Top Stories

Critics Say Trump Administration Lifeline 'Reforms' Will Harm Most Vulnerable

on May 18, 2026

Consumer and civil rights groups last week told the Trump administration that their proposed “reforms” of the FCC’s Lifeline program would undermine efforts to ensure equitable, affordable access to the internet for all Americans, and are based on lies about immigrant fraud.

A sign that says "Vote" is taped to the side of a town building

Industry Astroturf Hits Longmeadow, MA Ahead Of Key Fiber Vote Today

Karl Bode

on May 12, 2026

Locals in Longmeadow, Massachusetts say they’re being bombarded with misleading mailers, texts, and phone calls from a telecom-industry linked group trying to mislead the public ahead of a key vote on the city’s plan to begin construction of a municipal broadband fiber network today.

Inside the empty Court of Appeals courtroom

Another Blow to Digital Equity: Court Kills FCC's Anti Digital Discrimination Rules

Sean Gonsalves

on May 7, 2026

In yet another bruising blow in the fight to ensure equitable access to high-speed Internet service, an appeals court struck down federal rules this week that aimed to combat digital redlining.

A line work is suspended in air reaching for fiber splice case on aerial fiber line next to a tree

Vermont Closes In on Universal Broadband Access as Federal Dollars, Local Innovation, and Workforce Training Converge

Sean Gonsalves

on May 21, 2026

In the marathon to bring universal high-speed Internet service to the most rural state in the nation, Vermont is heading into the last-mile stretch of the race with the finish line in sight.

The Digital Divide Is a Civil Rights Issue: The Fight for Digital Equity and the Battle Against Dark Money- Episode 9 of Unbuffered

A conversation about digital equity, dark money, and the fight over Internet access

National Fiber Buildout Goes Local as Co-ops, Munis, and Independent ISPs Drive 40 Percent of the Fiber Boom

Sean Gonsalves

on May 19, 2026

Leading members of the fiber industry descended on Orlando, Fla. this week for the Fiber Broadband Association's annual Fiber Connect conference to take stock of a national inflection point fueled by the federal BEAD program and the all-consuming rise of AI.

Longmeadow, Mass. Residents Vote Down Community Fiber Network

Karl Bode

on May 18, 2026

The city of Longmeadow, Massachusetts has failed to get a two-thirds voting majority necessary to move forward with its plan to deploy affordable fiber to every city resident.

Okanogan County Public Utility District Lights Up Fiber In Rural WA

Karl Bode

on May 11, 2026

The Okanogan County Electric Cooperative and the Okanogan County Public Utility District say they’re making steady progress on bringing affordable fiber broadband access to Okanogan County, a highly rural stretch of rugged land in Washington state on the border of Canada.

Latest Stories

Next Century Cities Covers One-Touch Make-Ready

By on Jan 8, 2016

An increasing number of communities appreciate the significance of dig-once policies. Municipal, state, and federal leaders are taking the advice of groups like Next Century Cities and implementing some form of the dig once approach to speed up deployment of telecommunications infrastructure. The next "no-brainer" policy is the one-touch make-ready or OTMR for pole attachments.

No Longer Just a Luxury: Tennessee Communities Need Broadband Access Now

By on Jan 7, 2016

Sandi Wallis, a resident of northern Bradley County in Tennessee, doesn’t simply want to have ultra-fast, reliable broadband access for the fun of it. She needs it to run her home business. Her school-age children need it too:

New Vermont Law Bolsters Prospects for Investing in Community Broadband Networks

By on Jan 6, 2016

A new state law is on the books in Vermont that supporters expect will encourage more investor activity supporting community broadband networks.

Community Broadband Media Roundup - January 4

By on Jan 5, 2016

Delaware

Council narrowly agrees to municipal broadband study by Karie Simmons, Newark Post Online

Ringing in the New Year, Celebrating a Win for Prison Phone Justice

By on Jan 4, 2016

At MuniNetworks, we often focus on access to the Internet, but the impact of telecommunication policy extends beyond data. In 2016, families might finally see reasonable prices for phone calls to incarcerated loved ones.

'Twas the Night Before Muni Fiber: An Adaptation

By on Dec 23, 2015

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the team at MuniNetworks.org 2015 12 Twas the Night Before Muni-500.png

Another Coop Story: Wiatel Wires Western Iowa

By on Dec 22, 2015

Iowa, known across the country for its agriculture, is known in other circles for its exciting community broadband projects. Earlier this year President Obama visited Cedar Falls to praise its municipal network and to support other efforts to improve rural high-speed Internet access.

Pioneer Press Op-Ed: Competition and Community Savings

By on Dec 19, 2015

The Pioneer Press published this op-ed about Minnesota high speed Internet access and availability on December 3, 2015.

Christopher Mitchell: Competition and community savings

Wilson Moves to Expand Greenlight Network to Neighboring Town

By on Dec 16, 2015

Thanks to a new interlocal agreement, the City of Wilson, North Carolina will soon expand its Greenlight community broadband network to the nearby Town of Pi

Conduit Brings Connectivity in Lincoln, Nebraska

By on Dec 16, 2015

Lincoln, Nebraska, population 269,000, is making the most of a tough situation to improve connectivity and increase telecommunications competition; the city is doing it with conduit.

Community Broadband Media Roundup - December 18

By on Dec 15, 2015

California

Santa Cruz forges 'homegrown' fiber optic Internet partnership by Jessica A. York, Santa Cruz Sentinel

Op-ed: Spanish Fork Proves Utah Law is Counter-Productive

By on Dec 15, 2015

The Salt Lake Tribune published this op-ed championing local investment in Internet infrastructure on December 11, 2015.

Op-ed: Spanish Fork’s success shows municipal Internet networks work

By Christopher Mitchell

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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.