<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.</i></div><div><i style="font-size:13px"><br></i></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/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">No Longer Just a Luxury: Tennessee Communities Need Broadband Access Now</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:18.004px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Thu, January 07, 2016 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/ternste" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">ternste</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-bradley-co-tn.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Sandi Wallis, a resident of northern Bradley County in Tennessee, doesn’t simply <em>want </em>to have ultra-fast, reliable broadband access for the fun of it. She needs it to run her home business. Her school-age children need it too:</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">“I've had to send my kids into town to do their homework. We’ve had to go into town with our business laptops to <a class="" href="http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term8" 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="Internet connections have two components - a downstream and upstream.  Downstream refers to the rate at which the user's computer can receive data from the Internet.">download</cite></a> updates to our programs for our accounting business because we can’t do it at home. We need service — not just reliable service and not just for entertainment.”</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px">Wallis made the comments at a recent <a href="http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/forum-message-we-want-our-internet,24016" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">meeting </a>hosted by the Bradley County Chamber of Commerce in Tennessee. The meeting focused on a persistent problem in many parts of Bradley County - residents and businesses lack the fast, affordable, reliable, broadband access that is available via <a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/chattanooga-crushes-it-marketing-technology-and-nearby-communities-community-broadband-bits-" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Chattanooga’s EPB fiber network</a> in neighboring Hamilton County. The deficiency is taking its toll.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now">... Read On for Absurd AT&T Statement Asking People to Ignore Gaps in Coverage ...</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/bradley-county-urges-tennessee-lawmakers-high-speed-internet-now" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Bradley County Urges Tennessee Lawmakers: High-Speed Internet Now!</a></h2><div class="" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Sat, January 09, 2016 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/hannah" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">hannah</a></span></div><div class="" style="line-height:18.004px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/bradley-county-urges-tennessee-lawmakers-high-speed-internet-now" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-bradley-co-tn.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Just this past week, we r<a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/no-longer-just-luxury-tennessee-communities-need-broadband-access-now" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">eported on the plight of Bradley County</a> in Tennessee. Cut off from connectivity, families and businesses are considering leaving to nearby Hamilton County which has Chattanooga’s high-speed fiber network.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">By a 12-1 vote, the <a href="http://www.bradleyco.net/resolutions.aspx" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Bradley County Commission urged the Tennessee legislature</a>to pass a bill (Tennessee HB 1303/SB 1134) enabling public utilities to bring high-speed Internet to Bradley County residents. Current state law - right now embroiled in legal disputes - prohibits public utilities from expanding high-speed Internet access. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Near-Unanimous Vote (12-1)</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">As <a href="http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/12/21/314787/Bradley-Commission-Votes-12-1-To-Urge.aspx" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">reported in the Chattanoogan</a>, the only naysayer to the resolution was the vice-chairman. He agreed that Charter and AT&T had failed to provide adequate Internet access to the county, but he expressed opposition to municipal networks. Although disagreeing with the resolution, he underscored how local control had disappeared with the current state law:</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/bradley-county-urges-tennessee-lawmakers-high-speed-internet-now">... More Coverage of How Tennessee Grassroots are Organizing for Local Internet Choice ...</a><br><br></p></div><h2 class="" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/next-century-cities-covers-one-touch-make-ready" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Next Century Cities Covers One-Touch Make-Ready</a></h2><div class="" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Fri, January 08, 2016 | 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:18.004px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/next-century-cities-covers-one-touch-make-ready" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-next-century-cities.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="47" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">An increasing number of communities appreciate the significance of dig-once policies. Municipal, state, and federal leaders are taking the advice of groups like Next Century Cities and implementing some form of the dig once approach to speed up deployment of telecommunications infrastructure. The next "no-brainer" policy is the one-touch make-ready or OTMR for pole attachments.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Make-ready work on utility poles is typically time consuming because it often requires multiple crews from different entities to move existing lines placed on the pole for different services. Before the new fiber line can be attached, those lines need to be rearranged to make room. When a community adheres to an OTMR policy, companies that own the poles agree to conditions that streamline the process.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/next-century-cities-covers-one-touch-make-ready">... Smart, Wonky Policy 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/new-vermont-law-bolsters-prospects-investing-community-broadband-networks" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">New Vermont Law Bolsters Prospects for Investing in Community Broadband Networks</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:18.004px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, January 06, 2016 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/scott" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Scott</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/new-vermont-law-bolsters-prospects-investing-community-broadband-networks" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-vermont.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">A new state law is on the books in Vermont that supporters expect will encourage more investor activity supporting community broadband networks. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The new law, which took effect this past June, allows for the creation of “communications union districts,” enabling towns and cities to band together to form geographic entities dedicated to establishing <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> broadband networks for their area’s residents and businesses. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>A New Nomenclature</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">While Vermont towns have been able to work cooperatively via inter-local contracts, the new law is less cumbersome and uses a governmental nomenclature more familiar to most people—the union district. The union district governance model has been used for many years throughout Vermont, including by various utilities that have multi-town operations to handle, for example, sewer and water service.  </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/new-vermont-law-bolsters-prospects-investing-community-broadband-networks">... Read our Full In-Depth Coverage Here ...</a></p></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/thoughts-2015-predictions-2016-community-broadband-bits-episode-183" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Thoughts on 2015, Predictions for 2016 - Community Broadband Bits Episode 183</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:18.004px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, January 05, 2016 | 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:18.004px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/thoughts-2015-predictions-2016-community-broadband-bits-episode-183" 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">Given all the exciting events of 2015 and our hopes for 2016, we decided to do another year end / year beginning show that looks both backward and forward. Unfortunately, our timing did not allow for Lisa to join us in the recording, but Christopher Mitchell is joined by communications staff at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance -- Rebecca Toews and Nick Stumo-Langer.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">We talk about what strikes us about the past year and what we expect to be happening in the near future. When I write "we" I mean that Christopher dominates the discussion.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">We will be back with our usual interviews starting next week.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">... <a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/thoughts-2015-predictions-2016-community-broadband-bits-episode-183">Listen to the Show Here</a> ... <a href="http://www.muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-183" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">The transcript from this episode is available here</a> ...</p></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/ringing-new-year-celebrating-win-prison-phone-justice" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Ringing in the New Year, Celebrating a Win for Prison Phone Justice</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:18.004px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, January 04, 2016 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/hannah" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">hannah</a></span></div><div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/ringing-new-year-celebrating-win-prison-phone-justice" class="" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-mag-net.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="67" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="margin:1em 0px">At MuniNetworks, we often focus on access to the Internet, but the impact of telecommunication policy extends beyond data. In 2016, families might finally see reasonable prices for phone calls to incarcerated loved ones.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin:1em 0px"></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin:1em 0px">Last October, the FCC voted to close loopholes and cap rates for Inmate Calling Service providers in jails and prisons across the nation. While incarcerated, folks couldn’t choose their long-distance service provider, and the prices these Inmate Calling Service providers demanded could reach <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/fcc-regulates-prison-phone-call-prices-no-more-14-minute-rates-386299" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">up to $14 a minute</a>. Although the FCC had some regulations in place, they did little to prevent add-on fees and service charges. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/ringing-new-year-celebrating-win-prison-phone-justice">... More on the Victory 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/community-broadband-media-roundup-january-8" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Community Broadband Media Roundup - January 8</a></h2><div class="" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:18.004px"><span class="" style="font-size:0.9em">Fri, January 08, 2016 | Posted by <a href="http://muninetworks.org/users/nick" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Nick</a></span></div><div class="" style="line-height:18.004px"><div class="" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class=""><div class=""><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-january-8" 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_2.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Minnesota</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.walkermn.com/community_voice/building-a-st-cenury-broadband-infrastructure/article_7a806bca-ad7b-11e5-b00f-dfc9b1d2d42d.html?mc_cid=dcb98d91d4&mc_eid=2910c7b52b" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Building a 21st century broadband infrastructure</a> by Senator Amy Klobuchar, Walker Minnesota Pilot</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.govtech.com/network/Minnesota-Governor-Recommends-100-Million-Rural-Broadband-Funding.html?mc_cid=aa44e38bb0&mc_eid=2910c7b52b" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Minnesota Governor recommends $100 million rural broadband funding</a> by Colin Wood, GovTech</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"> </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Oregon</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://pamplinmedia.com/lor/48-news/287128-163817-survey-to-gauge-publics-interest-in-a-city-owned-fiber-network-?mc_cid=dcb98d91d4&mc_eid=2910c7b52b" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Survey to gauge public's interest in a city-owned fiber network</a> by Phil Favorite, Lake Oswego Review</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-january-8">... Read our Full Community Network Media Roundup Here ...</a></p></div></div></div></div>

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