News

Tullahoma Community Fiber Network Brings Jobs to Tennessee

on Jul 26, 2011

Tullahoma's LightTUBe FTTH network, owned and operated by the Tullahoma Utilities Board, has attracted J2 Software Solutions to locate its headquarters in town [PDF].

Oregon Town To Build Open Access Fiber Network Complement to Wireless Network

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 25, 2011

Sandy, a growing community of about 10,000 outside Portland in Oregon, is now building a FTTH network to expand on their successes offering city-run wireless broadband in 2003.

AT&T CEO Admits DSL is Obsolete

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 24, 2011

In a Q&A following a speech at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, AT&T CEO Randal Stephenson candidly called DSL obsolete.

Maryland County Builds Wireless Network on Fiber Stimulus Project

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 23, 2011

Harford County, in northeast Maryland, is planning to bond for an $8 million wireless network to service local government, public safety, education, health care, and both commercial and residential needs.

The Real Impact of the AT&T&T-Mobile Merger Isn't Funny

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 22, 2011

But that doesn't mean we can't use humor to illustrate the very serious impact of more consolidation in the mobile market! Check out four short commercials prepared by Free Press and vote on your favorite. Our favorites are below.

Preserve Unlicensed Spectrum - White Spaces At Risk

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 21, 2011

If the future is wireless, we have to preserve unlicensed spaces. To explain: most wireless stuff uses licensed spectrum - where only a single entity has permission from the FCC to use a specific wavelength of spectrum.

More Consolidation, Fewer Jobs, No Duh

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 18, 2011

We watch in frustration as the federal government, dressed as Charlie Brown asks AT&T, wearing Lucy's blue dress and smiling brightly, if she really will hold the football properly this time. "Oh yes, Charlie, this time I really will create all those jobs if you let us buy T-Mobile," says AT&T Lucy.

North Carolina and Broadband as Infrastructure

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 16, 2011

We dedicated a lot of coverage to Time Warner Cable's purchasing legislation to handicap communities from building competitive networks.

Longmont Considers Second Vote on Community Fiber Network

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 14, 2011

Colorado requires a referendum before a local government can build a broadband network as a result of a 2005 law pushed by Qwest to prevent communities from building next-generation networks.

Need Cloud Services like Online Backup? Steer Clear of Comcast

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 13, 2011

The net is buzzing about Comcast's data caps after a Seattle resident ran afoul of them.

Community Networks Provide Cable/Broadband Competition That is Otherwise Unlikely

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 12, 2011

You can also read this story over at the Huffington Post. How can it be that the big companies who deliver some of the most important services in our modern lives (access to the Internet, television) rank at the

Syracuse Community Broadband Initiative Changes Name

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 11, 2011

The folks in Syracuse who are organizing for a community-owned network have changed their name from the Syracuse Municipal Broadband Initiative to Syracuse Community Broadband Initiative:

Video Comparing American vs. European Broadband Networks

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 10, 2011

Rick Karr has produced a "can't miss" 15 minute video that shows what happens when telecommunications is treated more like infrastructure and less like a for-profit morass controlled by massive companies.

Going Big with a Gig at Case Western Reserve University

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 9, 2011

Some still question whether we need FTTH networks, suggesting that modest copper upgrades will be fine for most over the next 5-10 years. When it comes to essential infrastructure, the idea that we should "cut costs" by operating right on the margin usually ends poorly -- and costs more, particularly in lost opportunities.

Lessig Promotes Publicly Owned Broadband at Personal Democracy Forum

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 8, 2011

I have long been a fan of Larry Lessig's work, so I was proud to see him use our work as the foundation for his presentation at the 2011 Personal Democracy Forum.

Understanding User Fees and the Community's Right-of-Way

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 7, 2011

A friend once told me about his battle with the local government over whether it would charge him a fee for inspecting the house he wanted to begin renting out (he had bought another house but didn't want to sell the first in a down market).

Vermont Town First to Get Universal Access to ECFiber Community Network

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 6, 2011

The East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network has announced it will connect an entire town as its second phase. Barnard, Vermont, will be the first town to have universal access to ECFiber's next-generation network.

New Video: Community Fiber Networks Better than Phone, Cable Networks

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 5, 2011

Update: You can also watch the video over at the Huffington Post, in our first post as a HuffPo blogger. While we were battling Time Warner Cable to preserve local authority in North Carolina, we developed

#KillSwitch MoneyBomb Today - Let's Get it Made!

Christopher Mitchell

on Jul 1, 2011

Today, take a moment to learn about a promising documentary and pledge some support to make sure it gets made! A short description:

Louisiana Leg uses Porn Excuse to Target LUS Community Network

Christopher Mitchell

on Jun 30, 2011

We occasionally see big cable and phone companies getting creative in their efforts to shut down community networks. In socially conservative communities, restrictions on providing adult content is a common approach.