[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks... Week of 11/29

[Christopher Mitchell]

*Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org - a project of the **Institute for
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New Look At MuniNetworks.org!
<https://muninetworks.org/content/new-look-muninetworksorg>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/new-look-muninetworksorg>

After months of planning, we’re excited to launch our new website design!

We still have daily news, a huge cache of resources, and the information
you need to learn about community networks. We’ve updated our look and
organized so everything is even more accessible. As you explore you may
even find some information you never knew we had available at our former
site.

... We Still Have a Few Bugs - See if you Spot Them! ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/new-look-muninetworksorg>

Rural Electrics Solve Rural Internet Access Problems - Community Broadband
Bits Podcast 229

Tue, November 22, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/christopher>

Rural electric co-ops have started delivering high quality Internet access
to their member-owners and our guest this week on Community Broadband Bits
episode 229 is dedicated to helping these co-ops to build fiber-optic
networks throughout their territories. Jon Chambers is a partner at Conexon
<http://www.conexon.us/> and was previously the head of the FCC's Office of
Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis.

Jon is a strong proponent for ensuring rural residents and businesses have
at least the same quality Internet access as urban areas. We talk about his
experience and frustration at the FCC, which was content to shovel money at
telcos for the most basic infrastructure rather than setting higher
expectations to ensure everyone had decent Internet access. We talk about
how Co-Mo rolled out fiber to its members without federal assistance,
inspiring electric cooperatives around the nation to follow suit.

In our discussion, I reference Jon's blog post "FCC to Rural America: Drop
Dead <http://www.conexon.us/blog/>." In it, he cites some of the reactions
in the FCC from his advocacy for real rural solutions rather than signing
big checks to big telcos for delivering slow and unreliable Internet
access. One of quotes from a Democrat: "Republicans like corporate welfare,
so we’re going to give money to the telephone companies to keep the
Republicans on the Hill happy."

Neither political party comes off looking very good when it comes to rural
connectivity, which fits with our impression. But Jon confirms another of
our experiences when he says that when he works with rural communities,
politics doesn't come up. They just focus on solutions.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-electrics-solve-rural-internet-access-problems-community-broadband-bits-podcast-229>
... Read the transcript of the show here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-229>
 ...
Rural Tennessee Economy: Digital Divide, Connectivity Chasm

Mon, November 21, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/hannah>

Rural folks without fast, affordable, reliable Internet access face
challenges with common tasks such as doing homework, completing college
courses, or running a small business. Although Tennessee has an
entrepreneurial spirit, a large swath of the state's rural residents and
businesses don't have the connectivity they need to participate in the
digital economy. A September article in the Tennessean looks deeper at the
state's digital divide
<http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2016/09/30/weak-broadband-access-slows-rural-tennessees-economy/89727758/>
between
urban and rural areas.

National Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have failed to make good on
promises made over recent decades to bring high-quality Internet access to
the entire country, *both urban and rural*. Several telephone cooperatives
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are already actively
investing in better Internet access to improve rural Tennessee’s economy.

... Read our Full Story Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-tennessee-economy-digital-divide-connectivity-chasm>

Connectivity In Kitsap: LUD In Lookout Lane

Tue, November 22, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/lgonzalez>

Residents in the Lookout Lane neighborhood of Kitsap County, Washington,
tired of shoddy DSL do they joined forces to take advantage of publicly
owned fiber. By the end of 2016, this group of organized neighbors
anticipates connecting to the Kitsap Public Utility District (KPUD) open
access fiber network.

*How Did They Do It?*

According to the October newsletter
<http://www.noanet.net/pdfs/KPUD%20ARTICLE.pdf> from the Northwest Open
Access Network (NoaNet), neighbors in the Lookout Lane area had dealt with
slow DSL for some time, paying $60 per month for speeds that rarely reached
1 Megabit per second (Mbps). Some of the residents have careers in the tech
industry and required high-speed connections to work from home, but the
national incumbent would not invest in upgrades. Lack of high-quality
Internet access also caused several home sales to fall through.

Members in the neighborhood decided to petition the KPUD to form a Local
Utility District (LUD), to fund their portion of the cost of a fiber
expansion to their homes. KPUD would finance the cost of deployment to the
edge of the neighborhood. Residents decided the investment was worth an
assessment on their property rather than contending with the outdated
technology offered by the incumbent.

... Get More Details From This Exciting Approach in Washington ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/connectivity-kitsap-lud-lookout-lane>

Colorado Conversation: New ILSR Podcast!

Wed, November 23, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/lgonzalez>

In early November, voters in 26 additional Colorado communities chose to
opt out of SB 152. The state’s restrictive law took away local
telecommunications authority in 2005. The results in many of the towns and
counties were overwhelming majorities - loud and clear in favor of local
authority. Now, 95 local communities across the state have reclaimed local
authority.

We covered the election results in detail
<https://muninetworks.org/content/colorado-voters-choose-local-control-26-communities>
on
MuniNetworks.org and what those results say about local communities’ desire
for better connectivity. We spoke with local community leaders
<https://muninetworks.org/content/voices-colorados-local-authority-sweep-prx>.
As part of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Building Local Power
podcast, episode #5
<https://ilsr.org/broadband-boosted-at-the-ballot-episode-5-of-the-building-local-power-podcast/>,
Christopher and I also discussed what those results say about the desire
to make connectivity choices at the local level.

... Listen to the Show Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/colorado-conversation-new-ilsr-podcast>

Highland Telephone Cooperative Gains Gigabit Recognition

Thu, November 24, 2016 | Posted by Scott
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/Scott>

The NTCA-Rural Broadband Association <https://www.ntca.org/> this month
awarded the Highland Telephone Cooperative (HTC) of Sunbright, Tennessee,
its national certification as a “Gig-capable” provider, reports the
Independent-Herald
<http://www.ihoneida.com/news/local-news/2016/11/highland-is-gigabit-certified/>
.

HTC <http://highlandtel.net/> serves Scott and Morgan counties in Tennessee
and McCreary County in Kentucky and is now one of 85 Gig-certified
company/cooperative providers in the nation. The certification recognizes
rural communities that are at the cutting-edge of broadband technology,
offering Internet service of up to at least 1 Gigabit per second (1,000
Megabits per second or Mbps). The association launched this national
campaign in the fall of 2015.

... Read Our Ramblings on This Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/highland-telephone-cooperative-gains-gigabit-recognition>

Comcast Follows AT&T's Litigious Lead In Nashville

Fri, November 25, 2016 | Posted by Scott
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/Scott>

Comcast is the second Internet Service Provider (ISP) suing the mayor and
metro government of Nashville, Tennessee (pop. 680,000) to stop a new
ordinance to give streamline access to utility poles in the city,
reports Cnet.com
news
<https://www.cnet.com/news/comcast-sues-nashville-over-google-fiber-law/>.

Comcast’s October lawsuit
<https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/comcast-nashville-complaint.pdf>over
the Google Fiber-supported One Touch Make Ready ordinance (OTMR) comes on
the heels of AT&T's legal action in late September. We wrote
<https://muninetworks.org/content/att-makes-good-threats-sues-nashville>
 about AT&T’s lawsuit
<https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/2016-09-AT&T-complaint-vs-Nashville-OTMR.pdf>
shortly
after the filing.

Cnet.com reported
<https://www.cnet.com/news/comcast-sues-nashville-over-google-fiber-law/> that
most of the utility poles are owned by Nashville Electric Service (NES) or
AT&T, but Comcast has wires on many poles and has control over how these
wires are handled. “When Google Fiber wants to attach new wires to a pole,
it needs to wait for Comcast to move its wire to make room, and this is
where the new ordinance becomes controversial.”

... More Details In Our Full Story Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/comcast-follows-atts-litigious-lead-nashville>

Nominations Open for Digital Inclusion Leadership Awards

Sat, November 26, 2016 | Posted by Scott
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/Scott>

Next Century Cities,
<http://nextcenturycities.org/digital-inclusion-awards/> a nonprofit
advocate of high-speed Internet accessibility for all communities, and
Internet Service Provider (ISP) Google Fiber
<https://fiber.google.com/about/> are joining forces to support the second
annual Digital Inclusion Leadership awards.

The competition recognizes city governments that are spearheading or
investing in community-based organizations that are tackling barriers to
high-speed Internet service adoption, or what is commonly known as the
“digital divide.” Next Century Cities is comprised of more than 150 mayors
and city leaders dedicated to ensuring that all communities get access to
fast, affordable, and reliable broadband Internet service.

The 2017 Digital Inclusion Leadership awards will feature two categories:
Leader in Digital Inclusion Best Practices and Most Promising New Plan.
There will be two winners in each category. All contest submissions are *due
February 10, 2017* and winners will be announced in spring, 2017.

... More Information In the Full Post ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/nominations-open-digital-inclusion-leadership-awards>


Community Broadband Media Roundup - November 28

Mon, November 28, 2016 | Posted by Nick
<https://muninetworks.org/content/users/Nick>

*Alabama*

Here's why Huntsville Internet customers should soon see lower prices
<http://www.waaytv.com/tech_alabama/here-s-why-huntsville-internet-customers-should-soon-see-lower/article_709cd6f0-b010-11e6-96cb-df15cc44ce7b.html>by
Travis Leder, TechAlabama

*California*

As Google Fiber scales down its broadband business, San Francisco moves
ahead on its own
<http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-sf-municipal-broadband-20161120-story.html>
by
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times

Google’s strategic shift shouldn’t have come as a surprise, says
Christopher Mitchell, a broadband expert at the Institute for Local
Self-Reliance. Signs abounded that the company, now called Alphabet, didn’t
see broadband service as a core business and was becoming more interested
in other ventures, including self-driving cars. Its insistence on building
on its own terms should have been a warning for companies that thought it
would be the answer to their digital dreams.

“When you’re begging for something from a big company like Google,”
Mitchell says, “you take what you can get.”

 ... Read Our Full Community Networks Media Roundup Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-november-28>

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