[Davisgig] Recently in Community Networks ... Week of 9/13

Christopher Mitchell christopher at newrules.org
Tue Sep 13 09:42:39 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.*


Madison, Wisconsin, Gets Serious About Municipal Fiber
<https://muninetworks.org/content/madison-wisconsin-gets-serious-about-municipal-fiber>
Wed, September 07, 2016 | Posted by KateSvitavsky
<https://muninetworks.org/users/katesvitavsky>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/madison-wisconsin-gets-serious-about-municipal-fiber>

The City of Madison, Wisconsin is one step closer to constructing a
citywide municipal fiber network after obtaining the results from a broadband
feasibility study
<http://www.ctcnet.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Madison-FTTP-Feasibility-Study-Final-20160808.pdf>.
The consulting firm hired in December 2015 recently completed the study and
made it available to the city’s Digital Technology Committee and the public.

The report recommends Madison build an open access
<https://muninetworks.org/content/open-access> dark fiber network and
engage a partner to offer services to subscribers via the
infrastructure. Westminster,
Maryland
<https://muninetworks.org/content/p3-between-westminster-and-ting-%E2%80%9Ccommunity-broadband-innovative-partnership-year%E2%80%9D>,
and Huntsville, Alabama
<https://muninetworks.org/content/muni-network-huntsville-draws-google-fiber>,
use the same approach with partners Ting and Google Fiber. Madison’s
network would build on the existing Metropolitan Unified Fiber Network
<http://mufn.org/> (MUFN), a smaller fiber network that was funded with
stimulus dollars through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA). It connects public institutions such as the University of
Wisconsin, Dane County, hospitals, K-12 schools, and DaneNet
<http://www.danenet.org/>, which is made up of 28 community groups serving
low income families and seniors.

... Could Madison Build the Biggest Muni Fiber Network to Date? ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/madison-wisconsin-gets-serious-about-municipal-fiber>

Eliminate the Digital Divide - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 218
<https://muninetworks.org/content/eliminate-digital-divide-community-broadband-bits-podcast-218>
Tue, September 06, 2016 | Posted by christopher
<https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/eliminate-digital-divide-community-broadband-bits-podcast-218>

After his daughter asked how her classmates could do their school homework
if they did not have a computer or Internet access at home, Pat Millen's
family formed E2D - a nonprofit organization called Eliminate the Digital
Divide <http://www.e-2-d.org/>. This week, Pat and I talk about their
strategy, which was created in the footprint of North Carolina's municipal
MI-Connection but is now expanding through Charlotte and working with
incumbent operators.

E2D has arranged an innovative and replicable program to distribute
devices, provide training, and arrange for an affordable connection. Along
the way, they developed a sustainable funding model rather than merely
asking people with deep pockets for a one-time donation.

An important lesson from E2D is the richness of opportunity when people
take action locally. That is often among the hardest steps when success is
far from assured - but these local actions are the ones that can be the
most successful because they are tuned to local needs, assets, and culture.

... Listen to the Show Here
<https://muninetworks.org/content/eliminate-digital-divide-community-broadband-bits-podcast-218>
... Read the transcript of this episode here.
<https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-218>
..

Harlan Continues Bump Up To Fiber In Rural Iowa
<https://muninetworks.org/content/harlan-continues-bump-fiber-rural-iowa>
Mon, September 05, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/harlan-continues-bump-fiber-rural-iowa>

With charming cornfields and bustling cities, Iowa is a Midwest hub of
community networks. Harlan, the county seat of Shelby County, is located in
west central Iowa. About 5,400 people live in the town, situated along the
West Nishnabotna River. Back in the ‘90s, Harlan
<http://www.cityofharlan.com/> was one of several Iowa towns that built
their own cable networks to deliver video and Internet services. In
August,Harlan
Municipal Utilities <http://www.harlannet.com/index.htm> (HMU) announced it
will continue upgrading to fiber, a project they started in 2012. Upon
completion in early 2017, much of the town will have Internet access via
fiber.

*The Present: 2016-2017 Fiber Project*

HMU announced the project on their website in early August. For more
details, we spoke with Director of Marketing, Doug Hammer, previously a
guest on our Community Broadband Bits podcast.

... Many More Details about Harlan's Upgrade ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/harlan-continues-bump-fiber-rural-iowa>

Feasibility Study Offers Food For Thought In Fort Collins, CO
<https://muninetworks.org/content/feasibility-study-offers-food-thought-fort-collins-co>
Tue, September 06, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/feasibility-study-offers-food-thought-fort-collins-co>

Fort Collins has the numbers, now it must weigh its options as it steps
forward. This month the City Council received the results of a feasibility
study it commissioned late in 2015 to help fill in its Broadband Strategic
Plan. The results, along with city staff analysis, are now available for
review
<http://citydocs.fcgov.com/?cmd=show_related&vid=72&dt=SUMMARY+AGENDA&rid=August+23%2C+2016>
(item
no. 3 from the Aug. 23rd meeting).

*A Growing Interest*

Last fall, voters chose to reclaim local authority
<https://muninetworks.org/content/voters-quiet-drums-polls-colorado> by
opting out of Colorado’s SB 152, which in 2005 took away local
telecommunications infrastructure decisions from municipalities. A
resounding 83 percent of voters voiced their desire to have the option to
develop a municipal utility. Local media
<https://muninetworks.org/content/fort-collins-local-media-endorses-muni-option>
 and businesses had expressed
<https://muninetworks.org/content/businesses-fort-collins-colorado-advocate-local-authority>
their
support for better connectivity through public ownership. Residents wrote
to local papers
<https://muninetworks.org/content/let-it-be-local-43-colorado-communities-vote-better-broadband>
describing
how Fort Collins needed better Internet access to spur economic development
<https://muninetworks.org/content/municipal-networks-and-economic-development>.
Clearly, the momentum was running strong.

... More Information on the Models Under Consideration in Fort Collins ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/feasibility-study-offers-food-thought-fort-collins-co>

Culver City: Construction Begins For Better Connectivity
<https://muninetworks.org/content/culver-city-construction-begins-better-connectivity>
Sat, September 10, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/culver-city-construction-begins-better-connectivity>

Culver City officially broke ground
<http://www.culvercity.org/Home/Components/News/News/246/722?backlist=%2F> on
its new municipal fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network
in August and expects to finish the project within one year. The beginning
of construction marked the realization of a process that started some time
ago in “The Heart of Screenland.”

*Enter Culver Connect*

Culver Connect <http://www.culvercity.org/Home/Components/News/News/81/722>
will
integrate existing publicly owned fiber to improve connectivity for
municipal facilities, the Culver City Unified School District, and local
businesses. The design for Culver Connect includes three rings and will add
21 miles to ensure redundancy and expand the footprint of the existing
network.

... Another Exciting Development in Improving Local Connectivity! ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/culver-city-construction-begins-better-connectivity>

Unanimous Dissent Radio On Munis, The FCC Decision, And State Barriers
<https://muninetworks.org/content/unanimous-dissent-radio-munis-fcc-decision-and-state-barriers>
Thu, September 08, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/unanimous-dissent-radio-munis-fcc-decision-and-state-barriers>

Last week, Christopher was a guest on the Unanimous Dissent Radio Show
<https://soundcloud.com/the-district-sentinel/unanimous-dissent-9216-lives-of-millions-continue-to-improve-as-scalia-remains-dead>.
Sam Sacks and Sam Knight asked him to share information about the details
on state barriers around the country.

The guys get into the nitty gritty on state level lobbying and anti-muni
legislation. They also discuss how a growing number of communities are
interested in the local accountability, better services, and improved
quality of life that follows publicly owned Internet infrastructure.

The show is now posted on SoundCloud and available for review.
Christopher’s interview starts around 17:00 and runs for about 15 minutes.

... Listen to the Show Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/unanimous-dissent-radio-munis-fcc-decision-and-state-barriers>

Nashville: One Touch Make Ready Moves Forward
<https://muninetworks.org/content/nashville-one-touch-make-ready-moves-forward>
Fri, September 09, 2016 | Posted by hannah
<https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/nashville-one-touch-make-ready-moves-forward>

On September 6th, the Nashville Metro Council approved a proposed One Touch
Make Ready (OTMR) ordinance by a wide margin of 32-7 on a roll call vote
<http://patch.com/tennessee/nashville/pot-decriminalization-google-fiber-pole-proposal-clear-crucial-council-hurdles>
(computers
were down). This was the second vote to advance the ordinance, designed to
streamline deployment of fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> networks in a city looking for
better connectivity. Elected officials responded to Nashville residents who
flooded their council members’ offices with emails.

The Nashville Metro Council will take up the ordinance one last time;
passage could speed up competition in the country music capital. Google
Fiber has been pushing for a OTMR, while incumbents AT&T and Comcast look
for a non-legislative solution to the problem of the poles while protecting
their positions as dominant Internet Service Players (ISPs).

... Many More Details Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/nashville-one-touch-make-ready-moves-forward>

Vallejo Releases RFP: Responses Due October 7th
<https://muninetworks.org/content/vallejo-releases-rfp-responses-due-october-7th>
Thu, September 08, 2016 | Posted by lgonzalez
<https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez>
<https://muninetworks.org/content/vallejo-releases-rfp-responses-due-october-7th>

Vallejo’s Fiber Optic Advisory Group (FOAG) and the city manager are in the
middle of developing the details of a citywide fiber-optic
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10> network master plan. As part
of the process, the city recently released a Request for Proposals
<http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=5206059>
(RFP)
for a dark fiber connection to an Internet Point of Presence (POP). The RFP
also includes calls for wholesale Internet services. Responses to the RFP
are *due on October 7*.

*Intelligent Integration*

As we reported in 2015
<https://muninetworks.org/content/vallejo-commits-develop-fiber-master-plan>,
the community already has a significant amount of publicly owned fiber in
place controlling the city’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).
Vallejo also owns a considerable amount of conduit
<https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305> that can be integrated into
any fiber network. As part of the master plan the city adopted
<http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=2530493> in
February, they intend to build off that infrastructure and offer better
connectivity to businesses, community anchor institutions, and municipal
facilities. Vallejo is considering a municipal utility, operating as an
Internet Service Provider (ISP), or engaging in some form of public private
partnership. They are still considering which route is best for the
community.

... More Information Here ...
<https://muninetworks.org/content/vallejo-releases-rfp-responses-due-october-7th>

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