Maryland Commits $300 Million to Expand Broadband
With $3.9 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act on its way to Maryland, Gov.
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Connect This! Episode 13 - Middle-Mile Challenges and Internet Exchange Points
On Episode 13 of Connect This!, co-hosts Christopher and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) are joined by Reid Fishler (Senior Director, Hurricane Electric) and Fletcher Kittredge (CEO, GWI) to talk about the issues that come up in building and maintaining backhaul routes and exchange points.
California Governor Proposes $7 Billion Investment in Statewide Middle-Mile, Open Access Fiber Network
In his $100 billion “California Comeback Plan”, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to devote $7 billion to invest in expanding broadband access over the next three years, with $4 billion of that to be used for constructing a statewide middle-mile, open access fiber network.
Documentary Do Not Pass Go: The Battle for Broadband, Now Free to Watch
Newcomers to Cullen Hoback’s recent HBO blockbuster documentary on the QAnon conspiracy are in for a treat.
Oregon Cooperative Promises to Build Where No One Else Will
An electric cooperative in Oregon is once again answering the call, fulfilling unmet needs for those living in places considered by monopoly providers as being unreachable and unlucrative.
Maine’s Antique Capital Aims to Propel State Into 21st Century With Better Broadband Access
The Searsport Broadband Committee is pushing forward with a plan to bring a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network to town residents. The committee hopes to hold a special town meeting soon, where residents will be asked to vote on a bond to pay for it.
Cumberland County, Maine Issues RFP Exploring Regional Approach to Improve Internet Access
Numerous towns located in a region of southeastern Maine dubbed “Paddler’s Paradise” by outdoor adventurers and watersports fans are exploring more collaborative ways to improve local Internet connectivity.
Washington State Removes All Barriers to Municipal Broadband
Update: State Governor Jay Inslee signing two bills amending the same section of state law at the exact same time forced the Washington Secretary of State to seek judicial guidance on which bill will take precedence over the other in the face of legal challenge.
Join Us Thursday, May 20th at 5p ET for Connect This! Episode 13 - Middle-Mile Challenges and Internet Exchange Points
Co-hosts Christopher and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) are joined by Reid Fishler (Senior Director, Hurricane Electric) and Fletcher Kittredge (CEO, GWI). They'll talk about the issues that come up in building and maintaining backhaul routes and exchange points, like resiliency, competition, capacity, reliability, efficiency, cost, and innovation.
Listen to Baratunde Thurston Interview Bruce Patterson About Open Access, Competition, and Ammon, Idaho
Baratunde Thurston hosted Bruce Patterson on the most recent episode of his podcast How To Citizen. The episode is a deep dive into the consequences of a lack of competition in Internet access, and how the city of Ammon on stepped up to meet the challenge.
Minnesota Cities Partner with Local Telephone Cooperative to Build Fiber for Economic Development
Last week we wrote about the partnership between Long Prairie, Minnesota and the forward-thinking and locally minded local telephone cooperative CTC to build a citywide fiber network and bring affordable, high-speed Internet to everyone in town.
Options Available to Cities Under the American Rescue Plan Broadband Rules - Episode 12 of Connect This!
On Episode 12 of Connect This!, hosts Christopher Mitchell and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) are joined by returning guests Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and Kimberly McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber) to talk about the recently released Treasury rules outlining the upcoming infrastructure funds going to states and local governments for critical infrastructure.
Biden Administration Decides Cities Should Not Use Broadband Dollars for Broadband
Earlier this year in March, the Biden Administration signed the American Rescue Plan Act, which included, among many other things, multiple sources of funds for broadband infrastructure. The U.S.
Plagued by Bad Service, Eastern North Carolina Mayors Petition State Legislature to Let Them Build Municipal Networks
The mayors of nine cities in eastern North Carolina have had enough of Suddenlink's poor service.
Community Broadband Legislation Roundup - May 11, 2021
Snapshot
Florida Legislature rewrites utility pole bill to include language backed by municipal electric utilities
North Carolina’s County Broadband Authority Act includes clause drawing criticism from electric co-ops
Connect This! Responds to Rescue Plan Broadband Rules
Tonight, at 6:45 ET, we will have a special episode of the Connect This! show with Doug Dawson, Kim McKinley, and Travis Carter to respond to the Interim Rule issued by President Biden's Treasury Department, which basically makes it difficult for most local governments to use the funds for broadband infrastructure. (We have a forthcoming story to explain this in more depth.)
With Grants and Local Investment, ATMC Expands FOCUS Fiber to North Carolina’s Counties In Need
The Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation (ATMC) is expanding gigabit fiber Internet access with financial assistance from federal and state grants to provide high-speed broadband to residents living in some of North Carolina's most rural, poverty-stricken regions.
How Open Access Networks Impact ISPs- Episode 11 of Connect This!
In Episode 11 of the Connect This!
How Long Prairie, Minnesota and a Local Cooperative Partnered to Build a Citywide Fiber Network
Tired of waiting for connectivity solutions to come to town, one Minnesota community has instead partnered with a local telephone cooperative to build a fiber network reaching every home and business in the city. In embarking on its journey to improve local Internet access six years ago, Long Prairie (pop. 3,300) ended up partnering with one of the most aggressive fiber network builders in the state - Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC) - on a solution that meets local needs. The two finished a ubiquitous Fiber-to-the-Home build in 2018, with the cooperative now owning and operating the network.