[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 4/28

Tue Apr 28 07:32:58 PDT 2015

*Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org - a project of the **Institute for
Local Self-Reliance. Instructions for unsubscribing appear at bottom.  Send
feedback.  Forward Widely.*

*The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is hiring a Finance and Operations
Manager!* If interested in working with us either in Minneapolis or DC, see
our job description here <http://www.idealist.org/view/job/knhBzD7sSW8d/>.

And in other news, I'll be in* New Haven, Cambridge, and Bangor* next week
in New England for various events next week Monday - Thursday. Don't forget
about the *Gigabit Cities Conference in Atlanta* in two weeks (May 13 and
14) - I'll be there talking about open access. You can attend too, at no
charge with the code at the bottom of this post
<http://www.muninetworks.org/content/gigabit-cities-live-atlanta-may-13th-and-14th>
.

Ammon Brings Local Connectivity to Idaho Schools as State Education Network
Goes Dark
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ammon-brings-local-connectivity-idaho-schools-state-education-network-goes-dark>
Fri, April 24, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ammon-brings-local-connectivity-idaho-schools-state-education-network-goes-dark>

The City of Ammon's municipal fiber network recently stepped in to provide
primary broadband access for School District 93
<http://www.d93schools.org/pages/Bonneville> as the state's educational
network went dark reports Local News 8
<http://www.localnews8.com/news/local-schools-make-plans-for-own-broadband-ien-options/31348330>.
Watch the video of local coverage below.

When a judge ruled last year
<http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/02/11/3639838_judge-ien-contracts-are-void.html?rh=1>
that
the Idaho Education Network (IEN) contract between the state Department of
Administration was void, an education broadband crisis loomed across the
state. As the drama played out, however, local networks such as Ammon's
muni, have come to the rescue to keep students connected.

Ammon Mayor Dana Kirkham described an attitude characteristic of municipal
networks:

"I think it's just something we do in the spirit of collaboration, and I
think that's always important because when we talk about the school
district and the city it's all the same people, and so anytime we can keep
costs down it benefits everyone involved," Kirkham said.

... Some Pretty Stunning Data on Local Solutions Compared to CenturyLink ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ammon-brings-local-connectivity-idaho-schools-state-education-network-goes-dark>

In Reedsburg, Expansion Weighed After Muni Fiber Success - Community
Broadband Bits Episode 147
<http://muninetworks.org/content/reedsburg-expansion-weighed-after-muni-fiber-success-community-broadband-bits-episode-147>
Tue, April 21, 2015 | Posted by christopher
<http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/reedsburg-expansion-weighed-after-muni-fiber-success-community-broadband-bits-episode-147>

The first gigabit city in Wisconsin, Reedsburg
<http://reedsburgutility.com/>, has a municipal fiber network operated by
the city-owned electric utility. This week, we talk with General Manager of
the Utility Commission, Brett Schuppner. Reedsburg fiber goes back to 2003,
which makes it one of the oldest FTTH
<http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13> networks in the nation.

Located about an hour outside of Madison, Reedsburg has seen more
investment from local industrial businesses because of its fiber network.
They received a broadband stimulus award to expand their network into some
surrounding rural areas and are now considering how they can continue
expanding the network deeper into surround Sauk County without federal
assistance.

We talk about what goes into these expansion discussions - what is the
dynamic when one community has a great network and the County would like it
to expand?

... Listen to the Show here
<http://muninetworks.org/content/reedsburg-expansion-weighed-after-muni-fiber-success-community-broadband-bits-episode-147>
... Or Read the Transcript Here
<http://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-147>
...

Shutesbury and Wendell Residents Ready to Vote on Wired West
<http://muninetworks.org/content/shutesbury-and-wendell-residents-ready-vote-wiredwest>
Mon, April 20, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/shutesbury-and-wendell-residents-ready-vote-wiredwest>

Five months ago volunteers in Shutesbury gathered to inventory local poles
<http://www.muninetworks.org/content/small-town-volunteers-massachusetts-begin-pole-inventory>
to
prepare for a possible fiber deployment. Now, more than 40 percent of local
households have committed to high-speed Internet access through
WiredWest,reports
MassLive
<http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/shutesbury_wendell_wired_west_broadband_40_percent.html>.
Nearby Wendell is also celebrating the 40 percent milestone. According to
the article, these are the first communities in the WiredWest region to
reach the 40 percent milestone

The next step will be a required two-thirds vote at a town meeting to
authorize borrowing to fund the deployment in each community. After that, a
majority of voters must approve a debt exclusion in Shutesbury and Wendell
to invest in the capital projects as required by state law.

... Read More on Wired West Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/shutesbury-and-wendell-residents-ready-vote-wiredwest>

San Francisco Looks to Expand Muni Fiber and Wi-Fi
<http://muninetworks.org/content/san-francisco-looks-expand-muni-fiber-and-wi-fi>
Thu, April 23, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/san-francisco-looks-expand-muni-fiber-and-wi-fi>

San Francisco has long been considered a modern, glittering, tech capital.
For years its leaders have struggled with ensuring residents and businesses
actually had next-generation Internet access as AT&T and Comcast only
provide the same basic services that are available in most cities. In a recent
Backchannel article
<https://medium.com/backchannel/san-francisco-of-all-places-has-lousy-connectivity-this-man-wants-to-change-that-439ac981196f>,
Susan Crawford discusses how the City by the Bay is taking steps to develop
its vision, its long-term plan, and hopefully a network that will improve
connectivity in a city of over 800,000.

San Francisco has developed an Information and Communication Technology Plan
<http://sfcoit.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=2113>, which still
needs approval from the City Board of Supervisors. According to the
article, the plan calls on the city to take an incremental approach on its
path to improved connectivity. They plan to use a similar method as Santa
Monica by connecting municipal facilities - many of which are already
connected via fiber - and then shedding expensive leased circuits. By
eliminating that expense, the city will cut $1.3 million for Internet
access and networking services from its connectivity costs.

... Read More on San Francisco's Approach Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/san-francisco-looks-expand-muni-fiber-and-wi-fi>

Lincoln, Illinois, Once Again Looking at Fiber
<http://muninetworks.org/content/lincoln-illinois-once-again-looking-fiber>
Wed, April 22, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/lincoln-illinois-once-again-looking-fiber>

Lincoln, Illinois, has contemplated investing in a fiber-optic
<http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> municipal network since 2009
and, while they have not taken steps to deploy yet, the community appears
to be ready to dive in. The Lincoln Courier reports
<http://www.lincolncourier.com/article/20150411/NEWS/150419955/1994/NEWS> that
the City Council recently considered investing $100,000 to deploy fiber in
the downtown business district.

Lincoln, located right in the center of the state, is home to approximately
14,500 people. At the meeting, City Administrator Clay Johnson described
the need as essential for economic development:

"Fiber optics are the sewer and water for economic development; what
businesses look for when they want to locate in your area or expand in your
are is, ‘do they have access to high speed internet’ and in a lot of areas,
no they don’t."

... Get the Rest of our Coverage on This Story Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/lincoln-illinois-once-again-looking-fiber>

LUS Fiber Brings Free Wi-Fi to Airport
<http://muninetworks.org/content/lus-fiber-brings-free-wi-fi-airport>
Thu, April 23, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/lus-fiber-brings-free-wi-fi-airport>

LUS Fiber is now sharing its municipal gigabit network with travelers at
the Lafayette Regional Airport, reports KLFY News 10
<http://klfy.com/2015/04/17/new-partnership-with-lus-fiber-for-wifi-at-lafayette-regional-airport/>.
According to the article, freeWi-Fi
<http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term29> is available at the airport
supported by LUS Fiber.

“Today’s travelers expect to stay connected when they are away from the
office or home. With complimentary WiFi, guests can check important email,
post to social media and browse the Internet,” said Steven Picou, Executive
Director of Lafayette Regional Airport. “We recognize that to deliver
complimentary Internet access contributes towards a positive customer
impression of the airport, as well as Lafayette.”

LUS Fiber and the city of Lafayette has recently attracted
<http://www.muninetworks.org/content/three-new-companies-move-silicon-bayou> a
number of high tech companies and understands the value of first
impressions.

... The Rest of the Story Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/lus-fiber-brings-free-wi-fi-airport>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - April 25
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-april-25>
Mon, April 27, 2015 | Posted by rebecca
<http://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-april-25>

The big news this week was about the fall of the Comcast/Time Warner Cable
merger. We like to think it was because of our incredibly brilliant,
insightful (also: "witty", "pithy", "charming"...) letter to Comcast
<http://www.muninetworks.org/content/our-totally-not-ironic-letter-support-comcasttwc-merger>
.

Once Comcast’s Deal Shifted to a Focus on Broadband, Its Ambitions Were Sunk
<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/business/media/once-comcasts-deal-shifted-to-a-focus-on-broadband-its-ambitions-were-sunk.html?_r=0>By
JONATHAN MAHLER, New York Times

At the end of the day, the government’s commitment to maintaining a free
and open Internet did not square with the prospect of a single company
controlling as much as 40 percent of the public’s access to it… it didn’t
really matter if Comcast and Time Warner’s cable markets overlapped. The
real issue was broadband.

Blocking Comcast Is a Start. But if We Want Better Broadband, We Need Much
More
<http://recode.net/2015/04/23/blocking-comcast-is-a-start-but-if-we-want-better-broadband-we-need-much-more/>
by
Peter Kafka, Re/Code

... Read the Full Community Broadband Media Roundup Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-april-25>

-- 
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