North Carolina aims to be a hotbed for innovation and technology, but the General Assembly has recently considered bills that would preempt local authority to build broadband infrastructure.  Such preemption would cripple the most advanced broadband networks in the state.  This new analysis shows that community owned networks are faster and cheaper than incumbent cable and telephone networks in North Carolina. 

Past broadband discussions in the General Assembly focused on a bill to prevent communities from building their own networks — but communities are the only ones building citywide next-generation fiber-to-the-home networks in North Carolina.  The best connections in the state are in the towns of Salisbury and Wilson because both built community fiber networks that offer much faster connections to residents and businesses at more affordable prices.

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If you live in the Twin Cities, your internet connection is slower and more expensive than small town Monticello due to a reliance on big national phone and cable companies. Over the past several years, communities in the Twin Cities have considered building a community owned broadband network to increase competition, lower prices, and ensure everyone has access to the connections required for success in the digital economy. The failure to do so is costing consumers millions and communities untold amounts in lost business opportunity. Continue reading