[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 9/9

Christopher Mitchell christopher at newrules.org
Wed Sep 9 06:53:52 PDT 2015


*Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org - a project of the *
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New Municipal Broadband Feasibility Study Underway in Firestone, CO
<http://muninetworks.org/content/new-municipal-broadband-feasibility-study-underway-firestone-co>
Mon, August 31, 2015 | Posted by Tom Ernste
<http://muninetworks.org/users/tom-ernste>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/new-municipal-broadband-feasibility-study-underway-firestone-co>

The Board of Trustees for the city of Firestone, CO is evaluating the
feasibility of a new municipal broadband service for this growing town of
about 10,000 people that sits just 30 miles north of Denver. This according
to a recent report
<http://www.timescall.com/news_region-news/ci_28325938/firestone-commissions-municipal-internet-study>
in
the Times-Call newspaper in Longmont, Colorado.  The feasibility study will
compare Firestone’s existing telecommunications infrastructure with those
in nearby communities such as Longmont <http://muninetworks.org/tags-216>
 and Boulder <http://muninetworks.org/taxonomy/term/736> that already have
municipal networks. It will also assess the potential for growth of the
service in Firestone to a nearby 3,500-home community development project.

It would be travesty to build a 3,500 home development without having a
plan for high quality Internet access. Even if CenturyLink or Comcast were
to deploy fiber optics there, the community should ensure there are plans
for conduit <http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305> or an open network
to allow multiple service providers to provide a real choice.

... Get the Rest of the Story Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/new-municipal-broadband-feasibility-study-underway-firestone-co>

Danville's Incremental Strategy Pays Off - Community Broadband Bits Episode
166
<http://muninetworks.org/content/danvilles-incremental-strategy-pays-community-broadband-bits-episode-166>
Tue, September 01, 2015 | Posted by christopher
<http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/danvilles-incremental-strategy-pays-community-broadband-bits-episode-166>

Danville, Virginia, has long been one of the municipal network approaches
that we like to highlight. Built in a region hard hit by the transition
away from tobacco and manufacturing economies, the open access fiber
network called nDanville <http://www.ndanville.com/> has led to many new
employers coming to town and has shown the benefits of a low-risk,
incremental investment strategy for building a fiber network.

Jason Grey, Interim Utilities Manager, is back on the show to update us on
their approach. He introduced the network to us three years ago on episode
22
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-22-jason-grey-danville-virginia>
.

Since we last checked in, Danville has continued expanding the fiber
network to a greater number of residents and Jason talks with us about the
importance and challenges of marketing to residents. We also discuss how
they lay conduit <http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305> as a matter
of course, even in areas they do not plan to serve immediately with the
fiber network.

... Listen to the Show here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/danvilles-incremental-strategy-pays-community-broadband-bits-episode-166>

Hamilton Partners With Local Provider to Serve Businesses in Ohio
<http://muninetworks.org/content/hamilton-partners-local-provider-serve-businesses-ohio>
Tue, September 01, 2015 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/hamilton-partners-local-provider-serve-businesses-ohio>

Hamilton, Ohio, has entered into a partnership with local firm, CenterGrid
<http://www.centergrid.com/>, to use city-owned fiber to boost economic
development. The firm will offer Internet access and data transport to
local businesses via existing infrastructure as the two enter into a
five-year pilot project agreement, reports the Journal-News
<http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/local/deal-with-it-company-brings-high-speed-internet-to/nnHdW/>
.

The city's business incubator, the Hamilton Mill <http://hamiltonmill.org/>,
is the initial pilot site where emerging businesses are already receiving
high-speed connectivity:

“As the initial pilot site, CenterGrid’s service has resulted in the Mill
receiving network connectivity that is better than 83 percent of Internet
connections throughout the US — that is huge,” Chris Lawson, executive
director of the Hamilton Mill said. “For the types of companies that we are
attracting, this level of connectivity is imperative for them to be
successful.”

A press release
<http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs193/1103899377258/archive/1121857689937.html>
from
CenterGrid describes rates as economical, competitive, and determined by
individual business requirements. According to the press release,
entrepreneurs at The Mill are already taking advantage of the service.

... Learn More About Their Approach Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/hamilton-partners-local-provider-serve-businesses-ohio>

Rio Blanco County Has Big Plans for Open Access Network
<http://muninetworks.org/content/rio-blanco-county-has-big-plans-open-access-network>
Thu, September 03, 2015 | Posted by phineas
<http://muninetworks.org/users/phineas>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/rio-blanco-county-has-big-plans-open-access-network>

In Rio Blanco County, you’re almost more likely to find a dinosaur fossil
than a human being. This rural county in northwestern Colorado has about
two people for every square mile, but its sparse population is not stopping
it from advancing an ambitious open-access broadband initiative
<http://www.rbc.us/wcitc>.

More than a year into the rollout of the network plan, Rio Blanco County
(RBC) has already succeeded in soliciting $2 million in matched funds from
the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), contracted a network
operator, and secured easements (land-use rights) from the county’s two
largest municipalities to begin construction on the FTTx network. The bulk
of the funding will come for the County budgeting for the infrastructure.

The network will initially touch every block and ultimately be expanded to
deliver a fiber connection to each premise in the two towns.

... Learn More About This Exciting Approach ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/rio-blanco-county-has-big-plans-open-access-network>

Fiber-optic Community Broadband Service in the Washington State Wilderness
<http://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-optic-community-broadband-service-washington-state-wilderness>
Wed, September 02, 2015 | Posted by Tom Ernste
<http://muninetworks.org/users/tom-ernste>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-optic-community-broadband-service-washington-state-wilderness>

The Spokane Business Journal recently wrote about
<http://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/-high-tech-high-rec-pend-oreille-works-to-connect-work-with-play/>
the
community broadband system in Pend Oreille County, a long a favored
destination for all seasons outdoor recreation <http://www.porta-us.com/>.
Beginning in 2013, the Pend Oreille County Public Utility District (PUD)
began providing residents and tourists with high-speed fiber to the
premises broadband <http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/grantees/PendOrielle> via a
573-miles fiber network.  The network was made possible by a $27 million
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant
<http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/grantees/PendOrielle>.

Private companies commonly say that such rural areas are not densely
populated enough to justify investing in high-speed broadband
infrastructure, leaving many rural communities on the disadvantaged side of
the digital divide
<http://www.washingtonbroadband.org/benefits-of-broadband.aspx>.
High-speed community broadband systems like the one in Pend Oreille County
cancel out this potential problem as they allow tourists, residents, and
businesses alike to be closely connected with nature while staying
connected for business demands. Indeed, as the website for Pend Oreille
County’s Economic Development Council <http://pocedc.org/> makes clear, the
community broadband service is at the core of the county’s ambitious plans
to attract people and businesses to the area.

... Many More Details with the Rest of the Story Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-optic-community-broadband-service-washington-state-wilderness>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - September 4
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-september-4>
Tue, September 08, 2015 | Posted by rebecca
<http://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-september-4>

*Colorado*

Boulder Valley school board eyes putting broadband question on November
ballot
<http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-schools/ci_28695685/boulder-valley-school-board-eyes-putting-broadband-question>by
Amy Bounds, Daily Camera



*Kentucky*

Kentucky is building a statewide middle mile
<http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term456> network.

Kentucky Moving Forward With Effort to Expand Broadband In Rural Areas
<http://wkms.org/post/kentucky-moving-forward-effort-expand-broadband-rural-areas>
by
Allison Crawford, WKMS

Kentucky Wired broadband internet project announced in Hazard
<http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/home/headlines/Kentucky-Wired-broadband-internet-project-announced-in-Hazard-323490991.html>by
Tanner Hesterberg, WYMT-TV

Kentucky state, local leaders kick off pioneering broadband-access
initiative
<http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2015/09/01/kentucky-state-local-leaders-kick-off-pioneering.html>
by
Paul Wesslund, Louisville Business First

... Read the Full Roundup Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-september-4>

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