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Broadband at the Speed of Light
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/broadband-speed-light/The fastest networks in the nation are built by local governments, a new report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Benton Foundation reveals
Chattanooga, Tennessee, is well known for being the first community with citywide access to a “gig,” or the fastest residential connections to the Internet available nationally. Less known are Bristol, Virginia, and Lafayette, Louisiana – both of which now also offer a gigabit throughout the community.
A new report just released by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) and the Benton Foundation explains how these communities have built some of the best broadband networks in the nation.
Download Broadband At the Speed of Light: How Three Communities Built Next-Generation Networks
“It may surprise people that these cities in Virginia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have faster and lower cost access to the Internet than anyone in San Francisco, Seattle, or any other major city,” says Christopher Mitchell, Director of ILSR’s Telecommunications as Commons Initiative. “These publicly owned networks have each created hundreds of jobs and saved millions of dollars.”
“Communities need 21st century telecommunications infrastructure to compete in the global economy,” said Charles Benton, Chairman & CEO of the Benton Foundation. “Hopefully, this report will resonate with local government officials across the country.”
Mitchell is a national expert on community broadband networks and was recently named a “Top 25 Doer, Dreamer, and Driver” by Government Technology. He also regularly authors articles at MuniNetworks.org.
The new report offers in-depth case studies of BVU Authority’s OptiNet in Bristol, Virginia; EPB Fiber in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and LUS Fiber in Lafayette, Louisiana. Each network was built and is operated by a public power utility.
Walmart Heirs Quietly Fund Walmart’s Environmental Allies
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-heirs-quietly-fund-walmarts-environmental-allies/The staggeringly rich Waltons, who own half of Walmart and have a net worth equal to the bottom one-third of Americans combined, are using their family foundation to reshape the environmental movement. Now the second largest grant-maker in the country, the Walton Family Foundation, is steering large grants to organizations that work closely with Walmart, helping to build its green image and reinforcing the power of large corporations in our economy. Continue reading
Profiles in Political Courage
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/profiles-political-courage/A few weeks ago Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA who is retiring from the House this year, gave a memorable interview to New York magazine in which he criticized President Obama for aggressively pushing health care reform. Frank says he warned Obama the Democratic Party would pay “a terrible price.” Apparently Frank was not alone in… Continue reading
Romney, Hoover, Eisenhower and that Pipeline
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/romney-hoover-eisenhower-pipeline-2/After winning the Illinois primary, Mitt Romney delivered a victory speech in which he deplored America’s lost “can do spirit”. Unsurprisingly, he blamed it on government. If elected he promised, “We’re going to get government out of the way”. Then he offered a few examples of what he meant. “We once built the interstate highway… Continue reading
Local Solar Could Solve ‘Massive Supply-Demand Imbalance’ in Renewable Energy Financing
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/massive-supply-demand-imbalance-for-solar-and-wind-project-financing/In the next two years, the U.S. may get a lot less solar and wind power than it could. It’s not a shortage of solar panels or the cost of turbines. Rather, it’s a problem of the perverse nature of federal incentives for renewable energy. Right now, the owner of a solar or wind energy… Continue reading
