

on Sep 3, 2026

Researchers tells Pennsylvania House Communications & Technology Committee that persistent attacks by the federal government on Internet affordability protections and social safety nets are directly resulting in a drop in overall broadband adoption, with large numbers of low-income Americans unable to afford modern connectivity — and the vast benefits it provides.

Local Tech, Big Surveillance: Rethinking Municipal IT - Episode 24 of Unbuffered

Can local governments build modern public safety infrastructure without sacrificing citizen privacy or handing millions to private cloud vendors? Former Shreveport CTO Keith Hanson joins Chris to break down the hidden costs of vendor-owned surveillance, the realities of municipal IT bureaucracy, and how cities can use creative, low-cost solutions to retain control over their own data.

Penasco Valley Co-op Uses $1 Million Grant For Fiber Disaster Prep

Karl Bode

on Aug 24, 2026

New Mexico-based Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative (PVT) is using a $1 million disaster relief grant from the New Mexico Office Of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) to construct and expand reliable Internet access in numerous New Mexico communities that have historically been subjected to wildfires and flooding.

East Longmeadow park with lake in background

East Longmeadow Approves $43.5 Million for Municipal Fiber Network

Sean Gonsalves

on Aug 20, 2026

Three months after town meeting voters in Longmeadow, Massachusetts rejected an $8.6 million proposal to kickstart the construction of a municipal fiber network, Town Councilors in the neighboring town of East Longmeadow moved in a different direction, voting to take control of its digital future and provide its residents and businesses with next-generation Internet access.

A volunteer sits behind a NYC Mesh table at a Maker Fair in NYC

With State Backing, NYC Mesh's Volunteer-Run Mesh Network Pushes Into Central Brooklyn

Karl Bode

on Aug 18, 2026

Officials for the volunteer-run nonprofit NYC Mesh have been been awarded a new $898,000 grant from New York State’s ConnectALL initiative that should help the project expand affordable wireless Internet access to the Big Apple’s most vulnerable populations.

Latest Stories

ReConnect Funding a Shot in the Arm for Virginia Co-op Fiber Broadband Deployment

By on Mar 2, 2020

Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC), has been working on their plan to deploy Fiber-to-the Home (FTTH) to members and surrounding premises since 2017.

Community Broadband Media Roundup - March 2

By on Mar 2, 2020

Arizona

Star Valley joins county to plan for broadband by Teresa McQuerrey, Payson Roundup

Colorado

Arrowsic, Maine, Receives Federal Grant to Develop Fiber Network

By on Feb 28, 2020

There is a festive air in Arrowsic, Maine, after Governor Janet Mills announced on January 30th that the community will develop a publicly owned broadband network for fast, affordable, reliable connectivity.

Survey Supports Network Feasibility in Falmouth

By on Feb 27, 2020

Early survey results confirm the potential for a community broadband network in the coastal town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, reports The Falmouth Enterprise.

State Legislatures 2020: Broadband Preemption Still a Risk

By on Feb 26, 2020

As state lawmakers debate in committee rooms and Capitol chambers around the country, various broadband and Internet network infrastructure bills are appearing on agendas. Some are good news for local communities interested in developing publicly owned networks while other preemption bills make projects more difficult to plan, fund, and execute. We've gathered together some notable bills from several states that merit watching - good, bad, and possibly both.

Community Broadband Media Roundup - February 24

By on Feb 24, 2020

California

California’s broadband fund ignores fiber and favors slow DSL by Ernesto Falcon, EFF

Idaho House Bill Threatens Funding Option for Community Network Investment

By on Feb 24, 2020

The open access network in Ammon, Idaho, has been celebrated as visionary and viewed as a potential model for other communitie

North Carolina Takes a Deeper Look at Statewide Access, Adoption, Digital Divide

By on Feb 20, 2020

Determining the state of broadband in a local community can be challenging for professional who conduct surveys and develop feasibility studies. Finding out the same information on a state level is an even more complex task. Nevertheless, North Carolina is tackling the job and earlier this month, the N.C.

RVBA Expanding to Residential Fiber Connectivity in Virginia

By on Feb 19, 2020

The Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority (RVBA) in Virginia recently announced that they are now ready to begin developing residential Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections in Roanoke and Botetourt Counties and the cities of Salem and Roanoke.

Expect Broken Promises From T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

By on Feb 19, 2020

The merger between T-Mobile and Sprint is moving forward, notwithstanding legal opposition from multiple state attorneys general. In a recent article, Christopher Mitchell Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance's Community Broadband Networks Initiative, and Paul Goodman, Technology Equity Director from The Greenlining Institute, explained the tenuous reasoning behind the recent court decision and why they expect nothing good for subscribers and the state of competition as this deal comes to fruition.

Community Broadband Media Roundup - February 17

By on Feb 17, 2020

Georgia

USDA invests $4.4 million in rural broadband infrastructure in Georgia’s Gilmer County, USDA

Illinois

2020 Mountain Connect Set for May 18th - 20th

By on Feb 17, 2020

Make it to Colorado in the spring for Mountain Connect on May 18th - 20th. This is one of Christopher's favorite events located at the picturesque Keystone Resort and Conference Center in the Rockies. This year's theme is "Broadband: The Great Enabler for Disruptive Technologies."

Learn more and register here.

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Reports

Abundant Home Broadband for All Californians: A Pathway to Digital Prosperity

Broadband ISPs should be held to a higher public interest standard and regulated like traditional utilities in California, a new joint study by nonprofit state policy news outlet Cal Matters and UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab argues. State governments should also vocally support community broadband networks as a direct challenge to monopoly power, the authors state.

Seeking the Commonwealth of Connection: How Small-Town Volunteers and Public Partnerships Transformed Internet Access in Western Massachusetts

By Jessica Auer

Between 2018 and 2022, 19 very small towns in Western Massachusetts built fiber-to-the-home (ftth) networks and transformed their telecommunications future forever. The special nature of that change comes in no small part because of the public partnerships that have been established, both among themselves and with neighboring community Westfield - itself a municipal provider.

To Improve Broadband Deployment, Enhanced Data Collection Is Key

A new report from Pew Research Center provides a review of available federal sources of broadband data and gaps and issues with those data. Within the report, Pew also examines the implications of these gaps on public policy and offers potential solutions to address them.

New Ideas in Competition Policy

By Ry Marcattilio

A new report out from Vanderbilt University's Policy Accelerator re-emphasizes some of the important steps federal government agencies could take to make sure that upcoming Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding is used as efficiently and equitably as possible.

Native Nations and Federal Telecom Policy Failures: Lessons from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

By Jessica Auer on Aug 5, 2024

A new report published today by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) reveals how the sovereignty of Tribal Nations and their own efforts to solve connectivity challenges on Tribal lands can be undermined by the poor design and maze of bureaucracy associated with some federal broadband programs. Even as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration takes over administration of the largest federal funding programs and re-situates Tribal closer to where they belong, the FCC continues its long-standing practice of scant engagement and infrequent consultation, complicating the terrain and stymieing Tribal efforts to close the digital divide in Indian Country.

Neighborly Networks: Vermont's Approach to Community Broadband

By Ry Marcattilio on Jun 4, 2024

In partnership with the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, today ILSR releases a new report examining how the state of Vermont is supercharging its telecommunications infrastructure efforts to reach the unconnected by investing in community broadband-driven efforts. Today, there are ten CUDs covering 216 towns across the state, and Vermont’s leaders have put the lion’s share of public funds behind the communications union district model.

Increased Wellness and Economic Return of Universal Broadband Infrastructure: A Telehealth Case Study of Ten Southern Rural Counties

By Ry Marcattilio on Apr 26, 2023

In a new report, published in partnership with the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative (SRBWI), the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) Community Broadband Networks Initiative examines the link between high-speed Internet infrastructure, access to healthcare, and the economic implications involved. It shows the even small communities that commit to universal, affordable, reliable service can avoid millions in healthcare costs, recouping financing in short order and leading to healthier populations.

The Problem(s) of Broadband in America

By Sean Gonsalves on Jul 7, 2021

In a new policy brief, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance looks to provide clarity for policy-makers by exploring the real challenges of America’s connectivity crisis. The brief aims to clear up a common misunderstanding of exactly where the digital divide is located.