[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 6/7

[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.*


Over 100 Years of Muni Telecom in Churchill County - Community Broadband
Bits Podcast 204
<https://muninetworks.org/content/over-100-years-muni-telecom-churchill-county-community-broadband-bits-podcast-204>
Tue, May 31, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/over-100-years-muni-telecom-churchill-county-community-broadband-bits-podcast-204>

For more than 100 years, Nevada's Churchill County has been operating its
own telecommunications system, Churchill Communications. In recent years,
they upgraded the vast majority of the county from copper to fiber offering
a gigabit connection to the Internet. Churchill Communications General
Manager Mark Feest joins us this week for Community Broadband Bits Episode
204.

We discuss the fascinating history behind their network and how they have
built it without using any local taxpayer dollars.

Mark also explains two recent announcements that involve Churchill
Communications offering its services in nearby areas where it already has
some fiber. Finally, we discuss how some of the people that were originally
skeptical of municipal networks have come around and are even asking
Churchill Communications to expand.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/over-100-years-muni-telecom-churchill-county-community-broadband-bits-podcast-204>
... Read the transcript from this show here .
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-204>
..

The Tacoma Click Saga of 2015: Part 1
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-1>
Tue, May 31, 2016 | Posted by ternste
<https://muninetworks.org/users/ternste>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-1>

*This is Part 1 in a four part series about the Click network in Tacoma,
Washington, where city leaders spent most of 2015 considering a plan to
lease out all operations of this municipal network to a private company.
Part 1 explains Tacoma's plans for Click's immediate future.*

*Part 1: Tacoma Votes to Explore Keeping Click!*

2015 was a tense year for Tacoma Click, the nearly 20-year-old municipal
network in this city of about 200,000 just south of Seattle. In March of
2015, Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) announced it was considering a proposal
to sign a 40-year agreement to lease out the network
<http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/March-2015/TPU-looks-to-lease-Click-to-Wave-Broadband/>
to
a private Internet Service Provider (ISP). But after months of
deliberations, the Tacoma City Council decided in December with a
resounding 8-0 vote at the last City Council meeting of the year to explore
what the city calls their “all in” option
<http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/politics-government/article49992890.html>:
a plan which, if implemented, would include technological upgrades and
major structural changes to the business model aimed at preserving Click as
a municipally-owned network.

... Read Part 1 of our Four Part Series Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-1>

Minnesota Broadband Grant Program Gets Funded, Issues Remain
<https://muninetworks.org/content/minnesota-broadband-grant-program-gets-funded-issues-remain>
Thu, June 02, 2016 | Posted by Scott <https://muninetworks.org/users/scott>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/minnesota-broadband-grant-program-gets-funded-issues-remain>

The Minnesota Legislature has just approved $35 million for the
Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant program for fiscal year 2017,
the largest annual appropriation in the initiative’s two-year-old history.

But the Legislature’s action still falls short of dramatically helping
bring universal, high-speed Internet connectivity to all non-metro
Minnesotans. Try to find a Representative or Senator that doesn’t talk
about how important rural Internet access is, but compare that list to
those who are actually voting for solutions. The Blandin on Broadband
website captured a glimpse of this dynamicin a recent post
<https://blandinonbroadband.org/2016/05/26/local-elected-official-get-push-back-from-constituent-for-lack-of-broadband-support/>
.

*Nice Gains And Noticeable Failures*

The Legislature headed in the right direction this year to increase overall
funding for broadband development. But we believe the Legislature’s action,
which is moving at a snail’s pace, won’t help thousands of residents and
businesses in Minnesota’s non-metro communities hurdle over the
connectivity chasm.

... Read our In-Depth Examination of the Minnesota Legislature Broadband
Results ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/minnesota-broadband-grant-program-gets-funded-issues-remain>

Idaho Falls Thinks Ahead With Circa Network
<https://muninetworks.org/content/idaho-falls-thinks-ahead-circa-network>
Mon, May 30, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/idaho-falls-thinks-ahead-circa-network>

Businesses in Idaho Falls have access to the city’s municipal fiber
network, Circa <http://www.ifcirca.net/index.php>, but now the city council
is considering how to bring better connectivity to residents.

*How Best To Use What We Have*

In order to get a better idea of what options are available and the costs
of each, in 2015 city leaders engaged two consulting firms to evaluate a
citywide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) option, an open access
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term625> network option, how
commercial providers may step up to better serve the city, or the city
taking on the role as Internet Service Provider (ISP). They are now
beginning to evaluate those results.

... Get More Details on Idaho Falls and Their Plans ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/idaho-falls-thinks-ahead-circa-network>

MuniNetworks.org Adds TLS for Secure Connections
<https://muninetworks.org/content/muninetworksorg-adds-tls-secure-connections>
Wed, June 01, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/muninetworksorg-adds-tls-secure-connections>

As part of the ongoing effort to build a more secure Internet, led in part
by the Electronic Frontier Foundation
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/lets-encrypt-reaches-2000000-certificates>,
MuniNetworks.org is now using TLS to encrypt all of our content. Nothing
should change for your experience except you should see a locked padlock or
green https in your browser depending on which browser you use.

We believe this is important for multiple reasons, including to prevent
unauthorized government snooping, corporate eavesdropping, and any
inappropriate injection of content. Please let us know if you have any
problems related to this change by email <broadband at muninetworks.org>.

Decentralized Web Summit, June 8 - 9, San Francisco
<https://muninetworks.org/content/decentralized-web-summit-june-8-9-san-francisco>
Tue, May 31, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/decentralized-web-summit-june-8-9-san-francisco>

The *Decentralized Web Summit: Locking the Web Open* will happen onJune 8th
and 9th at Internet Archive in San Francisco
<http://www.decentralizedweb.net/logistics/>. The event will be live
streamed if you can’t attend in person.

The event is a discussion of the future of the web. From the Summit website:

The World Wide Web is fragile. Links break and website content can
disappear forever. The Web is not universally accessible. It is too easy
for outside entities to censor connections, controlling what people can and
cannot view on the Web. The Web is also not very private, exposing users to
mass surveillance by corporations and governments. A Decentralized Web can
address all of these problems by building in privacy, security and
preservation by default, ensuring that websites are easily accessible to
all as long as at least one person somewhere in the world is hosting a copy.

Keynote speakers will be <http://www.decentralizedweb.net/people/> *Vint
Cerf*, considered one of the “Fathers of the Internet” and Chief Internet
Evangelist for Google; *Cory Doctorow*, Special Advisor at the Electronic
Frontier Foundation; and *Brewster Kahle*, Founder and Digital Librarian of
the Internet Archive.

... More Information Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/decentralized-web-summit-june-8-9-san-francisco>

Savannah Studies Situation for Possible Muni
<https://muninetworks.org/content/savannah-studies-situation-possible-muni>
Fri, June 03, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/savannah-studies-situation-possible-muni>

In early May, leaders in Savannah, Georgia <http://www.savannahga.gov/>,
retained a consultant to prepare a feasibility study to help the community
examine ways to improve local connectivity. Local leaders want consultants
to consider ways to better serve municipal facilities, community anchor
institutions, businesses, and residents.

*Incumbent Trouble*

In March, incumbent Comcast announced that it would bring fiber-optic
connectivity
<http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2016-03-02/comcast-announces-fiber-optic-expansion-savannah>
to
businesses in Savannah by the end of 2016, but the company has a poor
reputation in the Hostess City with both residents and businesses.

... Read our Full Story on Savannah's Considerations ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/savannah-studies-situation-possible-muni>

South Bay Workforce Investment Board Accepting Master Plan RFP Submissions
<https://muninetworks.org/content/south-bay-workforce-investment-board-accepting-master-plan-rfp-submissions>
Tue, May 31, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/south-bay-workforce-investment-board-accepting-master-plan-rfp-submissions>

The South Bay Workforce Investment Board <http://www.sbwib.org/> (SBWIB) is
now accepting submissions from firms interested in developing a Fiber Optic
Master Plan for the organization. Interested organizations need to act
quickly, however, as the submission deadline is tomorrow, *June 1st, 2016,
5:00 p.m. (PST)*.

For details on the project budget, the scope of the work, timeline, and
other important information, check out the Request for Proposals
<http://media.wix.com/ugd/df9772_f245fa609a4a4b918eabeab24adcabdb.pdf> (RFP)
from the SBWIB.

You can also contact Chris Cagle, Regional Affairs Manager, via email at
ccagle(at)sbwib.org with questions.

... Link to this Post Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/south-bay-workforce-investment-board-accepting-master-plan-rfp-submissions>

Sandpoint Sends Out RFP : Responses Due June 16
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sandpoint-sends-out-rfp-responses-due-june-16>
Thu, June 02, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sandpoint-sends-out-rfp-responses-due-june-16>

Sandpoint, Idaho
<http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjP2oirkaXLAhXETSYKHb2eC2EQFgggMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cityofsandpoint.com%2F&usg=AFQjCNFalbgKIbqRY2nV971sW9w5_KlDTQ>,
located in the state’s panhandle, is likely to host Ting’s Internet service
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tings-next-stop-greater-sandpoint-idaho> over
publicly owned Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) infrastructure. All that
remains is for the service provider to determine that the demand exists in
the anticipated service area of approximately 9,700 people. In addition to
residents and businesses in Sandpoint, properties in nearby Dover,
Ponderay, and Kootenai are anticipated potential subscribers.

*Sandpoint, Idaho*

Approximately 7,500 people live in the city, which is the Bonner County
Seat. The community is popular as a ski resort town and is located on Lake
Pend Oreille. In addition to tourism, the manufacturing, aerospace,
software, and healthcare industries are important employers in Sandpoint.
It covers approximately 4.8 square miles and, five years ago, was named
“most Beautiful Small Town” by Rand McNally and USA Today.

... More Information on Sandpoint Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sandpoint-sends-out-rfp-responses-due-june-16>

Video: Break the Chains, Build Local Power
<https://muninetworks.org/content/video-break-chains-build-local-power>
Wed, June 01, 2016 | Posted by rebecca
<https://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/video-break-chains-build-local-power>

Since our founding in 1974, we have worked to rewrite the rules and empower
communities to choose their own future. Across several vital economic
sectors, we help break the corporate stranglehold that extracts wealth from
local economies and undermines democracy.

We give communities the tools to build a strong local economy themselves.
>From banking to energy, healthy soils to community-owned Internet networks,
time and again we have shown that when we level the playing field for
individuals and businesses, we improve our economy and the quality of life
for all citizens.

Support our work to help communities down the path to local self-reliance.
This video illustrates our work, and explains how all of our unique and
distinct initiatives, together, build a holistic philosophy of local
self-reliance.

... Watch the Video Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/video-break-chains-build-local-power>

EPB, Power of Munis In "The Nation"
<https://muninetworks.org/content/epb-power-munis-nation>
Sat, June 04, 2016 | Posted by rebecca
<https://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/epb-power-munis-nation>

This week in The Nation
<http://www.thenation.com/article/chattanooga-was-a-typical-post-industrial-city-then-it-began-offering-municipal-broadband/>,
Peter Moskowitz highlighted some of the nation's fastest municipal
networks, bringing these Gig cities to a new level of national awareness.
>From Sandy, Oregon <https://muninetworks.org/taxonomy/term/673>, to Wilson,
North Carolina <https://muninetworks.org/tags-106>, and Chattanooga,
Moskowitz touted these networks as a main reason the cities have been able
to attract entrepreneurs and businesses.

The focus of the article was on Chattanooga's EPB Fiber
<https://muninetworks.org/tags/tags/epb> network, how it propelled the city
into the 21st century, and continues to spark innovation. Chattanooga's EPB
now boasts a subscribership of 82,000 -- testimony to fast, affordable,
reliable connectivity and good customer service.

... Read the Full Article Here ...
<http://www.thenation.com/article/chattanooga-was-a-typical-post-industrial-city-then-it-began-offering-municipal-broadband/>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - June 6
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-6>
Mon, June 06, 2016 | Posted by Nick <https://muninetworks.org/users/nick>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-6>

*California*

City council candidate question 8: The big problem facing Davis
<http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/05/the-big-problem-facing-davis/> by
David Greenwald, Davis Vanguard

One of the most pressing issues facing our community in the coming years is
the need for faster and more reliable broadband. It is a vital element of
Yolo and Davis’ economic sustainability that will keep our community
competitive locally, and globally. Broadband is a driving force behind the
competitiveness and productivity of our businesses and fostering innovation.

The primary broadband providers in our community, AT&T and Comcast, have
spent little money upgrading their infrastructure over time. Davis’
situation isn’t unique. Communities throughout the country are facing the
same future. Many of them, including those in the Sacramento region, are
asking the Federal and State governments for assistance in solving this
challenge.

California bill allowing VOIP transition stalls, but opponents fear revivial
<http://statescoop.com/california-bill-allowing-voip-transition-stalls-but-opponents-fear-revival>
by
Alex Koma, StateScoop

... Read the Full Community Broadband Media Roundup Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-6>

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