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lafayette-republicans-and-democrats-joined-forces-for-fiber
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Dec 10, 2012

Lafayette Republicans and Democrats Joined Forces for Fiber

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/lafayette-republicans-and-democrats-joined-forces-fiber

Earlier this year, we published a case study that examined the LUS Fiber network and its origins. In it, we noted that both Republicans and Democrats backed the plan but here we focus on their resolutions in support. Back in early 2005, Lafayette was preparing for a referendum on whether the city owned utility should… Continue reading

atts-many-broken-merger-promises
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Dec 7, 2012

AT&T’s Many Broken Merger Promises

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/atts-many-broken-merger-promises

AT&T and others regularly woo their regulators and policymakers with promises to built increase investments or expand networks in return for deregulation or merger approval. A recent Gerry Smith Huffington Post article examines a familiar pattern of broken promises made by telcos, what has developed into a chronic wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am attitude by these massive corporations. We… Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 1 Comment | Updated on Dec 7, 2012

The Catholics and Wind Power in History

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/catholics-wind-power-history/

A funny historical tidbit courtesy of David Morris, showing the exercise of papal power over wind power: “In Northern Europe, one of the earliest records of windmills were the ones in England recorded in 1185…Also, in 1191, records show that a windmill in Bury St. Edmunds was constructed in defiance of the local abbot. The… Continue reading

lincoln14
Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Dec 7, 2012

Lincoln, the Movie, and The Rest of the Story

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/lincoln-movie-rest-story/

Lincoln is a magnificent movie. But as I left the theatre, to echo Paul Harvey, the late radio commentator, I wanted to know “the rest of the story”. The movie begins in January 1865, exactly 2 years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves of the Confederate States “thenceforward and forever free. ” As… Continue reading

Wilson Gives Greenlight to Fast Internet
Article, Resource filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | 1 Comment | Updated on Dec 5, 2012

Report: Community Network Leads North Carolina to Fast Internet Future

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/wilson-fiber-greenlight/

Following the collapse of key industries, a town of 50,000 in eastern North Carolina had to make a hard choice. It wanted to support existing businesses and attract new ones but the cable and telephone companies were not interested in upgrading their networks for cutting edge capacity. So Wilson decided to build its own fiber… Continue reading

charter-losing-money-cuts-customer-support
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Dec 5, 2012

Charter Losing Money, Cuts Customer Support

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/charter-losing-money-cuts-customer-support

A Stop the Cap! story about Charter cutting customer service positions makes a point we make too rarely. Not that customer service from the national cable and telephone companies is terrible and getting worse, but that some are constantly struggling to make a profit. Investors don’t think too highly of the company either. Charter reported… Continue reading

commercial solar grid parity report ILSR 2012 cover page
Featured Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 15 Comments | Updated on Dec 4, 2012

Commercial Rooftop Revolution

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/commercial-roofop-revolution/

Although only 0.1% of electricity is generated by solar power in 2012; within a decade, 300,000 MW of unsubsidized solar power will be at parity with retail electricity prices in most of the United States and more than 35 million buildings may be generating their own solar electricity sufficient to power almost 10% of the country. Continue reading

community-broadband-bits-24-dr-browder-of-bristol-tennessee
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Dec 4, 2012

Community Broadband Bits 24 – Dr Browder of Bristol, Tennessee

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-24-dr-browder-bristol-tennessee

Dr Browder runs Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, the municipal utility on the southern side of Bristol’s Virginia border. For our 24th Community Broadband Bits podcast, he tells us how they built a FTTH network and how it has helped the community. Like so many others, they started by seeking to ensure maximum reliability of the… Continue reading

rural-california-farms-need-fiber-to-be-fertile
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Dec 3, 2012

Rural California Farms Need Fiber to be Fertile

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/rural-california-farms-need-fiber-be-fertile

In yet another reminder that fiber optics and wireless are complementary, not substitutes, we just read about rural California farms needing better telecommunications that the big companies have refused to provide. This article offers a good introduction to why farms need access to the Internet. Modern farming takes advantage of gains in communications technology –… Continue reading

Article filed under Composting, Waste to Wealth | Written by Brenda Platt | No Comments | Updated on Dec 3, 2012

National Capital Region Organics Task Force

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/httpwww-ilsr-orgnational-capital-region-organics-task-force/

The National Capital Region Organics Task Force is a group of government, public interest, institutional and business representatives working to expand recovery, full capture and utilization of organic materials in the metropolitan Washington, DC region. The Task Force is chaired by: Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) John Snarr, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments… Continue reading