Top Stories

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

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.

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

Karl Bode

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.

The front entrance of the California Public Utilities Commission building

California Assembly Member Moves to Strip CPUC Broadband Oversight, Undermine Affordability Efforts

Karl Bode

on May 28, 2026

The California State Assembly recently voted 67-1 to strip telecom oversight authority away from the CPUC and shift it to a more easily-lobbied state legislature – and an as-yet-undefined state broadband office.

Vermont’s Community Broadband Model, Starlink, and the Future of Search - Episode 10 of Unbuffered

What Vermont is getting right — and why Google’s AI search changes feel different

Utah’s UTOPIA Passes 67,000 Subscriber Mark

Karl Bode

on May 26, 2026

UTOPIA Fiber says it deployed more than a million miles of fiber and conduit across Utah last year accumulating 67,000 total subscribers, as the collaborative open access fiber provider continues to make steady inroads in transforming the state’s broadband competition landscape.

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.

Latest Stories

Madison, Wisconsin Pilot: Fiber In The Fall

By on Dec 3, 2015

Four low-income neighborhoods in Madison will soon have access to fast, reliable, affordable Internet access, thanks to a municipal fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) pilot program.

Fast, Affordable, Reliable...Soon!

TN For Fiber's New Video On Family Life In Bradley County

By on Dec 2, 2015

In a new video, Tennessee Fiber Optic Communities profiles what it is like for a family living in Bradley County, just outside of the reach of Chattanooga's EPB Fiber Optic network. Debbie Williams describes how she and her family struggle with a long list of issues most of us associate with the bygone era of dial-up Internet.

Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 27

By on Dec 1, 2015

Colorado

More questions and answers on county's broadband project by The Herald Times

Minnesota

“Crazy Fast” Connectivity Expands in Westminster, Maryland

By on Dec 1, 2015

Gigabit Internet access will soon be reaching more residents in Westminster.

Fairlawn, Ohio Pursuing Design Plan for Muni Broadband Utility

By on Nov 30, 2015

Fairlawn, Ohio this fall took a “huge step forward” toward launching its own high-speed municipal broadband utility.

NC Partners: Fiber Will Give Region A Green Light to A Gig

By on Nov 28, 2015

The Tri-Gig High Speed Broadband Initiative, an effort by communities and universities within Greensboro's Piedmont Triad Region, recently announced plans to release an RFP in an effort to improve regional connectivity.

Falmouth Saves With Cape Cod I-Net

By on Nov 27, 2015

Out on Cape Cod, municipal networks are taking hold. Public buildings throughout the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, experience great connectivity and the town saves $160,000 each year with its own Institutional network (I-Net).

Public Savings

BBC Summit In Austin: Register Before Nov. 30, Get A Discount

By on Nov 25, 2015

The 2016 Broadband Communities Summit will be held on April 5 - 7 in Austin, Texas. Participants can save $540 by registering early before November 30th. Register online and use the VIP Code: Austin2016 to get a special rate of $410.

Small City Fights Comcast Over Institutional Network

By on Nov 25, 2015

Reports have recently surfaced from The Detroit News and Patch.com that a town in Michigan is now fighting Comcast over who owns their network.

Social Media Muni Hotlists Now Available

By on Nov 24, 2015

Want instant updates on the world of community networks, broadband and Internet policy, or fiber-to-the-home? We have compiled several Twitter lists and a list of community networks' Facebook pages. Use these as resources to connect with advocates, to find new groups, or just to learn about community networks.

Introducing Scott Carlson

By on Nov 24, 2015

Readers will soon be noticing a new author in the byline. Scott Carlson has joined the Institute for Local Self-Reliance as part of the Community Broadband Networks team and is already contributing stories.

"Little Gig City" And Friends Go to Nashville to Fight for Local Authority

By on Nov 23, 2015

As the people of Tennessee wait for the court to determine their broadband future, state and local leaders in Nashville are hearing municipal network advocates and foes.

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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.