<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><br></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-fiber-network-diversifying-economy-louisiana" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Community Fiber Network Diversifying Economy in Louisiana</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, November 15, 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"><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-fiber-network-diversifying-economy-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/logo-LUS_1.gif" alt="" title="" width="125" height="64" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Acadiana, the southern region of Louisiana, is seeing a resurgence of industry thanks in large part to it publicly owned fast, affordable, reliable network. Years ago, the city of Lafayette, Louisiana, built the LUS Fiber network to connect homes and business.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Now, LUS Fiber is helping to diversify Acadiana’s economy, which once almost exclusively relied on the oil industry. Fiber networks offer much potential for economic development. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>“The State of Business” in the Silicon Bayou</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The October-November issue of the Acadiana Profile at MyNewOrleans.com ran an article on <a href="http://www.myneworleans.com/Acadiana-Profile/October-November-2016/THE-STATE-OF-BUSINESS/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">the changing landscape of Acadiana’s businesses</a>. Author Kimberly Singletary provides an overview of three growing industries: technology, manufacturing, and healthcare. All three need access to reliable, high-speed connections.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/community-fiber-network-diversifying-economy-louisiana">... Read our Full Coverage of New Jobs in Lafayette Due to Muni Fiber ...</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/city-lincoln-conduit-spurs-ftth-school-network-innovation-community-broadband-bits-podcast-2" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">City of Lincoln Conduit Spurs FTTH, School Network Innovation - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 228</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Tue, November 15, 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"><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/city-lincoln-conduit-spurs-ftth-school-network-innovation-community-broadband-bits-podcast-2" 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;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">When we last spoke to people from Lincoln, Nebraska, about their innovative <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term305" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px dotted rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)"><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> program to improve Internet access, we focused on how they had done it - <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/conduits-lead-competition-community-broadband-bits-podcast-episode-182" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Conduits Lead to Competition, podcast 182</a>. For this week and episode 228 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast, we focus more on the community benefits their approach has led to.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">We are once again joined by David Young, Fiber Infrastructure and Right of Way Manager in the Public Works Department. We offer a shorter background about the history of the project before focusing on the <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term12" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px dotted rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)"><cite title="A cable company wishing to provide television services in a community historically signed a franchise agreement with the municipal government.  The agreement would specify what the community would receive from the cable company in return for access to rights of way (such as telephone poles).  However, this arrangement has changed in many states recently, where states have preempted local control.  Cities now are not permitted to offer exclusive franchises.">franchise</cite></a> they developed with local ISP <a href="https://www.allocommunications.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Allo</a>. Allo is building citywide Fiber-to-the-Home and has agreed to provision 15 VLANs at every endpoint. We talk about what that means and implications for schools specifically.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">We also touch on permitting issues for local governments and David explains his philosophy on how to speak to the community about potential projects in an engaging manner.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">... <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/city-lincoln-conduit-spurs-ftth-school-network-innovation-community-broadband-bits-podcast-2">Listen to the Show</a> ... <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-broadband-bits-episode-228" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Read the transcript of the show here</a> ...</p></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/estes-park-co-moving-ahead-one-year-after-opt-out-vote" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Estes Park, CO, Moving Ahead One Year After Opt Out Vote</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Mon, November 14, 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"><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/estes-park-co-moving-ahead-one-year-after-opt-out-vote" 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-estes-park-co.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="46" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Estes Park, Colorado, recently moved <a href="http://www.eptrail.com/ci_30537826/town-estes-park-begins-engineering-design-potential-broadband" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">into the design engineering phase</a> as it considers how to bring high-quality connectivity to businesses and residents.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>One Step At A Time</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">With a $1.37 million grant from the Energy Mineral Impact Assistance Fund, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is providing the funding to proceed with the engineering phase. <a href="http://leta911.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority</a> (LETA) is providing additional grant funding to extend the project further to include a wider geographic area for 911 and public safety purposes.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">This phase of the project should be complete by next summer and will result in a shovel-ready plan. At that time, the Town Board will consider the information and decide how to proceed. The goal is to develop a network to make Gigabit per second (1,000 <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term18" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px dotted 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>) capacity available to the Estes Park Light and Power service area.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/estes-park-co-moving-ahead-one-year-after-opt-out-vote">... More Background on Estes Park 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/blair-levin-urges-repeal-north-carolinas-restrictive-hb129" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Blair Levin Urges Repeal of North Carolina's Restrictive HB129</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, November 16, 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"><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/blair-levin-urges-repeal-north-carolinas-restrictive-hb129" 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/Blevin_small.png" alt="" title="" width="91" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">At a recent <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/blair-levin-wilson-nov-4-event-greenlight" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">WRAL TechWire event</a>, former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chief of staff <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/experts/blair-levin/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Blair Levin </a>urged North Carolina communities to seek a repeal of a state law that restricts local telecommunications authority, reports <a href="http://wraltechwire.com/to-follow-wilson-s-lead-nc-needs-legislature-to-loosen-rules-on-local-broadband/16197199/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">WRAL TechWire.</a></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">“When the new General Assembly returns to Raleigh, tell the assembly to tear down the law that prevents faster, cheaper broadband,” Levin said in a keynote address at the WRAL TechWire Executive Exchange in Wilson, N.C. Wilson's municipal <a href="http://www.greenlightnc.com/about/internet/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Greenlight</a> network is among the first in the nation to offer high-quality Fiber-to-the-Home (<a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px dotted 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>) Internet access.  </p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Currently, North Carolina law HB 129 prevents Wilson from expanding its Internet access service area beyond Wilson County and discourages other communities from investing in similar infrastructure. HB 129 was the subject of a legal battle when the city of Wilson (pop. 50,000) wanted to provide Internet access <a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/wilson-forced-turn-service-pinetops" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">to neighboring Pinetops</a> (pop. 1,400) and other communities beyond the limitations of the state law. They challenged the law, as did Chattanooga, which faced slightly different restrictions in Tennessee.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/blair-levin-urges-repeal-north-carolinas-restrictive-hb129">... More Coverage, Including the Full Text of Blair Levin's Speech 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/bozeman-fiber-breaks-through-phase-one" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Bozeman Fiber Breaks Through Phase One</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Wed, November 16, 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"><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/bozeman-fiber-breaks-through-phase-one" 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-bozeman-fiber_0.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Downtown Bozeman businesses can expect fast, affordable, reliable connectivity via the <a href="http://bozemanfiber.com/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Bozeman Fiber network</a> within the coming weeks, <a href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/economy/bozeman-fiber-completes-first-phase-connects-city-county-schools/article_7b82f045-e9a5-5c7e-a185-39ab0a41d1e5.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">reports the Bozeman Daily Chronicle</a>. Phase one is now complete.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Businesses Up Next</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">Bozeman City offices, Gallatin County offices, and local public schools are already connected to the <a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term625" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px dotted 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, which is owned and operated by the nonprofit entity Bozeman Fiber. There are already three Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating on the community network but local officials do not expect residents to have Fiber-To-The-Home (<a class="gmail-glossary-term" href="https://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term13" style="text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px dotted 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>) Internet access just yet:</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">“Within a few hundred feet of where the fiber currently is will be available day one of commercial operations,” said Anthony Cochenour, president of the board of Bozeman Fiber. “As far as expanding the network and running under our own steam, (we want to) get business first, fill the coffers, then in years two and three make a bigger push into residential areas.”</p></blockquote><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/bozeman-fiber-breaks-through-phase-one">... More on Bozeman's Pioneering Approach 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/missoula-schools-set-save-self-provisioning" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Missoula Schools Set To Save With Self-Provisioning</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Thu, November 17, 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="font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif"><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/missoula-schools-set-save-self-provisioning" 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-missoula-county-mt.jpg" alt="" title="" width="125" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">The Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) plans to <strong>save $150,000 per year </strong>by investing in its own fiber infrastructure. Over a 20-year period school officials expect to save approximately $3 million.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>Fiber For Education And Savings</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px">MCPS will be the first in the state to self-provision its wide area network (WAN), the connections between district facilities. Right now, the school pays approximately $287,000 per year to lease its WAN connections and for Internet access; about $200,000 of that figure is dedicated to leasing the WAN.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">School officials were already leasing lit fiber service when they began investigating options to compare cost and service. They also looked at leasing dark fiber, which would mean they would need to maintain the equipment to light the fiber themselves, and investing in an Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU). The IRU would give the school district the ability to use a designated number of fiber strands to use as they wished for a fixed period of time. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/missoula-schools-set-save-self-provisioning">... More Information on Missoula's Savings Here ...</a><br><br></p></div></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/short-policy-report-munis-and-education-ecs" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Short Policy Report on Munis and Education From ECS</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Thu, November 17, 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"><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/short-policy-report-munis-and-education-ecs" 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/ecs_logo.png" alt="" title="" width="125" height="19" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Digital learning initiatives for K-12 grades and online coursework for college programs both require high-speed connectivity in school and at home. Policymakers cannot overlook this issue when discussing municipal networks.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">The Education Commission of the States addressed connectivity in the classroom and at home in a short policy report, entitled <em><a href="http://www.ecs.org/inhibiting-connection-state-policy-impacting-expansion-of-municipal-broadband-networks/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none"><strong>Inhibiting Connection: State policy impacting expansion of municipal broadband networks</strong></a> </em>in September 2016. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/short-policy-report-munis-and-education-ecs">... Some Notes from Inside the Report 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/gigabit-speed-red-lake-nation-minnesota" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Gigabit Speed in Red Lake Nation in Minnesota</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Fri, November 18, 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="font-family:verdana,tahoma,"dejavu sans",sans-serif"><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/gigabit-speed-red-lake-nation-minnesota" 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-paulbunyan-coop.gif" alt="" title="" width="125" height="67" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Native American communities throughout the United States have rather bleak figures when it comes to Internet access. That’s about to change.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px">In Minnesota, <a href="http://www.redlakenation.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Red Lake Nation</a> now has access to some of the fastest Internet service in the entire country. The telephone cooperative Paul Bunyan Communications has extended its GigaZone, offering a Gigabit (1,000 Megabits) per second Internet service, to the tribal nation. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/gigabit-speed-red-lake-nation-minnesota">... Paul Bunyan Towers Above the Rest - More Here ...</a><br><br></p></div></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/alford-ma-releases-rfp-deadline-dec-21" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:none">Alford, MA, Releases RFP: Deadline Dec. 21</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"><span class="gmail-submitted" style="font-size:0.9em">Sat, November 19, 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"><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/alford-ma-releases-rfp-deadline-dec-21" 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/alford-ma-town-hall.jpg" alt="" title="" width="83" height="125" class="gmail-imagecache gmail-imagecache-teaser" style="border: 0px;"></a></div></div></div><p style="margin:1em 0px">Alford, Massachusetts, located along the western border of Massachusetts, recently released a <a href="http://www.alfordmamlp.com/request-for-proposals/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Request for Proposals</a> (RFP) for fiber optic network design and contractors; the community wants to deploy a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network. Deadline for proposals is <strong>December 21, 2016</strong>.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><strong>A Long Journey To Now</strong></p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="http://townofalford.org/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">Alford</a> is home to approximately 500 residents and has pursued better connectivity <a href="http://www.alfordmamlp.com/what-is-an-mlp/" style="color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:none">since the early 2000s</a>, when it first approached the incumbents. As is often the case, national providers continued to pass by Alford over the years leaving them with old, unreliable technology. During 2012 and 2013, the community took the necessary steps and voted to create a Municipal Light Plant (MLP), the entity that manages publicly owned networks in Massachusetts. Since then, they have formed a broadband committee, conducted surveys of local interest and requirements, and examined financial models. </p><p style="margin:1em 0px"><a href="https://muninetworks.org/content/alford-ma-releases-rfp-deadline-dec-21">... More Details Here ...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>

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