[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 1/12

[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.*


No Longer Just a Luxury: Tennessee Communities Need Broadband Access Now
<http://muninetworks.org/content/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now>
Thu, January 07, 2016 | Posted by ternste
<http://muninetworks.org/users/ternste>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now>

Sandi Wallis, a resident of northern Bradley County in Tennessee, doesn’t
simply *want *to have ultra-fast, reliable broadband access for the fun of
it. She needs it to run her home business. Her school-age children need it
too:

“I've had to send my kids into town to do their homework. We’ve had to go
into town with our business laptops to download
<http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term8> updates to our programs for our
accounting business because we can’t do it at home. We need service — not
just reliable service and not just for entertainment.”

Wallis made the comments at a recent meeting
<http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/forum-message-we-want-our-internet,24016>hosted
by the Bradley County Chamber of Commerce in Tennessee. The meeting focused
on a persistent problem in many parts of Bradley County - residents and
businesses lack the fast, affordable, reliable, broadband access that is
available via Chattanooga’s EPB fiber network
<http://muninetworks.org/content/chattanooga-crushes-it-marketing-technology-and-nearby-communities-community-broadband-bits->
in
neighboring Hamilton County. The deficiency is taking its toll.

... Read On for Absurd AT&T Statement Asking People to Ignore Gaps in
Coverage ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now>

Bradley County Urges Tennessee Lawmakers: High-Speed Internet Now!
<http://muninetworks.org/content/bradley-county-urges-tennessee-lawmakers-high-speed-internet-now>
Sat, January 09, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<http://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/bradley-county-urges-tennessee-lawmakers-high-speed-internet-now>

Just this past week, we reported on the plight of Bradley County
<http://muninetworks.org/content/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now>
in
Tennessee. Cut off from connectivity, families and businesses are
considering leaving to nearby Hamilton County which has Chattanooga’s
high-speed fiber network.

By a 12-1 vote, the Bradley County Commission urged the Tennessee
legislature <http://www.bradleyco.net/resolutions.aspx>to pass a bill
(Tennessee HB 1303/SB 1134) enabling public utilities to bring high-speed
Internet to Bradley County residents. Current state law - right now
embroiled in legal disputes - prohibits public utilities from expanding
high-speed Internet access.

*Near-Unanimous Vote (12-1)*

As reported in the Chattanoogan
<http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/12/21/314787/Bradley-Commission-Votes-12-1-To-Urge.aspx>,
the only naysayer to the resolution was the vice-chairman. He agreed that
Charter and AT&T had failed to provide adequate Internet access to the
county, but he expressed opposition to municipal networks. Although
disagreeing with the resolution, he underscored how local control had
disappeared with the current state law:

... More Coverage of How Tennessee Grassroots are Organizing for Local
Internet Choice ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/bradley-county-urges-tennessee-lawmakers-high-speed-internet-now>

Next Century Cities Covers One-Touch Make-Ready
<http://muninetworks.org/content/next-century-cities-covers-one-touch-make-ready>
Fri, January 08, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/next-century-cities-covers-one-touch-make-ready>

An increasing number of communities appreciate the significance of dig-once
policies. Municipal, state, and federal leaders are taking the advice of
groups like Next Century Cities and implementing some form of the dig once
approach to speed up deployment of telecommunications infrastructure. The
next "no-brainer" policy is the one-touch make-ready or OTMR for pole
attachments.

Make-ready work on utility poles is typically time consuming because it
often requires multiple crews from different entities to move existing
lines placed on the pole for different services. Before the new fiber line
can be attached, those lines need to be rearranged to make room. When a
community adheres to an OTMR policy, companies that own the poles agree to
conditions that streamline the process.

... Smart, Wonky Policy Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/next-century-cities-covers-one-touch-make-ready>

New Vermont Law Bolsters Prospects for Investing in Community Broadband
Networks
<http://muninetworks.org/content/new-vermont-law-bolsters-prospects-investing-community-broadband-networks>
Wed, January 06, 2016 | Posted by Scott
<http://muninetworks.org/users/scott>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/new-vermont-law-bolsters-prospects-investing-community-broadband-networks>

A new state law is on the books in Vermont that supporters expect will
encourage more investor activity supporting community broadband networks.

The new law, which took effect this past June, allows for the creation of
“communications union districts,” enabling towns and cities to band
together to form geographic entities dedicated to establishing fiber-optic
<http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> broadband networks for their
area’s residents and businesses.

*A New Nomenclature*

While Vermont towns have been able to work cooperatively via inter-local
contracts, the new law is less cumbersome and uses a governmental
nomenclature more familiar to most people—the union district. The union
district governance model has been used for many years throughout Vermont,
including by various utilities that have multi-town operations to handle,
for example, sewer and water service.

... Read our Full In-Depth Coverage Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/new-vermont-law-bolsters-prospects-investing-community-broadband-networks>

Thoughts on 2015, Predictions for 2016 - Community Broadband Bits Episode
183
<http://muninetworks.org/content/thoughts-2015-predictions-2016-community-broadband-bits-episode-183>
Tue, January 05, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/thoughts-2015-predictions-2016-community-broadband-bits-episode-183>

Given all the exciting events of 2015 and our hopes for 2016, we decided to
do another year end / year beginning show that looks both backward and
forward. Unfortunately, our timing did not allow for Lisa to join us in the
recording, but Christopher Mitchell is joined by communications staff at
the Institute for Local Self-Reliance -- Rebecca Toews and Nick
Stumo-Langer.

We talk about what strikes us about the past year and what we expect to be
happening in the near future. When I write "we" I mean that Christopher
dominates the discussion.

We will be back with our usual interviews starting next week.

... Listen to the Show Here
<http://muninetworks.org/content/thoughts-2015-predictions-2016-community-broadband-bits-episode-183>
... The transcript from this episode is available here
<http://www.muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-183>
 ...

Ringing in the New Year, Celebrating a Win for Prison Phone Justice
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ringing-new-year-celebrating-win-prison-phone-justice>
Mon, January 04, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<http://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ringing-new-year-celebrating-win-prison-phone-justice>

At MuniNetworks, we often focus on access to the Internet, but the impact
of telecommunication policy extends beyond data. In 2016, families might
finally see reasonable prices for phone calls to incarcerated loved ones.

Last October, the FCC voted to close loopholes and cap rates for Inmate
Calling Service providers in jails and prisons across the nation. While
incarcerated, folks couldn’t choose their long-distance service provider,
and the prices these Inmate Calling Service providers demanded could reach up
to $14 a minute
<http://www.newsweek.com/fcc-regulates-prison-phone-call-prices-no-more-14-minute-rates-386299>.
Although the FCC had some regulations in place, they did little to prevent
add-on fees and service charges.

... More on the Victory Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/ringing-new-year-celebrating-win-prison-phone-justice>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - January 8
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-january-8>
Fri, January 08, 2016 | Posted by Nick <http://muninetworks.org/users/nick>
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-january-8>

*Minnesota*

Building a 21st century broadband infrastructure
<http://www.walkermn.com/community_voice/building-a-st-cenury-broadband-infrastructure/article_7a806bca-ad7b-11e5-b00f-dfc9b1d2d42d.html?mc_cid=dcb98d91d4&mc_eid=2910c7b52b>
by
Senator Amy Klobuchar, Walker Minnesota Pilot

Minnesota Governor recommends $100 million rural broadband funding
<http://www.govtech.com/network/Minnesota-Governor-Recommends-100-Million-Rural-Broadband-Funding.html?mc_cid=aa44e38bb0&mc_eid=2910c7b52b>
by
Colin Wood, GovTech



*Oregon*

Survey to gauge public's interest in a city-owned fiber network
<http://pamplinmedia.com/lor/48-news/287128-163817-survey-to-gauge-publics-interest-in-a-city-owned-fiber-network-?mc_cid=dcb98d91d4&mc_eid=2910c7b52b>
by
Phil Favorite, Lake Oswego Review

... Read our Full Community Network Media Roundup Here ...
<http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-january-8>

-- 
You can always find our most recent stories and other resources at http://MuniNetworks.org
--- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Community Networks Weekly Updates" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to communitynetworks-weekly+unsubscribe at ilsr.org.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/a/ilsr.org/d/optout.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://list.omsoft.com/pipermail/davisgig/attachments/20160112/f410dc0f/attachment.html>