Fierce Telecom, April 10, 2013 In a state where municipal broadband is largely unwelcome–thanks to a Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL)-supported bill pushed through in 2011–Wilson, N.C., is notable in providing residents with 10 to 100 Mbps symmetrical speeds via its fiber to the home network. Lit in 2009, the city’s… Continue reading

Tech President, April 9, 2013 Is pressure at the margins of the high-speed Internet industry in the United States finally making incumbent providers feel the heat? Google announced Tuesday that Austin, Texas, will be the second city to get its Google Fiber service. Google first launched the service, which it says offers Internet access 100… Continue reading

National Conference for Media Reform, April 6, 2013 Communities around the country are facing the same problem: The broadband service available to their residents is too slow and too expensive, and incumbent telecom companies have no incentive to improve speeds or reduce prices. Some communities, like the Colorado city of Longmont, have taken matters into… Continue reading

Midwest Energy News, April 5, 2013 When a business or homeowner lowers their electricity bill by installing solar panels or wind turbines, do they drive up other customers’ utility bills? That’s the perennial claim made by utilities that oppose policies that would require them to compensate customers for electricity they generate. Most recently in Iowa,… Continue reading

Alamosa Valley Courier, April 4, 2013 The Boston Tea Party is an iconic event in American History. Unlike today, the citizens of Boston had few options but to express in action their frustration with British Parliament policy. Today, the bulk of “actions” taken in opposition to something are done with a keyboard or touchscreen. This… Continue reading

FOX Business, April 2, 2013 Whether they’re shopping at local retailers on Small Business Saturday or feasting on locally sourced pork chops at independent restaurants, American consumers’ interest in supporting local, independent businesses is on the rise. In a 2012 survey by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), 75 percent of business owners surveyed believed… Continue reading

Government Technology, April 1, 2013 Great politicians can explain complex issues quickly and simply. That’s what Franklin Delano Roosevelt did on Sept. 21, 1932, when, as a candidate for the presidency, he spoke in Portland, Ore., and addressed a big issue of the time: electrical service and who would provide it — public utilities or… Continue reading

Finance & Commerce, April 1, 2013 Bloomington-based TenKSolar is supplying the solar panels for the community solar project run by the Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association. So far, more than 170 panels have been sold in four months. Steve Schmidt teaches a college class on renewable energy and always wanted to install solar panels on his… Continue reading