[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 7/13

[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.*


Glenwood Springs, Colorado: Fiber Frontier
<https://muninetworks.org/content/glenwood-springs-colorado-fiber-frontier>
Tue, July 05, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/glenwood-springs-colorado-fiber-frontier>

Glenwood Springs <http://www.ci.glenwood-springs.co.us/> was the first
community in Colorado to invest in publicly owned Internet infrastructure,
the Community Broadband Network <http://gscbn.com/> (CBN), and offer
services to local businesses. The community, originally named “Defiance,”
was also one of the first U.S. communities to have electric lights. Their open
access <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term625> municipal network has
improved connectivity throughout the community and helped establish robust
competition in this western frontier town.

*Dial-Up Just Didn’t Do It; City Steps In*

Bob Farmer, Information Systems Director at Glenwood Springs, spoke with
Christopher Mitchell forepisode #206
<https://muninetworks.org/content/glenwood-springs-shares-lessons-learned-community-broadband-bits-podcast-206>
of
the Community Broadband Bits podcast and he shared some of the network’s
history. Before community leaders chose to take matters into their own
hands, Qwest (now CentuyLink) and AT&T were offering dial-up services to
residents and businesses. The city approached the incumbents and asked them
to make upgrades to improve local connectivity but were told by both
companies that they had no plans to make improvements.

... Read the Rest of this In-Depth Coverage of Glenwood Springs Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/glenwood-springs-colorado-fiber-frontier>

Discussing (Ranting) Consolidation - Community Broadband Bits Episode 209
<https://muninetworks.org/content/discussing-ranting-consolidation-community-broadband-bits-episode-209>
Tue, July 05, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/discussing-ranting-consolidation-community-broadband-bits-episode-209>

In celebration of Independence Day, we are focused this week on
consolidation and dependence. At the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we
are very focused on independence and believe that the consolidation in the
telecommunications industry threatens the independence of communities. We
doubt that Comcast or AT&T executives could locate most of the communities
they serve on a blank map - and that impacts their investment decisions
that threaten the future of communities.

So Lisa Gonzalez and I talk about consolidation in the wake of Google
buying Webpass and UC2B's partner iTV-3 selling out to Countrywide
Broadband. And we talk about why Westminster's model of public-private
partnership is preferable to that of UC2B.

We also discuss where consolidation may not be harmful and how the FCC's
order approving the Charter takeover of Time Warner Cable will actually
result in much more consolidation rather than new competition.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/discussing-ranting-consolidation-community-broadband-bits-episode-209>
... Read the transcript from this show here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-209>
.
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-209>
..

Fiber in Lenox, Iowa <https://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-lenox-iowa>
Mon, July 11, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-lenox-iowa>

When community leaders in Lenox, Iowa
<http://mferguson314.wix.com/lenox-iowa>, gathered together to examine the
community's cable TV options in the 1980s, they probably didn't expect
their decision to impact local Internet access. Fast-forward 30 years, and
this town of 1,400 people now has one of the most sought after forms of
Internet access infrastructure: Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>).

Lenox Municipal Utilities <http://www.lenoxutilities.com/> owns and
operates a FTTH network that offers symmetrical
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term24> speeds to hundreds of
customers in town. It’s just one of many communities around the nation
<https://muninetworks.org/communitymap> that have invested in this rugged,
future-proof technology.

*Same Utility, Changing Technology*

We spoke with the Lenox Municipal Utilities General Manager John Borland
who graciously provided some of the history of the network.

... More on Lenox and Its Services Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-lenox-iowa>

Community Connections - Jason Hardebeck, Baltimore
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-jason-hardebeck-baltimore>
Mon, July 11, 2016 | Posted by rebecca
<https://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-jason-hardebeck-baltimore>

Residents and businesses in Baltimore have been dealing with poor access
for years. In 2015 the city's mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake named a
27-member task force to address the problem and has spoken out about the
need for more investment.

In this episode of Community Connections, Christopher Mitchell caught up
with Broadband Coordinator Jason Hardebeck to talk about about his city's
challenges and opportunities.

Hardebeck is tasked with developing a strategy that puts his city's
residents and businesses first. These challenges are familiar to many
cities across the United States and this interview serves as a good
illustration of why owning some conduit
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305> and dark fiber can be a big
benefit to cities as they try to solve the problem of the digital divide.

... Watch the Video Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-jason-hardebeck-baltimore>

For Block Island, RI, a Better Network Could Be Blowin’ in the Wind
<https://muninetworks.org/content/block-island-ri-better-network-could-be-blowin%E2%80%99-wind>
Thu, July 07, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/block-island-ri-better-network-could-be-blowin%E2%80%99-wind>

Eight strands of publicly available fiber optic cable made landfall
<http://www.blockislandtimes.com/article/cable-lands-island/46712> on Block
Island, Rhode Island <http://www.new-shoreham.com/> this month, opening the
door to Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) for local businesses and residents. Local
officials are moving forward
<http://www.blockislandtimes.com/article/town-investing-broadband-network/45864>
with
a once in a multi-generational opportunity to share an underwater cable
with Deepwater Wind <http://dwwind.com/> and National Grid
<https://www.nationalgridus.com/Our-Company/>. The energy companies are
laying lines to the nearbyBlock Island Wind Farm
<http://dwwind.com/project/block-island-wind-farm/>.

*A Brief History of Eight Strands of Fiber*

The island is home to only one municipality, New Shoreham
<http://www.new-shoreham.com/>, which covers the entire land mass. Block
Island residents have struggled with poor utilities for more than a
century. Located about 12 miles off the Rhode Island coast, the island has
never been connected to the mainland electrical grid or Internet backhaul
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term812> network. As a result, the
town of about 1,000 year-round residents has reported the highest energy
costs outside of Alaska <http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB894391541854552000> and
dismal Internet speeds of 2 Megabits per second (Mbps
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term18>) or slower download
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term8> and upload
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term28> speeds that are even more
lethargic.

... Get the Rest of the Story Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/block-island-ri-better-network-could-be-blowin%E2%80%99-wind>

Broadband Communities Regional Conference This Fall In Minneapolis
<https://muninetworks.org/content/broadband-communities-regional-conference-fall-minneapolis>
Sat, July 09, 2016 | Posted by Scott <https://muninetworks.org/users/scott>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/broadband-communities-regional-conference-fall-minneapolis>

"*Fiber For The New Economy*" will be the theme of  Broadband Communities'
annual regional conference which is scheduled from Oct. 18th to 20th in
Minneapolis.

The conference will explore the hottest developments in fiber and economic
development with panel discussions and workshop sessions on such topics as
Google Fiber, incumbent and other provider deployments, and public-private
projects, according to Jim Baller,
<http://www.bbcmag.com/minneapolis/about.html>the conference’s economic
development chairman.

There will also be sessions about developments in “major verticals,”
including health care, education and energy, adds Baller, who is also
co-founder and president of the Coalition for Local Internet Choice
<http://www.localnetchoice.org/>.

... We'll Be There (Here)!! ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/broadband-communities-regional-conference-fall-minneapolis>

Grover Beach Conduit: California's New "Silicon Dunes"
<https://muninetworks.org/content/grover-beach-conduit-californias-new-silicon-dunes>
Wed, July 06, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/grover-beach-conduit-californias-new-silicon-dunes>

The city of Grover Beach, California <http://www.grover.org/>, recently
finalized a 10-year agreement withDigital West, Inc.
<https://www.digitalwest.com/>, to bring gigabit speed fiber to local
businesses. The coastal town in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County wants to
attract tech companies like those making waves in Silicon Valley and the
"Silicon Beach" in Los Angeles.

*Terms of Agreement*

The agreement <http://www.grover.org/DocumentCenter/View/5818> specifies
that Grover Beach will maintain ownership of theconduit
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305> system and lease Digital West
conduit access at an annual rate of 5.1 percent of total fiber revenue.
Digital West will build, own, and maintain the fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network, several lines of
which will be leased to the city for public administrative use. Upon
approval from both parties, the 10-year agreement can be renewed in 5-year
increments.

... More on Grover Beach's Approach Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/grover-beach-conduit-californias-new-silicon-dunes>

Leverett Releases RFP For ISP: Responses Due August 15th
<https://muninetworks.org/content/leverett-releases-rfp-isp-responses-due-august-15th>
Fri, July 08, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/leverett-releases-rfp-isp-responses-due-august-15th>

Leverett, Massachusetts, has operated its Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network
<https://muninetworks.org/content/leverettnet-meets-demand-better-connectivity-ma>since
August 2015, working with Crocker Communications to bring Gigabit per
second (Gbps <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term14>) connectivity to
residents and businesses in the Massachusetts town. The contract with
Crocker is not indefinite, however, and the city has issued a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer
services on the network. Responses are due *August 15, 2016*.

... More Details Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/leverett-releases-rfp-isp-responses-due-august-15th>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - July 11
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-11>
Mon, July 11, 2016 | Posted by Nick <https://muninetworks.org/users/nick>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-11>

*Maryland*

Town receives grant and funding for fiber optic cable
<http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/0716/town-receives-grant-and-funding-for-fiber-optic-cable.html>by
Joseph Norris, The Bay Net

*Minnesota*

Kandiyohi County signs letter of intent with broadband partner
<http://www.wctrib.com/news/local/4068053-kandiyohi-county-signs-letter-intent-broadband-partner>
by
Anne Polta, West Central Tribune

*General*

Untangling Google Fiber's twist on America's unending digital divide
<http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/google-fiber-untangle-america-digital-divide/>
by
Lauren Walker, Daily Dot

... Read the Full Community Networks Media Roundup Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-jason-hardebeck-baltimore>

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