<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 style="font-size:12.8px"><i style="font-size:13px"><br></i></div><div><i style="font-size:13px"><br></i></div>
<div><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tn-study-suggests-stamping-out-state-barriers" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">TN Study Suggests Stamping Out State Barriers</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" 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="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, July 25, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tn-study-suggests-stamping-out-state-barriers" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-tennessee.png" alt="" title="" width="124" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">The results of a statewide Tennessee survey on residential and business connectivity are in and they ain't pretty. Thirteen percent of the state - more than 834,000 people - don’t have access to 25 Megabits per second (<a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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)"><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>) <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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> and 3 Mbps <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term28" 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.  Upstream refers to the rate at which the user's computer can send data to the Internet.  DSL and cable networks frequently offer upload speeds at only 1/10 of the downstream speeds.  This is one of the main reasons DSL and cable networks are insufficient for the modern Internet.">upload</cite></a>, which is the FCC's definition of broadband. Authors of the study make a number of recommendations, the first of which is <strong>removing state barriers that stifle Internet infrastructure investment</strong>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>"...A More Open Regulatory Environment"</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The study, commissioned by the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) earlier this year, includes feedback from more than 23,000 households and businesses. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px">From page 13 of the report:</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">The State of Tennessee could consider lifting administrative burdens and restrictions to broadband infrastructure investment to fostering a more open regulatory environment. </p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tn-study-suggests-stamping-out-state-barriers">... More Details on Tennessee's Official Study Here ...</a><br><br></p><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tiny-mt-washington-builds-fiber-home-community-broadband-bits-podcast-212" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Tiny Mt Washington Builds Fiber-to-the-Home - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 212</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, July 27, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/christopher" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">christopher</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tiny-mt-washington-builds-fiber-home-community-broadband-bits-podcast-212" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-community-bb-bits_0.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Overlooked by the incumbent telephone company, <a href="http://townofmtwashington.com/index.php" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Mount Washington</a> in the southwest corner of Massachusetts is becoming one of the smallest <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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)"><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>communities in the country by investing in a municipal fiber network. A strong majority of the town committed to three years of service and the state contributed $230,000 to build the network after a lot of local groundwork and organizing.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Select Board member Gail Garrett joins us for episode 212 of the Community Broadband Bits to discuss their process and the challenges of crafting an economical plan on such a small scale.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">It turns out that the rural town had some advantages - low make-ready costs from the lack of wires on poles and no competition to have to worry about. So they are moving forward and with some cooperation from the telephone company and electric utility, they could build it pretty quickly. We also discuss what happens to those homes that choose not to take service when it is rolled out - they will have to pay more later to be connected.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">... <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tiny-mt-washington-builds-fiber-home-community-broadband-bits-podcast-212">Listen to the Show Here</a> ... <a href="https://muninetworks.org/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-212" style="line-height:18.004px;color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Read the transcript of this episode here</a> ...<br><br></p><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/greenlight-upgrades-pinetops-north-carolina-ftth" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Greenlight Upgrades Pinetops, North Carolina, With FTTH</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Thu, July 28, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/catharine-rice" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Catharine Rice</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/greenlight-upgrades-pinetops-north-carolina-ftth" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/pinetops-store.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="88" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">In April, Wilson’s, municipal fiber network, Greenlight, expanded to pass every home in <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/wilson-moves-expand-greenlight-network-neighboring-town" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">neighboring rural Pinetops</a>. How is it going? Acting Town Manager, Brenda Harrell said, “We just love it!”</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>No Longer Out of Reach</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Pinetops is about a 20 minute drive due east from Greenlight’s operations center, but more importantly, it is in another county entirely. Wilson serves six neighboring counties with its municipal electric services. Turning on internet service in Pinetops was an easy reach for Wilson, where fiber was being deployed as part of an automated meter infrastructure project.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Back in February 2015, the <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/cable-companies-lose-big-fcc-barriers-community-broadband-struck-down" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">FCC preempted</a> a North Carolina state law, known as H129, that prohibited Wilson from serving any residents outside of Wilson County. The preemption allowed Wilson to finish the project it had to suspend when H129 became law. In addition to the benefits of automated metering, Pinetops now experiences a higher quality of life with fast, affordable, reliable Internet access.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/greenlight-upgrades-pinetops-north-carolina-ftth">... More on Wilson's Important Investment in their Region Here ...</a><br><br></p></div><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-joey-durel-lafayette-louisiana" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Community Connections - Joey Durel: Lafayette, Louisiana</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, July 27, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/rebecca" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">rebecca</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-joey-durel-lafayette-louisiana" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/icon-muninetworks-video.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="124" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">The city of Lafayette, Louisiana had an export problem. For years they had seen their young people become educated and move away from the small city, but local leaders like Joey Durel listened to experts like Terry Huval when they encouraged him to look into building a citywide fiber network.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">In this video Christopher Mitchell interviews Joey Durel, former City-Parish President of Lafayette, Louisiana. In 2009 Lafayette Utilities System installed infrastructure for a fiber telecommunications network called <a href="http://lusfiber.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">LUS Fiber</a>. The network provides digital cable, telephone service, and high-speed Internet to all households in Lafayette.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">In the video, Durel emphasizes the hidden benefit of controversy when building advanced Internet networks: controversy educates the public. When local leaders are able to "think outside the box" and encourage discussion and debate, they are much more able to educate their constituents and in turn, make change. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/community-connections-joey-durel-lafayette-louisiana">... Watch the Video Here ...</a><br><br></p><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tullahoma%E2%80%99s-lightube-connects-3500th-customer" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Tullahoma’s LighTUBe Connects 3,500th Customer</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Fri, July 29, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/alexander" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">alexander</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tullahoma%E2%80%99s-lightube-connects-3500th-customer" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-lightTUBe.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="48" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Tullahoma Utilities Board (TUB) recently <a href="http://www.tub.net/about-us/latest-news/lighttube-installs-3500th-customer" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">celebrated its 3,500th Internet customer</a>, rewarding the lucky <a href="http://www.tub.net/internet/fiber-optics-faqs" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">LightTUBe</a> subscriber with a $350 bill credit. TUB has offered Fiber-to-the-Home (<a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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)"><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>) <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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)"><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> services to the Tennessee town of 19,000 since 2009. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px">LightTUBe now boasts an estimated market penetration rate of 39 percent, despite competition from publicly-traded incumbents Charter, Comcast, and AT&T. LightTUBe delivers $90 per month <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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)"><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> gigabit connectivity (1,000 Megabits per second), so <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term28" 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.  Upstream refers to the rate at which the user's computer can send data to the Internet.  DSL and cable networks frequently offer upload speeds at only 1/10 of the downstream speeds.  This is one of the main reasons DSL and cable networks are insufficient for the modern Internet.">upload</cite></a> and <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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> speeds are equally fast. LightTUBe also offers <a href="http://www.tub.net/internet" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">other affordable options</a> and has repeatedly <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/lighttube-lowers-price-gig-increases-speeds-free-again" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">lowered prices and increased speeds</a>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/tullahoma%E2%80%99s-lightube-connects-3500th-customer">... Hard to Avoid Writing "Totally Tubular" Here - More Details ...</a></p></div></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/rewriting-rules-santa-cruz-county-encourages-competition" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Rewriting the Rules, Santa Cruz County Encourages Competition</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" 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="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, July 25, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/hannah" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">hannah</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/rewriting-rules-santa-cruz-county-encourages-competition" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/seal-santa-cruz-county.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">South of California’s Bay Area with its buzzing tech startups and expensive housing, Santa Cruz County has been overlooked by the big Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The city of Santa Cruz had less than stellar connectivity, and the rest of Santa Cruz County was no better. That’s when county leaders decided to rewrite the rules.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Throughout 2014 and early 2015, the Board of Supervisors for Santa Cruz County developed a broadband master plan, created a “dig once” policy, and<a href="http://www.santacruztechbeat.com/2014/01/24/broadband-what-exactly-is-the-board-considering-to-adopt/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">streamlined the regulatory permit process</a>. Cutting down red tape at the county level encouraged both small and large ISPs to reconsider investing in Santa Cruz.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/rewriting-rules-santa-cruz-county-encourages-competition">... Cruz Through the Rest of this Story Here ...</a><br><br></p></div></div><div><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/kandiyohi-county-and-ctc-co-op-team-connected-future" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Kandiyohi County And CTC Co-op Team Up For Connected Future</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" 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="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, July 26, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">lgonzalez</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/kandiyohi-county-and-ctc-co-op-team-connected-future" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-kandiyohi-cnty-mn.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="48" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">In an effort to improve local connectivity, Kandiyohi County will collaborate with a local cooperative, <a href="http://www.connectctc.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Consolidated Telecommunications Company of Brainerd</a> (CTC Co-op). Kadiyohi County is in step with the increasing number of rural communities joining forces with cooperatives when big corporate providers find no reason to invest in less populated areas.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Keeping It Local</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">In early July, the County Board of Commissioners <a href="http://www.wctrib.com/news/local/4068053-kandiyohi-county-signs-letter-intent-broadband-partner" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">signed a letter of intent</a> with CTC Co-op in order to start planning for a potential project. The move improves the county’s chances to obtain one of the Minnesota <a href="https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/grant-program/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Border-to-Border Broadband Program</a> grants and motivates CTC Co-op to begin allocating some of its own funds toward a potential Kandiyohi project.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/kandiyohi-county-and-ctc-co-op-team-connected-future">... Read our Full Coverage Here ...</a><br><br></p></div></div><div><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/port-ridgefield-washington-dark-fiber-network-deck" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Port of Ridgefield, Washington: Dark Fiber Network On Deck</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" 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="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Sat, July 30, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/scott" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Scott</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/port-ridgefield-washington-dark-fiber-network-deck" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/logo-port-ridgefield.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="45" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://portridgefield.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">The Port of Ridgefield</a> is planning to build a municipal <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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> dark <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://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> network that could provide access to high-speed Internet connectivity for the Washington state community of 7,000. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Planning Stage</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Town officials <a href="http://www.thereflector.com/news/article_b8dd7736-3d69-11e6-a6b9-5f3f376f92c7.html" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">held a public informational meeting in late June </a>to update residents and businesses on the fiber project, which is still in the planning stage. Estimated cost of the proposed 42-mile fiber backbone is $2.4 million, Nelson Holmberg, Port of Ridgefield vice-president of innovation, told us.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/port-ridgefield-washington-dark-fiber-network-deck">... Information About the Time Table and Other Details Here ...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 class="gmail-title" style="line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px 0.5em;font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-august-1" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Community Broadband Media Roundup - August 1</a></h2><div class="gmail-meta" 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="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, August 01, 2016 | Posted by <a href="https://muninetworks.org/users/nick" title="View user profile." style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Nick</a></span></div><div class="gmail-content" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.004px"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-type-filefield gmail-field-field-image" style="float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item gmail-odd"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-august-1" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser gmail-imagecache-linked gmail-imagecache-teaser_linked" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><img src="https://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache/teaser/media-roundup-community-bb_0_15.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Minnesota</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/should-city-offer-faster-internet-for-m/article_1ded6706-4606-564b-81a4-b9e5431de271.html" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">City studies $50 million broadband plan</a> by Andrew Setterholm, Rochester Post Bulletin & <a href="http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/Rochester-Minn-Considers-50-Million-Broadband-Plan.html" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">GovTech</a></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Tennessee</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2016/jul/21/broadband-service-vital-tennessee-businesses/377001/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Broadband service is vital for Tennessee businesses, new study shows</a> by Dave Flessner, Times Free Press</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Vermont</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://bbpmag.com/wordpress2/2016/07/ecfiber-awards-design-and-engineering-contract-to-fail-engineering/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">ECFiber Awards Design and Engineering Contract</a> by BBC Wires </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-august-1">... Read the Full Community Network Media Roundup Here ...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>

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