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<div><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><i style="font-size:13px">Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org - a project of the </i><i style="font-size:13px">Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Instructions for unsubscribing appear at bottom.  Send feedback.  Forward Widely.<br></i></div></div><div><i style="font-size:13px"><br></i></div><div><i style="font-size:13px"><br></i></div><div><i style="font-size:13px">We are excited to now have an index of all our podcasts (158 now) as well as transcripts for most of them! Check out the <a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-podcast-index">full listing of our conversations on Community Broadband Bits here</a>.</i></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><h2 class="" 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/kc-fiber-innovates-north-kansas-city-community-broadband-bits-episode-157" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">KC Fiber Innovates in North Kansas City - Community Broadband Bits Episode 157</a></h2><div class="" 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 class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, June 30, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">christopher</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/kc-fiber-innovates-north-kansas-city-community-broadband-bits-episode-157" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-community-bb-bits_0.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Every now and then, we <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/technology/article2144253.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">stumble across something</a>, read it twice, and then decide we need to verify it. In North Kansas City, a <a href="http://linkcity.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">municipal fiber network operating in partnership with KC Fiber</a>, is delivering a gig to residents at no ongoing charge after a reasonable one-time fee.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">To get the story, our interview this week for Community Broadband Bits is with Brooks Brown, Managing Partner of KC Fiber. KC Fiber is now running the North Kansas City municipal fiber network, liNKCity.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The network delivers a free gigabit to the schools and after a one-time fee of $50-$300 (depending on desired connection capacity) residents can get a high quality fiber Internet connection with no additional charges for 10 years.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">KC Fiber is not your ordinary ISP, coming from the data center world where it does business as Data Shack. We discuss how this background makes it easier for KC Fiber to offer the gigabit at no ongoing cost in our interview.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">... <a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/kc-fiber-innovates-north-kansas-city-community-broadband-bits-episode-157">Listen to the Show</a> ... <a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-157">Read the Transcript</a> ...<br><br></p><h2 class="" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/city-and-school-board-partner-fiber-maryland" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">City and School Board Partner for Fiber in Maryland</a></h2><div class="" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, July 01, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div class="" style="line-height:18.003999710083px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/city-and-school-board-partner-fiber-maryland" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-cumberland-md.jpg" alt="" title="" width="100" height="100" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Cumberland and the Allegany Board of Education are collaborating to improve educational, municipal, and business connectivity in the city's downtown area,<a href="http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/Cumberland-Md-and-County-School-Board-Collaborate-on-High-Speed-Broadband-.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">reports GovTech</a>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The district's 23 schools are all connected, but the Maintenance and Facilities Warehouse is not yet connected. The location of the facility and the proposed fiber route will create an ideal opportunity to install fiber in a commercial corridor where ISPs can tap into the infrastructure, notes Cumberland's economic development coordinator Shawn Hershberger:</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">“It will expand upon the solid resources we already have and make us more competitive for future economic development projects,” said Hershberger</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/city-and-school-board-partner-fiber-maryland">... Get More Details Here ...</a></p></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 class="" 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/keepbtlocal-working-plan-purchase-bt" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">KeepBTLocal Working on Plan to Purchase BT</a></h2><div class="" 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 class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, June 30, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/keepbtlocal-working-plan-purchase-bt" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-bt-2014.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="48" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Burlingtonians love their municipal network. We have reported in the past that, prior to the sale of the network to Blue Water LLC, a group of locals organized to create <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/coop-status-burlington-telecom-maybe" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">the KeepBTLocal cooperative</a>. Recently, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to purchase the network when it goes up for sale, a condition of the Blue Water LLC transaction.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">A customer satisfaction survey in April revealed that BT customers are more than twice as satisfied with their provider as those obtaining service from competitors. The VTDigger <a href="http://vtdigger.org/2015/06/04/burlington-telecom-receives-high-marks-in-customer-survey/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">reported survey results</a>:</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">· 87% customer satisfaction with BT’s Customer Service;</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">· 24% of customers chose BT’s services after being recommended by a friend or family member; and</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">· General impression of BT by non-BT customers saw a 10% “positive” increase over their 2014 impression.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/keepbtlocal-working-plan-purchase-bt">... Read the Full Coverage Here ...</a><br><br></p><h2 class="" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/last-mile-ftth-nonprofit-networks-new-york-state" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Last-Mile FTTH Via Nonprofit Networks in New York State</a></h2><div class="" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Thu, July 02, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div class="" style="line-height:18.003999710083px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/last-mile-ftth-nonprofit-networks-new-york-state" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-empire-access.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Western New York residents are welcoming the presence of a new Internet service provider, <a href="http://www.empireaccess.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Empire Access</a>, competing directly with Time Warner Cable and Verizon. Besides satisfied customers, no data caps, and no usage-based billing, Empire is different from the incumbents in another way - it uses nonprofit network infrastructure to deliver services.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://stopthecap.com/2015/06/10/empire-access-expands-fiber-to-the-home-service-across-western-n-y-southern-tier/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">StopTheCap writes</a> that Empire Access utilizes the <a href="http://www.southerntiernetwork.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Southern Tier Network</a> (STN) to connect to communities in Steuben, Chemung, and Schuyler Counties in its southern service area. STN's 235-mile backbone <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/three-counties-new-york-building-southern-tier-network" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">was deployed</a> when <a class="" 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)"><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>manufacturer Corning contributed $10 million to build the network and the three counties contributed the remaining $2.2 million. Construction on the <a class="" href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term625" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)"><cite title="An arrangement in which the network is open to independent service providers to offer services.  In many cases, the network owner only sells wholesale access to the service providers who offer all retail services (ie: triple play of internet, phone, tv).  Open access provides much more competition from which potential subscribers can choose.">open access</cite></a> network was finished in the spring of 2014.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/last-mile-ftth-nonprofit-networks-new-york-state">... Good News for Rural Communities and Small ISPs ...</a></p></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 class="" 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/chattanooga-video-explains-potential-gigabit-expansion-process" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Chattanooga Video Explains Potential Gigabit Expansion Process</a></h2><div class="" 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 class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, June 29, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">christopher</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><p style="margin:1em 0px">Following up on our post last week noting the <a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/tennessee-fiber-optic-communities-video-gig-freedom" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">new video from Tennessee Fiber Optic Communities</a>, another video recently posted <a href="https://vimeo.com/123418658" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">explains what needs to change in Tennessee law</a> for Chattanooga to expand Internet access beyond the current footprint. EPB Chief Operating Officer David Wade also explains the process the municipal electric distributor will use to connect nearby communities.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/chattanooga-video-explains-potential-gigabit-expansion-process">... Watch the Video Here ...</a><br><br></p></div></div><div><h2 class="" 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/growing-interest-dark-fiber-and-pricing-details" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Growing Interest in Dark Fiber and Pricing Details</a></h2><div class="" 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 class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, July 01, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/growing-interest-dark-fiber-and-pricing-details" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-ctc.PNG" alt="" title="" width="83" height="80" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Dark fiber is a growing business for both private and publicly owned networks. Data transport, data centers, ILECs, and CLECs are some of the most common users. Increasingly, wireless providers are turning to dark fiber for <a class="" href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term812" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)"><cite title="A general term for the segment of a network between the core and the edge.  An example: the connection from a community network hub in a small town to a carrier hotel where it connects to the Internet backbone.  ">backhaul</cite></a>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">A <a href="http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/zayo-sees-dark-fiber-wireless-backhaul-demand-ramping/2015-05-14" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">May Fierce Telecom article reports </a>that 14 percent of Zayo's wireless backhaul services are dark fiber solutions:</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">"We're seeing a shift with wireless backhaul contracts to dark fiber to the tower and we're starting to see that show up as the trend over the last couple of quarters," [Chairman and CEO Dan] Caruso said … "And you see it more pronounced in the current quarter where 14 percent of our product mix for fiber to the tower is dark fiber to the tower and you see that's grown and taken on a bigger piece of the pie."</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/growing-interest-dark-fiber-and-pricing-details">... Learn More About Dark Fiber Here ...</a><br><br></p></div></div><div><h2 class="" 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-july-6" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Community Broadband Media Roundup - July 6</a></h2><div class="" 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 class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, July 06, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">rebecca</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.003999710083px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-6" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/media-roundup-community-bb.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>California</strong></p><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/20150625/santa-cruz-partners-with-local-internet-provider-for-next-gen-internet" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Santa Cruz partners with local internet provider for next-gen Internet</a> by Jessica York, Santa Cruz SentinelMaine</p><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"> </p><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Maine</strong></p><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.govtech.com/network/Maine-Gov-Paul-LePage-Vetoes-State-Broadband-Fund.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Maine Gov. Paul LePage Vetoes State Broadband Fund</a> by Colin Wood, GovTech</p><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"> </p><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>New York</strong></p><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150628/08022631484/audit-reveals-verizon-tried-to-corner-nyc-broadband-market-striking-exclusive-landlord-deals.shtml" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Audit Reveals Verizon Tried To Corner NYC Broadband Market By Striking Exclusive Landlord Deals</a>by Karl Bode, TechDirt</p><blockquote style="margin:1em 2em;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.5em;font-style:italic"><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px">Verizon's refusing to serve millions of people, but making it impossible for anyone else to do so either. If you've followed the municipal broadband debate, that's effectively the same logic the mega-ISPs have displayed on a national level, and this kind of behavior by incumbent ISPs (especially if you watched the ILEC/CLEC wars of the late 90s and early aughts) is a major contributor to the nation's utterly mediocre rankings in most broadband metrics. </p></blockquote><p class="" style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-july-6"> ... Read the Full Roundup Here ...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div></div>

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