[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 8/30

[Christopher Mitchell]

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


Garrett County, Maryland: Access For Anchors In The Appalachians
<https://muninetworks.org/content/garrett-county-maryland-access-anchors-appalachians>
Mon, August 22, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/garrett-county-maryland-access-anchors-appalachians>

Garrett County is the westernmost county in Maryland. High in the Allegheny
Mountains of the Appalachian Mountain Range; winters are harsh and forest
covers 90 percent of the county. Before the county deployed a fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10>network, high-quality
connectivity was hard to come by for schools, libraries, and other
community anchor institutions. By making the most of every opportunity,Garrett
County <https://www.garrettcounty.org/> has improved efficiencies for the
many small communities in the region and set the stage to improve
connectivity for businesses and residents.

*Rural, Remote, Ready For Better Connectivity*

The county is more than 650 square miles but there are no large urban
centers and over time a number of sparsely populated areas have developed
as home to the county's 30,000 people; since 2000, population growth has
stagnated. Many of the tiny communities where businesses and residents have
clustered are remote and do not have public sewer or water. These places
tend to have a high number of low-income people.

... Read Our Full In-Depth Report on Garrett County Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/garrett-county-maryland-access-anchors-appalachians>

SandyNet Increases Speeds, Keeps Low Prices
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sandynet-increases-speeds-keeps-low-prices>
Tue, August 23, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sandynet-increases-speeds-keeps-low-prices>

On July 4th, Sandy, Oregon’s municipal fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network, SandyNet
<http://www.ci.sandy.or.us/SandyNet/>, permanently increased the speed of
its entry-level Internet package from 100 Megabits per second (Mbps
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term18>) to 300 Mbps at no additional
cost to subscribers.

The city announced the speed boost for its $39.95 per month tier in a
recent press release, calling it “one of the best deals in the nation.”
SandyNet customers witness blazing fast download
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term8> speeds at affordable prices and
benefit fromsymmetrical <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term24> upload
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term28> speeds, allowing them to
seamlessly interact with the cloud
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term6>and work from home.

Sandy is still home the “$60 Gig” (see price chart
<http://www.ci.sandy.or.us/Residential-Services/>), one of the premier
gigabit Internet offers in the nation. Without an electric utility,
SandyNet’s unique model can be applied to “Anytown, USA.”

... Sandy Sets a Higher Bar with its Muni Network ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sandynet-increases-speeds-keeps-low-prices>

Just What is the Internet? Community Broadband Bits Podcast 216
<https://muninetworks.org/content/just-what-internet-community-broadband-bits-podcast-216>
Wed, August 24, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/just-what-internet-community-broadband-bits-podcast-216>

The Internet is one of those things that is right there in front of our
face but can be hard to define exactly. Community Broadband Bits Episode
216 answers that question and picks up right where episode 213
<https://muninetworks.org/content/smart-fcc-decisions-helped-create-internet-community-broadband-bits-podcast-213>
left
off with Fred Goldstein, Principal of Interisle Consulting Group
<http://www.interisle.net/>.

Having already discussed the regulatory decisions that allowed the Internet
to flourish, we now focus on what exactly the Internet is (hint, not wires
or even physical things) and spend a long time talking about Fred's
persuasive argument on how the FCC should have resolved the network
neutrality battle.

We also talk about why the Internet should properly be capitalized and why
the Internet is neither fast nor slow itself. These are core concepts that
anyone who cares about getting Internet policy correct should know -- but
far too few do. Not because it is too technical, but because it does
require some work to understand. That is why this is such a long
conversation - probably our longest to date in over 200 shows.

... Listen to the Story Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/just-what-internet-community-broadband-bits-podcast-216>
... Read the transcript of this episode here
<https://muninetworks.org/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-216>
...

Dublin Residents Push for Residential Fiber, City Continues to Benefit
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dublin-residents-push-residential-fiber-city-continues-benefit>
Fri, August 26, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dublin-residents-push-residential-fiber-city-continues-benefit>

The Columbus, Ohio suburb of Dublin is home to Dublink
<http://www.econdev.dublinohiousa.gov/dublink/>, a fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network that serves local
businesses, schools, and community anchor institutions. Dublink brought new
jobs and research opportunities to the local economy while saving local
institutions hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

Just recently, Dublin City School District and City of Dublin struck a deal
to allow public schools to use the network
<http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/dublin/news/2016/06/07/land-deal-will-help-schools-city-library.html>.
Now, residents want Dublink to deliver high-speed access to their homes.

... No Surprises as People Seek a Local Option for Internet Access ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dublin-residents-push-residential-fiber-city-continues-benefit>

Open Access Muni On The Way In Campbell River, B.C.
<https://muninetworks.org/content/open-access-muni-way-campbell-river-bc>
Wed, August 24, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/open-access-muni-way-campbell-river-bc>

Located on the southern end of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island sits the
coastal city of Campbell River <http://www.campbellriver.ca/>. The
community recently received a $50,000 grant from the Island Coastal
Economic Trust <http://www.islandcoastaltrust.ca/> (ICET) to pursue better
connectivity through a municipal open access
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term625> network initiative.

*Retain and Attract*

The “Salmon Capital of the World” is also home to other industries that
increasingly need access to fast, affordable, reliable connectivity.
Approximately 31,000 people live in Campbell River. The island’s forestry
and mining companies need to have the ability to transfer large data files,
such as 3D renderings, detailed maps, and similar geographic files, to
business associates. In addition to making the current situation better for
existing industries, community leaders want to attract new industries.

... Get the Full Story Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/open-access-muni-way-campbell-river-bc>

Bel Air, Maryland, Latest To Save With HMAN
<https://muninetworks.org/content/bel-air-maryland-latest-save-hman>
Sat, August 27, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/bel-air-maryland-latest-save-hman>

Time to check in at Harford County, Maryland. When we last reported
<https://muninetworks.org/content/harford-county-network-goes-live-maryland> on
the Harford Metro Area Network (HMAN) in July 2014, it had only been lit
for a few months. Now, more than 100 public facilities
<http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/belair/ph-ag-estimates-technology-hman-0722-20150721-story.html>
are
connected to the network and more are expected; the latest will be Bel Air,
Maryland <http://www.belairmd.org/>.

*Saving With County Connections For VoIP*

A recent GovTech article
<http://www.govtech.com/network/Maryland-City-to-Link-Up-with-County-Owned-High-Speed-Internet-Service.html?mc_cid=9d506bd81d&mc_eid=e00c29a42c>
reported
that the Board of Town Commissioners voted 4-0 to invest approximately
$25,000 in a new VoIP system that will use HMAN for telephone service. The
new system will serve 65 new phones and will include the software for the
new system. Apparently, Bel Air sought cost estimates to replace their old
traditional system with VoIP with a private provider and the estimates were
more than $65,000 beyond what the city had budgeted for the project.

... Exciting Savings Examined Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/bel-air-maryland-latest-save-hman>

Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, UC2B issues RFP: Intent to Respond Letters Due
August 29
<https://muninetworks.org/content/urbana-champaign-illinois-uc2b-issues-rfp-intent-respond-letters-due-august-29>
Thu, August 25, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/urbana-champaign-illinois-uc2b-issues-rfp-intent-respond-letters-due-august-29>

The Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband non-profit (UC2B) owns a community
network in the southern Illinois sister cities of Urbana and Champaign. In
2009, these cities partnered with the University of Illinois to create the
non-profit UC2B to build a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) network using a federal
stimulus grant. In 2014, UC2B partnered with iTV3 to operate the network,
but CountryWide Broadband bought iTV3
<https://muninetworks.org/content/uc2b-crossroads-partner-selling-assets> in
early 2016. Now UC2B is looking for a new partner.

On August 22, 2016, UC2B issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to find a
partner to operate and expand the existing UC2B fiber network. Submit
letters of Intent to Respond to the RFP by *Monday, August 29, 2016* to
RFP at UC2B.net < rfp at uc2b.net>. The goal is Gigabit-connectivity in
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

... UC2B Seeks Potential Partner in Expanding Network ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/urbana-champaign-illinois-uc2b-issues-rfp-intent-respond-letters-due-august-29>

Hudson, Ohio, Issues RFP for FTTH Study
<https://muninetworks.org/content/hudson-ohio-issues-rfp-ftth-study>
Tue, August 23, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/hudson-ohio-issues-rfp-ftth-study>

Hudson is bringing better connectivity to local businesses with Velocity
Broadband <http://www.hudsonvelocity.com/Business/Default.aspx>, its
gigabit fiber network, and is now exploring the potential of
Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) for
the rest of the community. The city recently issued a Request for Proposals
(RFP) for a feasibility study to review the possibilities for service to
residents. Proposals are *due August 26*.

>From the RFP Summary:

This project will result in the production of a Feasibility Study
containing a residential needs assessment, deployment strategy options and
construction cost estimates. The desired outcome of this planning effort is
to provide a tool for the city to establish if Hudson residents want this
service and determine a successful deployment strategy and the associated
cost to implement fiber to the homes (FTTH) within the City of Hudson.

The city wants the study completed by the end of 2016.

... More Details Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/hudson-ohio-issues-rfp-ftth-study>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - August 29
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-august-29>
Mon, August 29, 2016 | Posted by rebecca
<https://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-august-29>

*Colorado*

Voters to Decide Whether El Paso County, Colo., Will Provide High-Speed
Internet to Less-Populated Areas
<http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/Voters-to-Decide-Whether-El-Paso-County-Colo-Will-Provide-High-Speed-Internet-to-Less-Populated-Areas-.html?mc_cid=b32440f17a&mc_eid=cbed7e335c>
by
Matt Steiner, The Gazette



*Illinois*

Comcast’s $70 gigabit deal is shockingly difficult to sign up for
<http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/08/comcasts-70-gigabit-exists-on-paper-hard-to-get-in-real-life/?mc_cid=b32440f17a&mc_eid=cbed7e335c>
by
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica
... Read the Full Community Networks Media Roundup Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-august-29>

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