<div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:12.8px"><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><br></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/new-municipal-broadband-feasibility-study-underway-firestone-co" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">New Municipal Broadband Feasibility Study Underway in Firestone, CO</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:18.004px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, August 31, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/tom-ernste" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Tom Ernste</a></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/new-municipal-broadband-feasibility-study-underway-firestone-co" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-firestone-co_0.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">The Board of Trustees for the city of Firestone, CO is evaluating the feasibility of a new municipal broadband service for this growing town of about 10,000 people that sits just 30 miles north of Denver. This according to a <a href="http://www.timescall.com/news_region-news/ci_28325938/firestone-commissions-municipal-internet-study" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">recent report</a> in the Times-Call newspaper in Longmont, Colorado.  The feasibility study will compare Firestone’s existing telecommunications infrastructure with those in nearby communities such as <a href="http://muninetworks.org/tags-216" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Longmont</a> and <a href="http://muninetworks.org/taxonomy/term/736" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Boulder</a> that already have municipal networks. It will also assess the potential for growth of the service in Firestone to a nearby 3,500-home community development project.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">It would be travesty to build a 3,500 home development without having a plan for high quality Internet access. Even if CenturyLink or Comcast were to deploy fiber optics there, the community should ensure there are plans for <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305" 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 reinforced tube through which cabling runs. Conduit is useful both to protect fiber-optic cables in the ground and because one can place the conduit underground when convenient and later ">conduit</cite></a> or an open network to allow multiple service providers to provide a real choice.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/new-municipal-broadband-feasibility-study-underway-firestone-co" target="_blank">... Get the Rest of the Story 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/danvilles-incremental-strategy-pays-community-broadband-bits-episode-166" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Danville's Incremental Strategy Pays Off - Community Broadband Bits Episode 166</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, September 01, 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="line-height:18.004px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/danvilles-incremental-strategy-pays-community-broadband-bits-episode-166" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-community-bb-bits_0.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Danville, Virginia, has long been one of the municipal network approaches that we like to highlight. Built in a region hard hit by the transition away from tobacco and manufacturing economies, the <a href="http://www.ndanville.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">open access fiber network called nDanville</a> has led to many new employers coming to town and has shown the benefits of a low-risk, incremental investment strategy for building a fiber network.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Jason Grey, Interim Utilities Manager, is back on the show to update us on their approach. He introduced the network to us three years ago on <a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-22-jason-grey-danville-virginia" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">episode 22</a>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Since we last checked in, Danville has continued expanding the fiber network to a greater number of residents and Jason talks with us about the importance and challenges of marketing to residents. We also discuss how they lay <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305" 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 reinforced tube through which cabling runs. Conduit is useful both to protect fiber-optic cables in the ground and because one can place the conduit underground when convenient and later ">conduit</cite></a> as a matter of course, even in areas they do not plan to serve immediately with the fiber network.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/danvilles-incremental-strategy-pays-community-broadband-bits-episode-166" 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/hamilton-partners-local-provider-serve-businesses-ohio" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Hamilton Partners With Local Provider to Serve Businesses in Ohio</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, September 01, 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:18.004px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/hamilton-partners-local-provider-serve-businesses-ohio" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-hamilton-oh.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="92" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Hamilton, Ohio, has entered into a partnership with local firm, <a href="http://www.centergrid.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">CenterGrid</a>, to use city-owned fiber to boost economic development. The firm will offer Internet access and data transport to local businesses via existing infrastructure as the two enter into a five-year pilot project agreement, <a href="http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/local/deal-with-it-company-brings-high-speed-internet-to/nnHdW/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">reports the Journal-News</a>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The city's business incubator, <a href="http://hamiltonmill.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">the Hamilton Mill</a>, is the initial pilot site where emerging businesses are already receiving high-speed connectivity:</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">“As the initial pilot site, CenterGrid’s service has resulted in the Mill receiving network connectivity that is better than 83 percent of Internet connections throughout the US — that is huge,” Chris Lawson, executive director of the Hamilton Mill said. “For the types of companies that we are attracting, this level of connectivity is imperative for them to be successful.”</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px">A <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs193/1103899377258/archive/1121857689937.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">press release</a> from CenterGrid describes rates as economical, competitive, and determined by individual business requirements. According to the press release, entrepreneurs at The Mill are already taking advantage of the service.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/hamilton-partners-local-provider-serve-businesses-ohio" target="_blank">... Learn More About Their Approach 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/rio-blanco-county-has-big-plans-open-access-network" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Rio Blanco County Has Big Plans for Open Access Network</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Thu, September 03, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/phineas" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">phineas</a></span></div><div style="line-height:18.004px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/rio-blanco-county-has-big-plans-open-access-network" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-rio-blanco-co.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">In Rio Blanco County, you’re almost more likely to find a dinosaur fossil than a human being. This rural county in northwestern Colorado has about two people for every square mile, but its sparse population is not stopping it from advancing an ambitious <a href="http://www.rbc.us/wcitc" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">open-access broadband initiative</a>. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px">More than a year into the rollout of the network plan, Rio Blanco County (RBC) has already succeeded in soliciting $2 million in matched funds from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), contracted a network operator, and secured easements (land-use rights) from the county’s two largest municipalities to begin construction on the FTTx network. The bulk of the funding will come for the County budgeting for the infrastructure.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The network will initially touch every block and ultimately be expanded to deliver a fiber connection to each premise in the two towns. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/rio-blanco-county-has-big-plans-open-access-network" target="_blank">... Learn More About This Exciting Approach ...</a><br><br></p></div><h2 style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-optic-community-broadband-service-washington-state-wilderness" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Fiber-optic Community Broadband Service in the Washington State Wilderness</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, September 02, 2015 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/tom-ernste" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Tom Ernste</a></span></div><div style="line-height:18.004px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-optic-community-broadband-service-washington-state-wilderness" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-pend-oreille-pud.png" alt="" title="" width="104" height="108" style="border:0px"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">The <a href="http://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/-high-tech-high-rec-pend-oreille-works-to-connect-work-with-play/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Spokane Business Journal recently wrote about</a> the community broadband system in Pend Oreille County, a long a favored destination for <a href="http://www.porta-us.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">all seasons outdoor recreation</a>.  Beginning in 2013, the Pend Oreille County Public Utility District (PUD) began providing residents and tourists with <a href="http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/grantees/PendOrielle" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">high-speed fiber to the premises broadband</a> via a 573-miles fiber network.  The network was made possible by a <a href="http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/grantees/PendOrielle" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">$27 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant</a>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Private companies commonly say that such rural areas are not densely populated enough to justify investing in high-speed broadband infrastructure, leaving many rural communities on <a href="http://www.washingtonbroadband.org/benefits-of-broadband.aspx" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">the disadvantaged side of the digital divide</a>.  High-speed community broadband systems like the one in Pend Oreille County cancel out this potential problem as they allow tourists, residents, and businesses alike to be closely connected with nature while staying connected for business demands. Indeed, as <a href="http://pocedc.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">the website for Pend Oreille County’s Economic Development Council</a> makes clear, the community broadband service is at the core of the county’s ambitious plans to attract people and businesses to the area.</p></div><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/fiber-optic-community-broadband-service-washington-state-wilderness" target="_blank">... Many More Details with the Rest of the Story 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/community-broadband-media-roundup-september-4" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Community Broadband Media Roundup - September 4</a></h2><div style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, September 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="line-height:18.004px"><div style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div><div><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-september-4" 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"><strong>Colorado</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-schools/ci_28695685/boulder-valley-school-board-eyes-putting-broadband-question" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Boulder Valley school board eyes putting broadband question on November ballot</a>by Amy Bounds, Daily Camera</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"> </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Kentucky</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Kentucky is building a statewide <a href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term456" 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="Middle mile is a term most often referring to the network connection between the last mile and greater Internet.  For instance, in a rural area, the middle mile would likely connect the town's network to a larger metropolitan area where it interconnects with major carriers.">middle mile</cite></a> network.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://wkms.org/post/kentucky-moving-forward-effort-expand-broadband-rural-areas" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Kentucky Moving Forward With Effort to Expand Broadband In Rural Areas</a> by Allison Crawford, WKMS</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/home/headlines/Kentucky-Wired-broadband-internet-project-announced-in-Hazard-323490991.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Kentucky Wired broadband internet project announced in Hazard </a>by Tanner Hesterberg, WYMT-TV</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2015/09/01/kentucky-state-local-leaders-kick-off-pioneering.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Kentucky state, local leaders kick off pioneering broadband-access initiative</a> by Paul Wesslund, Louisville Business First</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-september-4" target="_blank">... Read the Full Roundup Here ...</a></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>

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