[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 7/26

Tue Jul 26 08:56:33 PDT 2016

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

*Don't miss our brand new short video:*

Why a Gig? The Video Response You've Been Waiting For!
<https://muninetworks.org/content/why-gig-video-response-youve-been-waiting>
Thu, July 21, 2016 | Posted by rebecca
<https://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/why-gig-video-response-youve-been-waiting>

With the increasing number of gigabit cities, a trend led by local
governments, Google, and some cutting edge small ISPs, some are confused
why a gigabit is important now when most applications do not need that much
bandwidth <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term2> to operate. We get
this question frequently and decided to make a short video explainer for
why a making a gigabit available to everyone is a smart goal.

Please share widely!

... People are Loving this Video - Watch it Here and then SHARE it! ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/why-gig-video-response-youve-been-waiting>

Fort Collins Mayor on Fort Collins Fiber Future - Community Broadband Bits
Podcast 211
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fort-collins-mayor-fort-collins-fiber-future-community-broadband-bits-podcast-211>
Tue, July 19, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fort-collins-mayor-fort-collins-fiber-future-community-broadband-bits-podcast-211>

Fort Collins is a thriving community of over 150,000 and the home of
Colorado State University. Despite gorgeous vistas and many high tech jobs,
Fort Collins basically has the same cable and DSL
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term9> duopoly
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term606> the majority of communities
suffer from. But they are making plans <http://www.fcgov.com/broadband/> for
something better.

Mayor Wade Troxell joins us this week for episode 211 of the Community
Broadband Bits podcast to talk about their situation and planning process.

We talk about their need for better access and how they are committed to
taking action even if they are not quite sure yet what it will be. They
exempted themselves from the
Previously-Qwest-But-Now-CenturyLink-Protection-Act that requires a
referendum for the local government to introduce telecommunications
competition... with 83 percent support.

We end our discussion by talking again about undergrounding utility assets
- which took them many decades but is very nearly complete.

Watch a video of Mayor Troxell
<https://muninetworks.org/content/digital-seattle-whats-working> at the
Digital Northwest - where I was moderating a panel.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fort-collins-mayor-fort-collins-fiber-future-community-broadband-bits-podcast-211>
... Read the transcript of this episode here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-211>
 ...

Problem With Poles In Connecticut: Petitioning PURA For Precision
<https://muninetworks.org/content/problem-poles-connecticut-petitioning-pura-precision>
Mon, July 18, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/problem-poles-connecticut-petitioning-pura-precision>

In Connecticut, local municipalities want to take advantage of the state’s
unique “Municipal Gain Space” but invoking the law has not been
hassle-free. As towns try to place fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> cables on this reserved
section of utility poles, questions arise that need answering.

*Giving Towns Some Room On The Poles*

The Connecticut statute
<http://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/2011/title16/chap283/Sec16-233.html>
grants
state departments and municipalities the right to use space on all of the
approximately 900,000 utility poles sitting in the municipal Rights-of-Way
(ROW), regardless of ownership. One of the state's electric providers and
either Verizon or Frontier jointly own most of the poles.

The law was created in the early 1900s for telegraph wiring and as new
technologies and wire types evolved, a number of law suits ensued. Cities
and state entities usually won, preserving the space, but the process of
getting attachment agreements approved became more burdensome and
expensive. In 2013, the state legislature amended the law so municipalities
could access to the space “for any use.” The change opened the door for
hanging fiber for municipal networks and partnering with private providers.

... The Devil is in the Details, Per Usual - More Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/problem-poles-connecticut-petitioning-pura-precision>

Whip City Fiber Snaps To It: Yet Another Expansion In Westfield, MA
<https://muninetworks.org/content/whip-city-fiber-snaps-it-yet-another-expansion-westfield-ma>
Tue, July 19, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/whip-city-fiber-snaps-it-yet-another-expansion-westfield-ma>

In the spring, Westfield, Massachusetts began to expand it’s
Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>)
network, Whip City Fiber with a build-out to three additional
neighborhoods. Earlier this month, Westfield Gas + Electric announced that they
will soon expand even further to three more areas
<http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/07/westfield.html>.

According to Dan Howard, General Manager of the utility, the demand for the
symmetrical <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term24> Internet access is
strong:

"Every day we hear from residents of Westfield who are anxious for
high-speed Internet to be available in their neighborhood," he said. "It's
a great motivator for our entire team to hear how much customers are
looking forward to this new service."

... More Details on the Whip City Expansion and Background Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/whip-city-fiber-snaps-it-yet-another-expansion-westfield-ma>

PBS Takes A Look At Internet Cooperatives
<https://muninetworks.org/content/pbs-takes-look-internet-cooperatives>
Wed, July 20, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/pbs-takes-look-internet-cooperatives>

We aren’t the only ones noticing. As rural communities take control of
their connectivity by banding together to form broadband cooperatives,
their efforts are getting attention. Earlier this month, PBS News Hour featured
a story <https://youtu.be/txMijyHgAyg> on the Wired West and RS Fiber
Cooperatives.

Ivette Feliciano visits with local residents, business owners, and
community leaders in both western Massachusetts and rural Minnesota where
both initiatives are rewriting the rules for rural dwellers. She visits
with Jake Reike, a farmer from Renville County; he talked with Chris during
the Community Broadband Bits podcast episode #198
<http://muninetworks.org/content/new-cooperative-model-fiber-farm-community-broadband-bits-podcast-episode-198>.
He described for us how improving local connectivity was what his family
needed to maintain their farming lifestyle.

Feliciano also sought out expert Susan Crawford, who explained why people
in these sparsely populated communities need high-quality connectivity and
why they refuse to wait for big providers who may never come to their
rescue.

... Watch the Video Here! ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/pbs-takes-look-internet-cooperatives>

In Rural Idaho, Co-op Delivers the Fiber
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-idaho-co-op-delivers-fiber>
Sat, July 23, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-idaho-co-op-delivers-fiber>

Co-op subscribers in Challis, Idaho are set to see faster speeds as Custer
Telephone Cooperative, Inc. <http://www.custertel.net/ctci_about_ctci.html>
 (CTCI) gained permission from city officials
<http://www.challismessenger.com/story.php?accnum=story-15-20160609> to
install fiber-optic <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> cable to
local homes. With the member-owned telecommunications cooperative expanding
its fiber optic network throughout Custer and Lemhi Counties, local
residents will benefit from a future-proof network that promises higher
speeds and low prices.

*How Did We Get Here?*

The rural towns on the eastern side of Idaho’s Sawtooth Range are remote,
sparsely populated, and mountainous - all factors which scare away
investment from large Internet service providers (ISPs). Yet, they will
witness construction of a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) network, something that even
their urban counterparts rarely see. CTCI, which has been delivering
telecommunications services to the community since 1955, will provide 1,253
co-op members
<http://www.challismessenger.com/story.php?accnum=story-33-20160331> in
Custer County and Lemhi County with high-quality Internet connectivity at
competitive prices.

... Co-ops are Essential for Rural America! More Information Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-idaho-co-op-delivers-fiber>

Santa Clarita Leases Dark Fiber For Better Connectivity And Revenue
<https://muninetworks.org/content/santa-clarita-leases-dark-fiber-better-connectivity-and-revenue>
Thu, July 21, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/santa-clarita-leases-dark-fiber-better-connectivity-and-revenue>

Santa Clarita, a community of 220,000 in Los Angeles County, California,
recently signed a dark fiber lease agreement with Southern Californian
telecommunications provider Wilcon <https://wilcon.com/>. The city hopes to
improve high-speed Internet access for local businesses; this ten-year
contract <http://www.signalscv.com/section/36/article/153913/> allows
Wilcon to provide services via publicly owned fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> cable originally buried for
traffic controls.

*The New Agreement*

>From the City Council’s June 28th agenda
<http://santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1185&Inline=True>,
the new agreement includes the following:

   - Initial anticipated annual revenues of $72,256 based on $840 per year
   per fiber mile.

... More Bullet Points and Information Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/santa-clarita-leases-dark-fiber-better-connectivity-and-revenue>

Yellow Springs, OH, Releases RFP: Proposals Due August 22
<https://muninetworks.org/content/yellow-springs-oh-releases-rfp-proposals-due-august-22>
Fri, July 22, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/yellow-springs-oh-releases-rfp-proposals-due-august-22>

Earlier this year, the grassroots group, Springs-Net
<http://www.yellow-springs.net/>, presented its white paper
<http://www.yellow-springs.net/download.html> on a potential municipal
network in their town of 3,700 people. The village, located in central Ohio
between Dayton and Columbus, is taking up the suggestion and recently released
a Request for Proposals
<http://www.yellow-springs.net/ys-fiber-news/village-of-yellow-springs-issues-rfp>
(RFP)
for a broadband needs assessment and business plan.

The village <http://vil.yellowsprings.oh.us/> already operates municipal
electric, water, sewer, and storm water utilities, however does not own any
municipal fiber. According to the RFP, Yellow Springs collaborates with
several local schools and an educational computer association for
connectivity to the village’s municipal office location. There is also
fiber in the community owned by the Ohio Academic Research Network
<https://www.oar.net/>(OARNet) and a non-profit datacenter in the area.

... More Details Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/yellow-springs-oh-releases-rfp-proposals-due-august-22>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - July 25
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-25>
Mon, July 25, 2016 | Posted by Nick <https://muninetworks.org/users/nick>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-25>

*Massachusetts*

Leyden opens broadband discussions with MBI
<http://www.recorder.com/Bringing-broadband-to-Leyden-the-biggest-project-the-town-has-ever-absorbed-3403076>
by
Shelby Ashline, The Recorder

*Tennessee*

Tennessee needs more competition between Internet providers, according to
state report
<http://nashvillepublicradio.org/post/tennessee-needs-more-competition-between-internet-providers-according-state-report#stream/0>
by
Emily Siner, Nashville Public Radio

But almost all businesses — more than 90 percent — reported that they're
not happy with their current options for getting online and aren't finding
affordable alternatives.

... Read the Full Community Network Media Roundup Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-25>

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