[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks ... Week of 6/28

[Christopher Mitchell]

*Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org - a project of the **Institute for
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Ammon's Network of the Future - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 207
<https://muninetworks.org/content/ammons-network-future-community-broadband-bits-podcast-207>
Tue, June 21, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/ammons-network-future-community-broadband-bits-podcast-207>

On the heals of releasing our video on Ammon, Idaho
<https://muninetworks.org/content/ammons-model-virtual-end-cable-monopolies>,
we wanted to go a little more in-depth with Bruce Patterson. Bruce is
Ammon's Technology Director and has joined us on the show before (episodes
173
<http://muninetworks.org/content/muni-fiber-idaho-helps-911-dispatch-and-first-responders-community-broadband-bits-episode-17>
 and 86
<http://muninetworks.org/content/how-ammon-idaho-builds-digital-roads-community-broadband-bits-episode-86>).
We recommend watching the video before listening to this show.

We get an update from Bruce on the most recent progress since we conducted
the video interviews. He shares the current level of interest from the
first phase and expectations moving forward.

But for much of our conversation, we focus on how Ammon has innovated with
Software-Defined Networks (SDN) and what that means. We talk about how the
automation and virtualization from SDN can make open access
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term625> much more efficient and open
new possibilities.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/ammons-network-future-community-broadband-bits-podcast-207>
... Read the Transcript Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-207>
...

Islesboro and Rockport: So Near and Yet So Far (On FTTH Vote)
<https://muninetworks.org/content/islesboro-and-rockport-so-near-and-yet-so-far-ftth-vote>
Wed, June 22, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/islesboro-and-rockport-so-near-and-yet-so-far-ftth-vote>

Rockport <http://www.town.rockport.me.us/> was the first community in Maine
to build a fiber-optic <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network
to serve businesses, but their pioneering initiative will not extend to
Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>). At
their annual town meeting on June 15th, the local Opera House was packed as
citizens showed up to speak on funding an FTTH engineering and network
design study. After an extended debate, attendees voted on the measure and
defeated the town warrant to spend $300,000 on the project.

According to the Penobscot Bay Pilot
<http://www.penbaypilot.com/article/town-meeting-2016-rockport-rejects-fiber-network-study-and-waste-disposal-proposal/71941>,
passions flared as a number of people stood up to explain their vote.
Several people in support of the project had previous experience with life
after fiber:

Deborah Hall, on the other hand, said she led an effort in another state to
take fiber optics to 500 homes. That effort resulted in the fact that the
“average resident is now saving 100 dollars every month in getting rid of
Comcast.”

She recounted how the fiber optic system already in place
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rockport-builds-maine%E2%80%99s-first-municipal-network>
in
Rockport was a draw for her family to return to live in the town. They
improved their Internet on Russell Avenue by personally spending the money
to extend the fiber to their home, and consequently “reduced our collective
Internet and television bills by $155 a month. That’s over 50 percent.”

... Read the Good News from Islesboro Here with a Disappointing Rockport
Update ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/islesboro-and-rockport-so-near-and-yet-so-far-ftth-vote>

Fibrant Gets The "OK": Will Expand To Local Government, Manufacturers in NC
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fibrant-gets-ok-will-expand-local-government-manufacturers-nc>
Wed, June 22, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fibrant-gets-ok-will-expand-local-government-manufacturers-nc>

Salisbury’s fiber network, Fibrant <http://fibrant.solutions/Business>, is
about to connect to three more large customers in North Carolina.

The Salisbury Post writes that Rowan County government and two local
manufacturing facilities will be connecting to
<http://www.salisburypost.com/2016/06/15/206409/>
<http://www.salisburypost.com/2016/06/15/206409/>Salisbury’s municipal
fiber network. After considering the needs of several local manufacturers
and the Rowan County Government, Rowan County Commissioners gave the
necessary approval
<http://www.wbtv.com/story/32276728/fibrant-to-expand-to-county-business-parks>
to
expand Fibrant to serve their facilities.

... More Evidence that Muni Fiber Is Essential for North Carolina
Businesses ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fibrant-gets-ok-will-expand-local-government-manufacturers-nc>

Dark Fiber Available In Lewiston But Rivers Slow Expansion
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dark-fiber-available-lewiston-rivers-slow-expansion>
Mon, June 20, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dark-fiber-available-lewiston-rivers-slow-expansion>

The Port of Lewiston’s dark fiber network is up and running and now has
connected a commercial customer, reports 4-Traders
<http://www.4-traders.com/CABLE-ONE-INC-22795883/news/Cable-One-Port-of-Lewiston-limited-by-lack-of-fiber-optic-link-under-Memorial-Bridge-22518012/>,
but achieving the maximum reach has hit some resistance.

Warehousing and distribution company Inland 465
<http://portoflewiston.com/intermodal-transportation/warehousing/>, is
operating a 150,000 square-foot warehouse and obtaining Internet access
from First Step Internet <http://www.fsr.com/>, which leases dark fiber
from the Port of Lewiston’s network. Community leaders hope this is the
first of many commercial customers.

Last summer the community announced that they intended to deploy an open
access dark fiber network
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-sailing-port-lewiston-idaho> to
spur economic development opportunities. The network plan called for a
connection to nearby Port of Whitman’s fiber network, which has operated
for more than a decade.

... We Cast Light on This Dark Story Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dark-fiber-available-lewiston-rivers-slow-expansion>

The Tacoma Click Saga of 2015: Part 3
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-3>
Tue, June 21, 2016 | Posted by ternste
<https://muninetworks.org/users/ternste>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-3>

*This is Part 3 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. **In
Part 2,published on June 7
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-2>, we
reviewed the main reasons why Tacoma Public Utilities considered the
possibility of leasing out all of the Click operations. On May 31,we
published Part 1
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-1>, which
shared the community's plans for the network. Part 3 covers why we believe
the Click municipal network is positioned to thrive in the years ahead
within the modern telecommunications marketplace.*

*Part 3: Positioning Click for the Future*

If Tacoma leaders decide to move ahead with the “all in” plan that they're
currently exploring, several factors suggest that Click can become an
increasingly self-sustaining division of Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU). To
recap, the “all in” plan would reportedly involve two major changes at
Click. One, it would mean upgrading the network to enable gigabit access
speeds. Two, the all in option would likely mean cutting out the
“middlemen” private companies that currently have exclusive rights to
provide Internet and phone services over the network. Instead of the
current system, where Click only offers cable TV services while middlemen
provide Internet and phone, the new all in plan would position Click as the
retail provider for all three services.

... Read the Third Part of our Multi-Part Feature Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/tacoma-click-saga-2015-part-3>

Sampling the Food and Fiber at Annual DMEA Meeting
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sampling-food-and-fiber-annual-dmea-meeting>
Fri, June 24, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sampling-food-and-fiber-annual-dmea-meeting>

In Colorado, the Delta-Montrose Electric Association
<http://www.dmea.com/> (DMEA)
saw record crowds at their Annual Meeting of Members. Hundreds of people
came to check out the event on June 16th and try out the super fast speeds
of Elevate Fiber, DMEA’s Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) project.  The project will
bring speeds of up to a Gigabit per second (Gbps
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term14>) to DMEA’s 27,000 members.

*Elevate Fiber*

During the event, members were able to check out the speed in person and
preregister their homes and businesses. It requires a 12-month contract at
a minimum of $49.99 each month according to the DMEA’s website
<http://www.dmea.com/content/elevate-fiber>. Residents can sign up at
https://join.elevatefiber.com/.

... DMEA's Region is an Exciting Place to Keep Tabs On ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sampling-food-and-fiber-annual-dmea-meeting>

Ten Cities Honored For RS Fiber Cooperative Project
<https://muninetworks.org/content/ten-cities-honored-rs-fiber-cooperative-project>
Thu, June 23, 2016 | Posted by Scott <https://muninetworks.org/users/scott>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/ten-cities-honored-rs-fiber-cooperative-project>

The League of Minnesota Cities <http://www.lmc.org/page/1/home.jsp> has
honored ten communities in the south central part of the state for their
role in assisting to launch the RS Fiber Cooperative.

At its annual state conference on June 16th, the League awarded its “City
of Excellence Award” in the 5,000 to 19,999-population category to the
cities of Brownton, Buffalo Lake, Fairfax, Gaylord, Gibbon, Green Isle,
Lafayette, New Auburn, Stewart, and Winthrop.

... Well Deserved!!!! ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/ten-cities-honored-rs-fiber-cooperative-project>

Old Town, Orono Release Broadband Survey in Maine
<https://muninetworks.org/content/old-town-orono-release-broadband-survey-maine>
Sat, June 25, 2016 | Posted by alexander
<https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/old-town-orono-release-broadband-survey-maine>

Nonprofit Old Town Orono Fiber <http://www.otofiber.com/about-us.html> (OTO
Fiber) is awaiting responses to a recently posted broadband survey
<http://www.otofiber.com/surveys.html>. A fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network is in the works for
both Orono and Old Town, but funds are limited
<http://wabi.tv/2016/06/08/orono-old-town-officials-looking-to-expand-broadband-access/>.
Local officials seek input from local residents and business to “determine
both the interest in this project and where the Internet infrastructure
would need to be established.”

Approximately 7,800 people live in Old Town; a little over 10,000 people
are in Orono and there are also over 11,000 University of Maine students
who attend classes there.

Old Town, Orono, and the University of Maine lost a funding battle against
Time Warner Cable
<https://muninetworks.org/content/time-warner-cable-successfully-blocks-funds-community-network-maine-project-continue>
in
2015. That incident dealt with an area where only about 320 potential
subscribers could be served with approximately four miles of fiber. A
recent $250,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission put the
consortium back on track
<https://muninetworks.org/content/orono-and-old-town-receive-funding-fiber-maine>
to
finish that project. OTO Fiber is now gathering more information about
where to best deploy a broader network; they have funding for about six
miles of fiber in each community.

... Read More About the Survey's Conclusions ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/old-town-orono-release-broadband-survey-maine>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - June 27
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-27-0>
Mon, June 27, 2016 | Posted by Nick <https://muninetworks.org/users/nick>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-27-0>

*Arkansas*

Telecom, utility partnership pursues Arkansas gigabit
<http://www.telecompetitor.com/telecom-utility-partnership-pursues-arkansas-gigabit/?mc_cid=f49961b582&mc_eid=2910c7b52b>
by
Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor

The rural telco <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term608> is South
Arkansas Telephone (SATCO) and the power company is Ouachita Electric
Cooperative (OECC). The telecom, utility partnership has formed a new
company called Arkansas Rural Internet Service
<http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/16/06/p8119298/gigabit-internet-access-coming-to-south-arkansas>
(ARIS)
– and according to ARIS Director Mark Lundy, each owner has a 50% share of
ARIS.

*Colorado*

Broadband initiative moving forward
<http://www.eptrail.com/ci_30041119/broadband-initiative-moving-forward> by
David Persons, Estes Park Trail Gazette

... Read the Full Community Broadband Networks Media Roundup Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-june-27-0>

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