<div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:13px"><i>Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org - a project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Instructions for unsubscribing appear at bottom.  Send feedback.  Forward Widely.</i><br></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/lafayette-congratulates-wilson-offers-support-after-fcc-ruling" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Lafayette Congratulates Wilson; Offers Support After FCC Ruling</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:14px;font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, March 03, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/lafayette-congratulates-wilson-offers-support-after-fcc-ruling" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-lafayette-2015_0.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="50" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px"><em>When the <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/cable-companies-lose-big-fcc-barriers-community-broadband-struck-down" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">FCC announced its intention last week</a> to neutralize the negative impacts of Tennessee and North Carolina anti-muni laws, celebrating reached far beyond Chattanooga and Wilson. In <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/three-new-companies-move-silicon-bayou" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Lafayette</a>, home to LUS Fiber, City-Parish President Joey Durel took time to write a supportive letter to Wilson's Mayor Bruce Rose.</em></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><em>We reproduce the text of that letter below. As Durel points out, the two communities have strong similarities and the victory in Wilson has also reached Lafayette. Durel notes that a community's decision to better its connectivity should always be a local choice, that partisanship is not a natural part of the equation, and he encouraged Rose to "stay strong."</em></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Dear Mayor Rose:</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/lafayette-congratulates-wilson-offers-support-after-fcc-ruling" target="_blank">... Read the Letter from Joey Durel Here ...</a></p></div></div>
<div><br></div><div><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/rural-electric-co-mo-coop-goes-gig-community-broadband-bits-episode-140" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Rural Electric Co-Mo Coop Goes Gig - Community Broadband Bits Episode 140</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:14px;font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, March 03, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">christopher</a></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/rural-electric-co-mo-coop-goes-gig-community-broadband-bits-episode-140" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-co-mo-connect.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="41" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">As high quality Internet has become more essential for business and quality of life, those who realized that the existing telecom providers had no intention to invest in better connections in their rural Missouri communities began to ask their electric cooperative - <a href="http://www.co-mo.coop/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Co-Mo</a> - to step up and do it.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">This week, we talk with Randy Klindt, General Manager of Co-Mo Connect, which is building a gigabit fiber network out to its members despite having not been chosen to receive any stimulus funds.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">We discuss how they have structured the network, why they felt compelled to get into the business, and some of the results from their approach.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/rural-electric-co-mo-coop-goes-gig-community-broadband-bits-episode-140" target="_blank">... Listen to the Show Here ...</a><br><br></p><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/missouri-senate-committee-hears-anti-muni-bill-private-companies-and-groups-ask-no-vote" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Missouri Senate Committee Hears Anti-Muni Bill; Private Companies and Groups Ask For No Vote</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, March 04, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div style="line-height:18.003999710083px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/missouri-senate-committee-hears-anti-muni-bill-private-companies-and-groups-ask-no-vote" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-missouri.gif" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">As the Senate version of Missouri's latest anti-muni bill, <a href="http://www.senate.mo.gov/15info/pdf-bill/intro/SB266.pdf" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">SB 266 [PDF]</a>, moved forward recently, a group of private sector companies and interested organizations <a href="http://www.baller.com/wp-content/uploads/JointOppMissouriSB2662-18-15.pdf" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">appealed to state lawmakers [PDF]</a> urging them to stop it in its tracks.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">In January <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/missouri-bill-creates-new-barriers-community-networks" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">we reported on HB 437</a>, introduced by House Member Rocky Miller. Its Senate companion, which establishes an identical slash and burn strategy to discourage municipal broadband investment, appears to be gathering interest.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The Senate Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee heard the bill on February 18th but chose not to vote on it, <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/politics/schaefer-seeks-to-block-columbia-from-creating-high-speed-internet/article_a67033ac-9c6b-58bc-8df5-425d0e713b56.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">reports the Columbia Tribune</a>. Members of the committee received a copy of the correspondence.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/missouri-senate-committee-hears-anti-muni-bill-private-companies-and-groups-ask-no-vote" target="_blank">... More Coverage Here ...</a><br><br></p><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/co-mo-cooperative-bringing-some-fastest-speeds-nation-rural-missouri" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Co-Mo Cooperative: Bringing Some of the Fastest Speeds in the Nation to Rural Missouri</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Sun, March 08, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div style="line-height:18.003999710083px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/co-mo-cooperative-bringing-some-fastest-speeds-nation-rural-missouri" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-co-mo-connect.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="41" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Co-Mo Cooperative and the Co-Mo Connect Board of Directors <a href="http://www.co-mo.coop/news/newsdetail.aspx?itemID=288" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">recently voted to proceed</a> with the final phases of its gigabit <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)" target="_blank"><cite title="Fiber-to-the-home.  As most telecommunications networks use fiber in some part of it, FTTH is used to specify those that use fiber to connect the subscriber.  Some claim they have a fiber-optic network because they use fiber to the node even when they use phone lines or a cable network over the last mile.  FTTH may be more expensive to install currently, but offers significant savings in terms of maintenance when compared to copper alternatives.">FTTH</cite></a> project. The decision assures the plan to bring to <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term27" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)" target="_blank"><cite title="The three main services offered over these networks - television, phone services, and Internet access.  Turns out that many people like to get all three from the same service provider on the same bill.  Service providers frequently offer deals that will lower the cost on these packages.  Typically, television breaks even or loses money whereas the service provider makes the most profits from phone and Internet access.">triple-play</cite></a> to all Co-Mo members by the end of 2016.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">We checked in on Co-Mo <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/central-missouri-coop-offer-gigabit-upgrades-speeds-no-price-increase" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">about a year ago</a>, when the cooperative announced it would increase speeds without increasing prices for both residential and business members. Residential fiber Internet service ranges from $39.95 per month for 5 <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term18" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)" target="_blank"><cite title="Megabits per second - a measure of speed.  8 Mbps means that 8 million bits are transferred each second.  Using an 8 Mbps connection, it would take 1 second to transfer an 1 MB (Megabyte) file - a photo, for instance.  Don't get lost in the details - when it comes to Mbps, more is faster.  1 Kbps (Kilobits)<1 Mbps<1 Gbps (Gigabits)">Mbps</cite></a> to $99.95 per month for gigabit service; all speeds are <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term24" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)" target="_blank"><cite title="Internet connections have two components - a downstream and upstream.  When the two speeds are comparable, the connection is termed symmetric.  Fiber-optic networks more readily offer symmetrical connections than DSL and cable, which are inherently asymmetrical.  Ultimately, purely symmetrical connections are less important than connections which offer robust connections in both ways.  However, modern asymmetrical connections via DSL and cable networks offer upload speeds that are too slow to take advantage of modern applications.">symmetrical</cite></a>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Triple-play service extends beyond the electric service territory. During the first phase of the project, the city of California (pop. 4,200) opened up city poles for Co-Mo in space that was previously used by a cable company that no longer operated in the area. The project then expanded to Tipton (pop. 3,200) and Versailles (pop. 2,500). </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/co-mo-cooperative-bringing-some-fastest-speeds-nation-rural-missouri" target="_blank">... More in This Followup to Our Podcast with Klindt Here ...</a></p></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/blackburn-and-tillis-introduce-bill-aimed-undo-fcc-decision-restore-local-authority" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Blackburn and Tillis Introduce Bill Aimed to Undo FCC Decision to Restore Local Authority</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:14px;font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, March 02, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/blackburn-and-tillis-introduce-bill-aimed-undo-fcc-decision-restore-local-authority" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/blackburn-2015.png" alt="" title="" width="113" height="125" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Last week, the <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/cable-companies-lose-big-fcc-barriers-community-broadband-struck-down" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">FCC made history</a> when it chose to restore local telecommunications authority by nullifying state barriers in Tennessee and North Carolina. Waiting in the wings were Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Senator Thom Tillis from Tennessee and North Carolina respectively, with their legislation to cut off the FCC at the knees. [A <a href="http://blackburn.house.gov/uploadedfiles/states_rights_muni_broadband_act.pdf" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">PDF of the draft legislation</a> is available online.]</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Readers will remember <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/revisiting-blackburn-amendment-debates" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Blackburn from last year</a>. She introduced a similar measure in the form of an amendment to an appropriations bill. Blackburn has repeatedly attributed her attempts to block local authority to her mission to preserve the rights of states. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/blackburn-and-tillis-introduce-bill-aimed-undo-fcc-decision-restore-local-authority" target="_blank">... Not a Surprise - Our Coverage Here ...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/remembering-david-carr-and-his-writing-monopoly-power" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Remembering David Carr, and His Writing on Monopoly Power</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:14px;font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, March 04, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/remembering-david-carr-and-his-writing-monopoly-power" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/David-Carr-2013.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="108" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><blockquote style="margin:1em 2em;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.5em;font-style:italic"><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://ilsr.org/stacy-mitchell/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Stacy Mitchell</a>, Co-Director of ILSR and Director of the Community-Scaled Economy Initiative, took a few moments to look back over the work of David Carr. Carr's work included investigating monopolies in the telecommunications space. Stacy's story, re-posted here, <a href="http://ilsr.org/remembering-david-carr-writing-monopoly-power/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">originally ran on ILSR.org</a>.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px">What will we do without David Carr, the brilliant media columnist at the New York Times who <a href="http://ilsr.org/remembering-david-carr-writing-monopoly-power/www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/business/media/david-carr-media-equation-columnist-for-the-times-is-dead-at-58.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">died last week</a>? At ILSR, we will especially miss his writing on monopoly power, Amazon, and the book business. Below we’ve excerpted and linked to a few of his best recent pieces on those subjects.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://ilsr.org/remembering-david-carr-writing-monopoly-power/www.nytimes.com/2014/07/17/business/media/in-modern-media-realm-big-mergers-are-a-bulwark-against-rivals.html?_r=0" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">In Modern Media Realm, Big Mergers Are a Bulwark Against Rivals</a> — July 16, 2014</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Comcast’s bold strategy of acquisition kicked off a wave of defensive consolidation, fueled by a combination of fear and abundant capital in the media realm.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/remembering-david-carr-and-his-writing-monopoly-power" target="_blank">... Lots of Great Thoughts from an Excellent Thinker Here ...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-march-6-2015" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Community Broadband Media Roundup - March 6, 2015</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:14px;font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Sun, March 08, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">rebecca</a></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-march-6-2015" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/media-roundup-community-bb.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Outlets are continuing to pick up on the fact that the FCC's Community Broadband decision was a big one for the future of the Internet. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Community Broadband</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.newrepublic.com/article/121188/fcc-community-broadband-ruling-could-transform-internet-access" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">The Most Important Decision the FCC Made Last Week Wasn't on Net Neutrality</a>... By David Dayen, The New Republic</p><blockquote style="margin:1em 2em;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.5em;font-style:italic"><p style="margin:1em 0px">…Telecoms have reacted to this wave of community broadband in ways you would expect from politically powerful, deep-pocketed corporations. First they sued the pants off any municipality trying to build their own network. Then they used their clout in state legislatures to restrict their reach. In Tennessee, only municipal electric companies can provide broadband, and only in the markets they serve. In North Carolina, community broadband networks cannot jump county lines. States like Missouri and Texas ban communities from building their own <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term10" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)" target="_blank"><cite title="A system that uses glass (or plastic) to carry light which is used to transmit information.  Typically, each side of the fiber is attached to a laser that send the light signals.  When the connection reaches capacity, the lasers may be upgraded to send much more information along the same strand of fiber.  This technology has been used for decades and will remain the dominant method of transmitting information for the foreseeable future.">fiber-optic</cite></a> networks.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/fcc-tests-authority-over-states-involving-internet-service-1425258986" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">FCC Tests Its Authority Over States: Agency takes on laws keeping cities from running Internet service</a>... by Drew Fitzgerald, The Wall Street Journal</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-march-6-2015" target="_blank">... BOOM - What a Roundup! ...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>

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