[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 6/16

[Christopher Mitchell]

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Recent Advances in the Wireless Future - Community Broadband Bits Episode
154
<http://muninetworks.org/content/recent-advances-wireless-future-community-broadband-bits-episode-154>
Tue, June 09, 2015 | Posted by christopher
<http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/recent-advances-wireless-future-community-broadband-bits-episode-154>

After reading "Amtrak's Lessons for Access to the Airwaves
<http://www.newamerica.org/the-weekly-wonk/amtraks-lessons-for-access-to-the-airwaves/>,"
I knew we wanted to talk to Michael Calabrese and Patrick Lucey of the Open
Technology Institute at the New America Foundation
<https://www.newamerica.org/oti/> to discuss wireless policy.
Unfortunately, scheduling challenges kept Patrick off the this show but we
do have a great discussion for this week's Community Broadband Bits podcast
with Michael Calabrese, who runs the Wireless Future
<http://www.newamerica.org/tags/wireless-future/> program at OTI.

We discuss the wireless technology Amtrak has wanted to deploy and
alternatives that would have been less costly and more quickly to
implement. However, this is really just an opportunity to begin the larger
discussion about where wireless is going.

We also talk about a recent FCC decision to create much more shared
spectrum and how the new system will work, which was also described in
a presentation
by Milo Medin at the 2015 Freedom to Connect event
<http://livestream.com/internetsociety/F2C2015/videos/79080774>.

... Listen to the Show Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/recent-advances-wireless-future-community-broadband-bits-episode-154>

Another Rural Telephone Cooperative to Deploy Gigabit Fiber Network
<http://muninetworks.org/content/another-rural-telephone-cooperative-deploy-gigabit-fiber-network>
Mon, June 08, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/another-rural-telephone-cooperative-deploy-gigabit-fiber-network>

Residents in the southeast rural town of Frontenac, Kansas
<http://www.frontenacks.net/>, will have access to fiber by the spring of
2016, reports the FourStatesHomePage.com
<http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/story/d/story/frontenac-city-council-approves-new-fiber-optic-ne/11667/HUCeoxUhyEO-IMejs87YLg>
.

After receiving approval from the Frontenac City Council, the Craw-Kan
Telephone Cooperative <http://web.ckt.net/> announced that it intends to
deploy fiber within the city of 3,400. Each home will have access; gigabit
service will cost approximately $70 per month. Construction will begin this
summer.

>From the article and the video embedded below:

"It's just superior to anything out there. I mean, we've been doing fiber
for several years. We have well over 2,000 customers, and I think we just
finally asked ourselves why are we restricting the use of this fiber optic
cable when it can do so much more than what most people are receiving?"
said Craig Wilbert, Craw-Kan General Manager.

... Watch the Video Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/another-rural-telephone-cooperative-deploy-gigabit-fiber-network>


Fort Collins Local Media Endorses Muni Option
<http://muninetworks.org/content/fort-collins-local-media-endorses-muni-option>
Wed, June 10, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/fort-collins-local-media-endorses-muni-option>

Communities all over Colorado have voted to reclaim local authority
<http://www.muninetworks.org/content/republicans-and-democrats-alike-restore-local-authority-colorado>
during
the past year. Even though elected officials in Fort Collins are exploring
the municipal network option, the City Council has yet to present the
question to voters. Editors at the local news outlet, the Coloradan, recently
expressed
<http://www.coloradoan.com/story/opinion/2015/05/31/fort-collins-municipal-broadband/28072195/>
their
support for a municipal broadband network, urging community leaders to let
voters decide.

The Editorial Board focuses on the benefits Fort collins can expect from
increased economic development, telemedicine capabilities, and relieved
congestion from telecommuting. They see Internet access as one of the
essential services cities provide such as water and electricity. The
Editorial Board notes that city leaders have already budgeted $300,000
<http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2015/03/20/fort-collins-eyes-municipal-broadband/25048831/>
to
create a strategic plan that includes community broadband.

... Read the Full Story Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/fort-collins-local-media-endorses-muni-option>

EPB Fiber Keeps Electric Rates in Check
<http://muninetworks.org/content/epb-fiber-keeps-electric-rates-check>
Tue, June 09, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/epb-fiber-keeps-electric-rates-check>

For the first time in four years, EPB is asking its board of directors to
approve a rate increase for electric power charges, reports the Chattanoogan
<http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/5/22/300956/EPB-Seeks-3.5-Rate-Increase-First.aspx>.
According to EPB, revenue from the Fiber Optic division has kept electric
power prices in check for the past four years.

Price increases are always a frustration for residents and businesses, but
this is actually another example of how the entire community, even those
who may not subscribe to EPB's fiber network, have beneifted via reduced
energy rates. We wrote about this last in 2012
<http://muninetworks.org/content/chattanooga-fiber-network-reduces-cost-electricity-all-customers>
.

According to the article, several years of deadly storms have caused damage
that have increased the average cost of cleanup from $2 million per year to
$6 million per year.

... Read the Rest of the Story Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/epb-fiber-keeps-electric-rates-check>

LD 1185 Advances in Maine With Overwhelming Support
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ld-1185-advances-maine-overwhelming-support>
Tue, June 09, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ld-1185-advances-maine-overwhelming-support>

On June 5th, the Main House of Representatives voted 143 - 0 in favor of LD
1185
<http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0818&item=1&snum=127>,
the Maine bill to provide state planning and implementation grants for
local municipal networks. Representative Norm Higgins, the sponsor of the
bill, contacted us to let us know about the incredible support for the bill.

LD 1185 proposes to provide $6 million this year for local communities
seeking to establish networks that want to take advantage of the state's
middle-mile network, the Three Ring Binder. The House amended the bill to
include general goals for the fund and its purpose in bringing better
connectivity to Maine.

The amendment also creates specifications between planning and
implementation grants and establishes caps on awards. Planning grants
cannot exceed $25,000 and implementation grants cannot exceed $200,000.
Implementation grants require a 25 percent match from the requesting
municipality; planning grants require a one-to-one match. The
amendment is available
online
<http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0818&item=2&snum=127>
.

Now that the House has put their stamp of approval on the bill, it is up to
the Maine Senate to  approve the measure and send it on to the Governor.
According to Higgins, it appears to have strong bipartisan support; funding
is the only area of uncertainty. He anticipates it will be before the
Appropriations Committee within the next two weeks.

... Link to this Story Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ld-1185-advances-maine-overwhelming-support>

Sonic.net Lights Up In Brentwood CA
<http://muninetworks.org/content/sonicnet-lights-brentwood-ca>
Thu, June 11, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/sonicnet-lights-brentwood-ca>

Last summer the community of Brentwood began working with Sonic.net
<http://www.muninetworks.org/content/conduit-policy-foundation-affordable-gig-service-bay-area>
in
a plan to use publicly owned conduit for a privately owned fiber network.
Earlier this month, the partners celebrated completion of part of that
network and officially lit-up the first residential neighborhood served by
Sonic.net's fiber gigabit service.

The Mercury News reports
<http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_28155550/sonic-partners-brentwood-bring-high-speed-internet-town>
that
residents are much happier with the new Internet service provider than they
were with incumbents Comcast and AT&T:

"I had no lag, no buffering, no waiting -- it almost feels like the
Internet's waiting on you, rather than you waiting for the Internet," said
Brentwood resident Matt Gamblin, who was one of the first residents to sign
up for the service. "The hardest part about the process was canceling my
old Internet."

... More Details on Cost Savings Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/sonicnet-lights-brentwood-ca>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - June 15, 2015
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-15-2015>
Mon, June 15, 2015 | Posted by rebecca
<http://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-15-2015>

This week's big news came out of Washington, specifically Seattle. The city
just published a report examining the feasibility of a Chattanooga-type
citywide municipal fiber network. The report and related materials are
available here <http://www.seattle.gov/broadband/broadband-study>;
read the news
release here <http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=15079&Dept=29>. In
short, duplicating a Chattanooga-type approach appears too risky given the
likely response from incumbents Comcast and CenturyLink.

*Seattle*

Public Internet is supposed to lower prices. In Seattle, it could work too
well
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/06/10/public-internet-is-supposed-to-lower-prices-in-seattle-it-could-work-too-well/?postshare=3151433990774010>
by
Brian Fung Washington Post

Is Muni Broadband Feasible in Seattle? Not Likely, Report Finds
<http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/Is-Muni-Broadband-Feasible-in-Seattle-Not-Likely-Report-Finds.html?utm_campaign=Newsletters&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email>
by
Colin Wood, GovTech

The numbers don't bode well for proponents of municipal broadband in
Seattle, but the city has other plans.

“The broadband market has been changing incredibly fast just in the past
six months, since the president mentioned the need for strong broadband
access in his State of the Union address," he said. "And we’re starting to
see some interesting joint ventures that allow cities to meet their policy
objectives around equity and around economic development through broadband."

Seattle councilmember calls for ‘mass citywide movement’ against Comcast
and CenturyLink in support of municipal broadband
<http://www.geekwire.com/2015/seattle-councilmember-calls-for-mass-citywide-movement-against-comcast-and-centurylink-in-support-of-municipal-broadband/>
by
Taylor Soper, Geekwire

GeekWire Radio: Amazon meeting hijacked; Twitter shakeup; and the future of
municipal broadband
<http://www.geekwire.com/2015/geekwire-radio-amazon-meeting-hijacked-again-big-twitter-changes-and-municipal-broadband-in-seattle/>
by
Todd Bishop, GeekWire

Cost of municipal broadband for Seattle less than estimated
<http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/cost-of-municipal-broadband-for-seattle-less-than-estimated/>
by
Daniel Beekman, Seattle Times

Building a municipal broadband network in Seattle wouldn’t cost as much as
the city once thought, but the city would still need additional funds.

Bad News For Municipal-Run Broadband Internet
<http://kuow.org/post/bad-news-municipal-run-broadband-internet> by Ross
Reynolds, KUOW

Report says municipal broadband too expensive for Seattle to build alone
<http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2015/06/report-says-municipal-broadband-too-expensive-for-seattle-to-build-alone/>,
Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

... Read the Full Media Roundup Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-15-2015>

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