[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 11/15

[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.*


Colorado Voters Choose Local Control In 26 Communities
<https://muninetworks.org/content/colorado-voters-choose-local-control-26-communities>
Wed, November 09, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/colorado-voters-choose-local-control-26-communities>

We didn't need a crystal ball, magic potion, or ESP to predict that local
Colorado voters would enthusiastically reclaim telecommunications authority
yesterday. Twenty-six more local governments put the issue on the ballot
and citizens fervently replied, “YES! YES, WE DO!”

Colorado local communities that want to take action to improve their local
connectivity are hogtied by SB 152, the state law passed in 2005. Unless
they hold a referendum and ask voters if they wish to reclaim the right to
do so, the law prevents
<http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/colorado/?source=COLO;CODE&tocpath=1W8KUUS4NW3GOCPFE,21QOEVOFJ8QP3BI8A,3XMEOGS8MAK86ELHP;1HZD0CT5ARQQGD0CM,2P49LASZO4YMFXJ6Y,3TFYKXZSAUIE4O2GU;1QTBVPQ9PSEATXRNL,2RG1B8XN4PTNC0PGZ,337RP2ZVUYM5UD9TJ;16YGAEJWV2OETQX9C,2IAGCSBBSCHJ6JKWC,3AZRRSX7VXTO24DPM&shortheader=no>
local
governments from providing service or partnering with the private sector.
Since the big incumbents that pushed the law through aren't providing
necessary connectivity, their only choice is to opt out and work with new
partners or move forward on their own.

... Communities Go Undefeated - 26 for 26 - Lots of Information Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/colorado-voters-choose-local-control-26-communities>

Madison Starts Muni Fiber Effort, Considers Citywide Effort - Community
Broadband Bits Podcast 227
<https://muninetworks.org/content/madison-starts-muni-fiber-effort-considers-citywide-effort-community-broadband-bits-podcast->
Tue, November 08, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/madison-starts-muni-fiber-effort-considers-citywide-effort-community-broadband-bits-podcast->

The second-largest city in Wisconsin and the home of the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, is pursuing a path-breaking municipal Fiber-to-the-Home
(FTTH <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) strategy. They have
already started by deploying fiber to several low-income neighborhoods and
working with local ISP ResTech <http://www.restechservices.net/> to offer
services.

Madison CIO Paul Kronberger joins us for Community Broadband Bits episode
227 to discuss their plan. We start by discussing how they decided to
deploy FTTH as a digital divide strategy. Like more and more of the
communities considering this approach, Madison does not have a municipal
electric utility.

We also discuss how Madison plans to deal with the state law that limits
municipal fiber network investments and why Madison has decided to work
with a private provider even though the city will retain ownership of the
network. Read more of Madison coverage here
<https://muninetworks.org/tags/tags/madison>.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/madison-starts-muni-fiber-effort-considers-citywide-effort-community-broadband-bits-podcast->
... Read the transcript of the show here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-227>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-227>
...

Foundation Plans to Fund Municipal Broadband Infrastructure
<https://muninetworks.org/content/foundation-finds-broadband-beneficial-decatur>
Tue, November 08, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/foundation-finds-broadband-beneficial-decatur>

Decatur is in line to receive a donation that will jump-start the
community’s musings over publicly owned Internet infrastructure.

*Foundation Support*

The Howard G. Buffet Foundation recently offered the community several
million dollars for a range of public projects, including $330,000 toward
expanding the city’s existing fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network. Decatur deployed a
fiber backbone to connect a number of its own facilities in 2014. Earlier
this year, city leaders began examining the possibility of expanding the
backbone to provide better connectivity to Richland Community College and
possibly beyond in the future.

... A Great Precedent for Other Communities Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/foundation-finds-broadband-beneficial-decatur>

NC Rural Electric Cooperatives Teach Model Collaboration
<https://muninetworks.org/content/nc-rural-electric-cooperatives-teach-model-collaboration>
Sat, November 12, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/nc-rural-electric-cooperatives-teach-model-collaboration>

Throughout the October Broadband Communities Magazine conference, folks
kept repeating this sentiment: some partnerships are smooth and others have
rough patches. At the conference, we heard from several electric
cooperatives who had partnered with other cooperatives to provide
next-generation connectivity to their communities.

We specifically want to highlight the work of two North Carolina electric
cooperatives: Lumbee River EMC <http://www.lumbeeriver.com/> and Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC <http://brmemc.com/>. They were both included in our report *North
Carolina Connectivity: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly*
<https://muninetworks.org/reports/north-carolina-connectivity-good-bad-and-ugly>.
Each co-op took the bold step of building a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13>) network throughout sparsely
populated regions. At the conference, we were able to learn first-hand
about their experiences.

... There is Hope for Great Internet Access in Rural America ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/nc-rural-electric-cooperatives-teach-model-collaboration>

Holland, Michigan, Releases RFI, Responses Due Dec. 20th
<https://muninetworks.org/content/holland-michigan-releases-rfi-responses-due-dec-20th>
Fri, November 11, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/holland-michigan-releases-rfi-responses-due-dec-20th>

Holland, Michigan, continues to pursue better local connectivity and hopes
to find a private sector partner interested in using publicly owned fiber.

Recently, the city released a Request for Information
<http://hollandbpw.com/images/VendorContractor/Holland_-_RFI_-_Rev_7_-_11-01-2016_final.pdf>
(RFI)
to reach out to potential partners who might be interested in working with
the city for a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) project. *Responses are due
December 20, 2016*.

*Developing Over Time*

The community of approximately 33,000 people deployed fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> infrastructure in the early
1990s for power smart grid capability for their municipal electric utility.
Since then, Holland Board of Public Works <https://www.hollandbpw.com/> (HBPW)
has expanded the network to provide connectivity for local school
facilities and wholesale Internet services to a few local businesses that
require high capacity data services. Over the years, Holland has increased
the network to about 76 miles of backbone fiber and more than 150 total
miles, which includes laterals.

... Another Exciting Announcement as Holland Prepares for Gig Future ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/holland-michigan-releases-rfi-responses-due-dec-20th>

Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 14
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-november-14>
Mon, November 14, 2016 | Posted by Nick
<https://muninetworks.org/users/nick>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-november-14>

*Colorado*

Dozens more Colorado communities rejected SB 152, clearing the way for
municipal broadband
<http://www.denverite.com/dozens-colorado-communities-rejecting-sb-152-clearing-way-new-broadband-projects-22207/>
by
Andrew Kenney, Denverite

Another set of Colorado counties vote to toss restrictive law, permit
municipal broadband
<https://consumerist.com/2016/11/10/another-set-of-colorado-counties-vote-to-toss-restricive-law-permit-municipal-broadband/>
by
Kate Cox, Consumerist

Part of the reason broadband competition is so dang hard to come by for
millions of us? Protectionist, industry-backed
<https://consumerist.com/2014/02/12/cable-lobby-continues-to-work-hard-to-make-sure-youre-stuck-with-their-crappy-broadband/>
laws
that make it either obscenely difficult or outright illegal to start a
public network. Colorado is one of the states with such a law on the books,
but voters in the Centennial State are once again saying they’d rather
municipal networks had a chance.

MuniNetworks, which supports and advocates for communities to be able to
build networks when they choose, reports that
<https://muninetworks.org/content/colorado-voters-choose-local-control-26-communities>
every
single one of the 26 local municipal broadband networks on ballots in
Colorado Tuesday passed <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term20> with
flying colors.

Golden, Lafayette and 24 Colorado communities vote yes on broadband
Internet alternatives
<http://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/09/golden-lafayette-colorado-communities-vote-broadband-internet/>
by
Tamara Chuang, The Denver Post & True Viral News
<http://trueviralnews.com/golden-lafayette-and-24-colorado-communities-vote-yes-on-broadband-internet-alternatives/>

Colorado communities preempt state muni broadband limits
<http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/colorado-communities-preempt-state-muni-broadband-limits/161028>
by
John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable

Colorado voters oppose Comcast-written protectionist state law
<http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Colorado-Voters-Oppose-ComcastWritten-Protectionist-State-Law-138297>
by
Karl Bode, DSL Reports

Colorado voters continue to shoot down awful Comcast-written protectionist
state law
<https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161109/09280136004/colorado-voters-continue-to-shoot-down-awful-comcast-written-protectionist-state-law.shtml>
by
Karl Bode, TechDirt

... Read the Full Community Network Media Roundup Here! ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-november-14>

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