[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks ... Week of 10/11

Tue Oct 11 09:14:26 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.*

We have *just released a report on Internet access in North Carolina* and
how rural areas are rapidly falling behind urban areas without any
realistic hope for investment from the big telephone or cable companies.
Co-ops and municipalities have made impressive investments but are hobbled
by state barriers. *Read the Report Here! North Carolina Connectivity: The
Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
<https://muninetworks.org/reports/north-carolina-connectivity-good-bad-and-ugly>*
.

Dark Fiber, Free Wi-Fi, Startups in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dark-fiber-free-wi-fi-startups-cape-girardeau-missouri>
Mon, October 03, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dark-fiber-free-wi-fi-startups-cape-girardeau-missouri>

Missouri law has severely restricted municipal networks, but local
entrepreneurs decided to create their own fast, affordable, reliable
community connectivity. The City of Cape Girardeau
<http://www.cityofcapegirardeau.org/> has made new plans in its Marquette
Tech District: free public Wi-Fi
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term29>and a tech-hub for startups.
Although the city is already home to more than 100 large employers, city
officials want to also encourage small businesses and entrepreneurship.
Underneath all the possibilities is publicly owned dark fiber.

The Marquette Tech District will utilize the City of Cape Girardeau’s dark
fiber to connect the new tech-hub and provide free public Wi-Fi. The
project hopes to bring new vitality to the Marquette Tower building, a
center of the city's old economy, transforming it into a space for new
technology-based companies. Local entrepreneurs have created a nonprofit to
develop the project and the local Internet Service Provider (ISP) Big River
Communications <http://bigrivercom.com/> is on board. The city, meanwhile,
owns the essential infrastructure - the fiber.

... A very Interesting Project in Missouri - More Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/dark-fiber-free-wi-fi-startups-cape-girardeau-missouri>

Carrier-Grade Fiber in Centennial, Colorado - Community Broadband Bits
Podcast 222
<https://muninetworks.org/content/carrier-grade-fiber-centennial-colorado-community-broadband-bits-podcast-222>
Tue, October 04, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/carrier-grade-fiber-centennial-colorado-community-broadband-bits-podcast-222>

Located in the Denver metro region and shaped like a barbell, Centennial
has effectively used dig once policies
<http://www.centennialco.gov/Business-Services/fiber-initiative.aspx> to
build conduit <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305> and fiber
assets that have attracted Ting <https://ting.com/internet/> to the
community. Tim Scott is the Director of Fiber Infrastructure for the city
and joins us on Community Broadband Bits podcast episode 222.

Centennial took advantage of a project installing fiber for Intelligent
Transportation Signaling. But just putting in more fiber was not sufficient
to establish a carrier-grade network that ISPs would want to use. Tim
explains what they had to do to attract ISP interest.

Centennial's shape is very conducive to their strategy (which may be a
tautology - they chose that strategy because it works for them). At any
rate, their arterial corridors run quite close to the majority of premises
and therefore a well-designed fiber backbone network is more attractive in
that community than others.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/carrier-grade-fiber-centennial-colorado-community-broadband-bits-podcast-222>
... Read the transcript of the show here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-222>
 ...

Mediacom Lawyers Slow Competition With Court Time, Resources
<https://muninetworks.org/content/mediacom-lawyers-slow-competition-court-time-resources>
Thu, October 06, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/mediacom-lawyers-slow-competition-court-time-resources>

When big corporate incumbent providers fear a hint of competition from a
new entrant, they pull out all the stops to quash any potential threat. One
of the first lines of offense involves the courts. Iowa City now leases its
fiber to Cedar Rapids based ImOn
<http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2016/01/26/mediacom-lawsuit-continues-imon-launches-services/79360904/>
and
to stop it, Mediacom is reprocessing an old argument. It didn't work the
first time, but they are going for it anyway; this is another example of
how cable companies try to hobble competitors; just stalling can be a "win."

*A Lawsuit In Search Of An Offense*

Mediacom has a franchise <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term12> agreement
with Iowa City to offer cable television services and it also provides
subscribers the option to purchase Internet access and telephone services.
As most of our readers are attuned to these matters, you probably already
understand that just any old cable TV provider can’t come into Iowa City
and set up shop. State and local law require them to obtain a franchise
agreement, which often includes additional obligations in exchange for
access to a community’s potential customer base.

... Read Our Full In-Depth Coverage Providing a Great Overview Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/mediacom-lawyers-slow-competition-court-time-resources>

Grant Gets Project Going In Sanford
<https://muninetworks.org/content/grant-gets-project-going-sanford>
Tue, October 04, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/grant-gets-project-going-sanford>

Sanford, Maine <http://www.sanfordmaine.org/>’s plan to build a municipal open
access <https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term625> fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network just got the shot in
the arm it needs to move forward. On September 27th, the U.S. Economic
Development Administration <https://www.eda.gov/index.htm> (EDA) awarded
the community $769,000 in grant funding to complete the $1.5 million
project.

*Mightiest Muni In Maine*

About a year ago, we shared details
<https://muninetworks.org/content/sanford-maine-plans-largest-municipal-network-state>
about
the plan to deploy what will be the largest publicly owned fiber-optic
network in the state. The 45-mile network will run through Sanford
<http://www.sanfordmaine.org/>, but will also travel through Alford,
Kennebunk, and Wells and will connect to Maine’s statewide network, the
Three Ring Binder. “We’re creating the fourth ring on the 3-Ring Binder,”
said City Manager Steve Buck, in a recent Journal Tribune article
<http://www.journaltribune.com/news/2016-09-30/Front_Page/Sanfords_fiber_optic_highway_ready_to_roll.html>
.

... Read More About Another Exciting Project in Maine ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/grant-gets-project-going-sanford>

Rural Georgia, Here's A Survey For Ya!
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-georgia-heres-survey-ya>
Wed, October 05, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-georgia-heres-survey-ya>

Georgia has a few areas where businesses and residents can obtain
high-quality Internet access, usually from munis, but most of the rural
areas of the state are still lacking when it comes to connectivity. In
order to find out exactly how big the problem is, state lawmakers are
asking rural Georgia residents to complete an online broadband survey.

*Asking Rural Residents*

State Sen. Steve Gooch told the Gainesville Times
<http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/119305/>, the results
will be used by a joint committee of lawmakers who will then make
recommendations to the General Assembly next year. “One of the biggest
problems I have gotten complaints about from my constituents is the
Internet,” he said.

... More on the Survey Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/rural-georgia-heres-survey-ya>

Buses Bring Wi-Fi So Kids Can Work At Home
<https://muninetworks.org/content/buses-bring-wi-fi-so-kids-can-work-home>
Fri, October 07, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/buses-bring-wi-fi-so-kids-can-work-home>

When Liberty County, Georgia <http://www.libertycountyga.com/>’s school
system, began a one-to-one iPad initiative, they were making a positive
impact in technology readiness for local school kids. After a year of the
program, however, district officials determined that lack of Internet
access at home was so prevalent, students ran the risk of falling behind.
To fix the problem and allow kids to work online away from school, the
school district is installing buses with Wi-Fi
<http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/10/05/georgia-district-creates-homework-zones-via-wi-fi-buses/?ps=lgonzalez%40ilsr.org-001a000001IzmYI-003a000001fOe3a>equipment
and parking them throughout the community, creating “Homework Zones.”

*Taking Internet Access To The Streets*

In Liberty County, approximately 60 percent of students don’t have Internet
access at home, which renders school issued iPads useless at home. Access
is available in libraries, when there are extended school hours, and
sometimes in other public locations, but using public Wi-Fi takes kids away
from home; some kids are just too young to be out at night.

... Read the Rest of This Discussion on School Bus Wi-Fi ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/buses-bring-wi-fi-so-kids-can-work-home>

Finance Leader Turns To RVBA
<https://muninetworks.org/content/finance-leader-turns-rvba>
Sat, October 08, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/finance-leader-turns-rvba>

Now that the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority
<http://highspeedroanoke.net/> (RVBA) has its fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10>network offering services to
local businesses, smart companies that want fast, affordable, reliable
connectivity are signing up. The latest is finance company,Meridium
<https://www.meridium.com/>, which was recently acquired by GE Digital.

We recently interviewed
<https://muninetworks.org/content/virginias-roanoke-valley-opens-fiber-access-community-broadband-bits-podcast-221>
CEO
and President of the RVBA, Frank Smith, who described what it’s like to be
“the new kid on the block.” The RVBA has faced some opposition and dealt
with highs and lows during deployment, but as news of the network spreads,
we expect to see more press releases like this coming from the Roanoke
Valley:

.... See the Quote and Read More Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/finance-leader-turns-rvba>

-- 
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