[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 7/19

[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.*


The Secrets Behind Partnerships to Improve Internet Access
<https://muninetworks.org/reports/secrets-behind-partnerships-improve-internet-access>
Author(s):
 Patrick Lucey & Christopher Mitchell
<https://muninetworks.org/reports/secrets-behind-partnerships-improve-internet-access>

*[image: placeholder]
<https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/placeholder.png>*A growing
number of U.S. cities have broken up monopoly control of the Internet
marketplace locally. They're promoting entrepreneurship while giving
residents and businesses real choice in how they connect and reach new
audiences. They've put a new wrinkle in an old model: the public-private
partnership.

"Communities desperately need better Internet access, but not all local
governments are bold enough to 'go it alone'", says Christopher Mitchell
with Community Broadband Networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
"Here, we've outlined a few remarkable cities who have demonstrated how
smart strategies are helping them help themselves."

A city that builds its own fiber and leases it to a trusted partner can
negotiate for activities that benefit the public good, like universal
access. It may even require (as Westminster, Maryland did) that the partner
ISP have real human beings answer the phone to solve a customer's problems.

... More Information on OUR NEW REPORT Here ...
<https://ilsr.org/ppp-fiber/> PDF Here
<https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2016/07/PPP-Report-2016.pdf>
...

Community Connections - Westminster & Ting: The How and the Why
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-westminster-ting-how-and-why>
Thu, July 14, 2016 | Posted by rebecca
<https://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-westminster-ting-how-and-why>

More and more cities are turning to public-private partnerships (PPP's) in
building Internet networks that meet the needs of 21st century homes and
businesses. If a city builds its own fiber and leases it to a trusted
partner, they can negotiate for activities that benefit the public good,
like universal access.

In this video Christopher Mitchell interviews Dr. Robert Wack with Westminster,
Maryland <http://www.westgov.com/> and Elliot Noss, CEO of Tucows
<http://www.tucows.com/>, the parent of Ting. The two talk about their
revolutionary public-private fiber partnership.

The video outlines a basic economic principle: *"Ownership equals control,
and control means leverage."* If you don't have that leverage (such as
ownership of infrastructure) you won't get a good deal from your private
ISP.

... Watch the Video Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-westminster-ting-how-and-why>

Westminster Muni Network Expanding
<https://muninetworks.org/content/westminster-muni-network-expanding>
Fri, July 15, 2016 | Posted by Scott <https://muninetworks.org/users/scott>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/westminster-muni-network-expanding>

Marking another big step forward, the mayor and Common Council of Westminster,
Maryland <http://www.westminstermd.gov/> (pop. 18,000) have hired a
telecommunications, utility and government contracting firm to continue
building the first two phases of the Westminster Fiber Network (WFN).

*City Hires SMC*

Westminster expects to complete this construction in 2017, providing
Gigabit per second (Gbps <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term14>)
connectivity to an additional 2,700 homes and businesses in the western
part of the community,according to a city news release.
<http://westminstermd.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=227> Cost of this phase is
undetermined, Westminster marketing consultant Jason Stambaugh told us; the
city will issue general obligation bonds to fund the entire cost of the
network.

One year after Westminster celebrated lighting its municipal fiber network,
the city hired SMC, Inc. to construct the expansion. Westminster is
partnering with Toronto-based Ting  <https://ting.com/>to provide retail
services via the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) network.

... Get the Latest Update from Westminster Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/westminster-muni-network-expanding>

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 offerssymmetrical
<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.

... Lots More of Lenox Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-lenox-iowa>

In Minnesota, Alexandria Connects Businesses - Community Broadband Bits
Podcast 210
<https://muninetworks.org/content/minnesota-alexandria-connects-businesses-community-broadband-bits-podcast-210>
Wed, July 13, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/minnesota-alexandria-connects-businesses-community-broadband-bits-podcast-210>

When the cable and telephone companies refused to offer dial-up Internet
service 20 years ago in Alexandria, Minnesota, the municipal utility
stepped up and made it available. For years, most everyone in the region
used it to get online. Now, the utility has focused its telecommunications
attention on makingfiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> telecommunications
services available to local businesses.

Alexandria's ALP Utilities <http://www.alputilities.com/> General Manager
Al Crowser joins us this week to explain what they have done and why. Like
us, Al is a strong believer that local governments can be the best provider
of essential services to local businesses and residents.

In the show, we talk some history and also about the difference between
local customer service and that from a larger, more distant company. He
discusses how they have paid for the network and where net income goes. And
finally, we talk about their undergrounding project.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/minnesota-alexandria-connects-businesses-community-broadband-bits-podcast-210>
... Read the transcript from this show here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-210>
 ...

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

I-Net Beginning to Blossom in Greenfield, WI
<https://muninetworks.org/content/i-net-beginning-blossom-greenfield-wi>
Thu, July 14, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/i-net-beginning-blossom-greenfield-wi>

Greenfield <http://www.ci.greenfield.wi.us/> city officials and school
administrators recently agreed
<http://www.greenfieldnow.com/news/383841941.html> to cooperatively build a
fiber-optic <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> institutional
network <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term15> (I-Net). The Milwaukee
suburb of about 37,000 expects to trim thousands of dollars from its annual
network bill and bring its students, teachers, and local government up to
speed.

*Dig Now, Save Now*

Just like many communities across the U.S., Greenfield realized that it was
paying too much to connect its community anchor institutions
<https://muninetworks.org/content/institutional-networks> (CAIs) to the
Internet. In April 2015, Greenfield school district approved a bandwidth
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term2> upgrade with a private provider
that would cost the schools $45,588 annually. Within half a year, they had
already hit their new bandwidth limit. In November 2015, they needed to
upgrade again to the tune of $119,141 per year.

... More Information on Expected Savings and Efficiencies ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/i-net-beginning-blossom-greenfield-wi>

Get Your Applications Ready For Minnesota's $35 Million
<https://muninetworks.org/content/get-your-applications-ready-minnesotas-35-million>
Wed, July 13, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/get-your-applications-ready-minnesotas-35-million>

The Land of 10,000 Lakes wants to become The Land of 10,000 Lakes With
High-Speed Internet Access.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
<http://mn.gov/deed/>will begin taking applications for the
Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program
<https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/grant-program/> on *July
22, 2016*. The program offers a total of $35 million in funding for
projects in unserved and underserved areas. The application submission
period closes on *October 3, 2016*.

*The Grant Program*

The Border-to-Border program will pay for up to 50 percent of project
development costs, awarding a maximum of $5 million per grant. This round
of funding sets aside $5 million specifically for underserved areas, and
$500,000 will be set aside for areas that contain a significant proportion
of low-income households. Officials estimate this year's $35 million in
funding will impact an additional 2,000 Minnesotans.

... More Information on Minnesota's State Broadband Grant Program ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/get-your-applications-ready-minnesotas-35-million>

Broadband Communities Magazine Spotlights Study on Rural Electric
Cooperatives
<https://muninetworks.org/content/broadband-communities-magazine-spotlights-study-rural-electric-cooperatives>
Sat, July 16, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/broadband-communities-magazine-spotlights-study-rural-electric-cooperatives>

In the 1930s, rural communities joined together through electric
cooperatives to bring electricity to their homes and businesses. Today,
rural electric co-ops may have the power to bring Internet access to these
same communities.

A recent Broadband Communities Magazine article highlights this potential
for rural electric co-ops
<http://www.bbcmag.com/2016mags/May_June/BBC_May16_ElectricCoops.pdf>. In
the article, Dr. Robert Yadon and D. Bracken Ross of theDigital Policy
Institute <http://www.digitalpolicyinstitute.org/> at Ball State University
explain the results of their recent study.

*Electric Co-Ops as Regional Networks*

Yadon and Bracken looked into 30 private sector Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) providers in Indiana and 16
rural electric co-ops providing Internet service around the nation. After
predicting engineering costs, the researchers highlighted a dozen Indiana
rural electric co-ops that could serve as regional hubs of connectivity.

... Co-ops Are Incredibly Important for Rural Internet Access ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/broadband-communities-magazine-spotlights-study-rural-electric-cooperatives>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - July 19
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-19>
Tue, July 19, 2016 | Posted by Nick <https://muninetworks.org/users/nick>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-19>

*California*

Refund program to help expand broadband Internet service
<http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article89188327.html> by
Rachelle Chong and Lloyd Levine, Sacramento Bee



*Colorado*

Big choices ahead as Boulder pursues faster, cheaper broadband
<http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_30116487/big-choices-ahead-boulder-pursues-faster-cheaper-broadband>
by
Alex Burness, Boulder Daily Camera

Erie, Superior weigh municipal broadband ballot question
<http://www.coloradohometownweekly.com/news/superior/ci_30121910/erie-superior-weigh-municipal-broadband-ballot-question>
by
Anthony Hahn, Colorado Hometown Weekly

... Read the Full Community Network Media Roundup...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-19>

-- 
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/20160719/ccb67307/attachment.html>