The Louisiana Municipal Association is the latest organization to officially support the FCC’s ability to restore local authority. The group represents 305 village, town, city, and parish members. Their Executive Board unanimously passed the resolution on July 30 and recently shared it with the FCC: WHEREAS, the universal availability of affordable high speed Internet access for … Read More
Two events in October will bring Chris and other telecommunications policy leaders to the State of Washington. On October 8th, the Seattle Citizens’ Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board is hosting Lunch & Learn: Chris Mitchell on community-owned networks and municipal broadband in Seattle. The free event will be held in Seattle City Hall at noon; you … Read More
Burlington Telecom customers love their local muni. Throughout the community’s political, legal, and financial challenges, residents and businesses have rallied behind the ability to control their access locally. As part of their efforts to educate the community, Code for BTV and Keep BT Local brought Chris to town to discuss community ownership. The video of his … Read More
A consultant report recommends the City of Columbia tap into its existing fiber resources to develop an open access municipal telecommunications network. The City recently issued a request for proposals for a business plan to press forward with the recommendation, reports the Columbia Daily Tribune. Last year the City, Boone County, and the University of Missouri jointly … Read More
In our latest report, All Hands On Deck: Minnesota Local Government Models for Expanding Fiber Internet Access, we analyze how local governments in 12 Minnesota communities are expanding 21st century Internet access to their citizens. In 2010, the Minnesota legislature set a goal for 2015 – universal access to high speed broadband throughout the state. Even … Read More
For one of the fastest municipal networks in the U.S., travel to Santa Monica and sample City Net. The City just announced network capacity and speed upgrades to 100 Gbps. City Net is available to many local businesses and connects key community anchor institutions. The entertainment, tech, and healthcare industries have a strong presence in Santa … Read More
As our readers know, the FCC is currently considering petitions submitted by Chattanooga and Wilson, North Carolina. Both communities want the ability to expand their ability to offer advanced telecommunications services, contrary to existing state anti-muni laws. As we glance through the comments, we notice that ISPs, advocacy groups, and local governments are not the only … Read More
In the past few months, Lafayette has drawn in three high tech companies that will create approximately 1,300 well-paying positions. In addition to the community’s commitment to boost its high-tech workforce, better connectivity offered by LUS Fiber helped attract the new businesses. According to a Daily World article, the most recent addition is Perficient, Inc. The … Read More
As the FCC contemplates the fate of the Chattanooga EPB’s ability to expand to surrounding communities, some of those Tennessee communities are publicly announcing their support. The Town of Kimball and Marion County, both part of the Chattanooga metro area, have passed resolutions asking state legislators to reconsider Tennessee’s anti-muni law. The Times Free Press reports … Read More
