Rise of Comcast Linked to Slower US Internet Speeds
This is an older column, but the introduction is so dead-on, I wanted to draw more attention to it:
Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
News
Industry Lobbyists Oppose Gigabit Communities Race to the Top Proposal - Part 2
This is Part 2 in a two-part series discussing comments submitted to the FCC in response to a petition filed by Fiber-To-The-Home Council proposing a new Gigabit Community Race to the Top program.
Video Explains the Public's Rights-of-Way
The publicly owned rights-of-way (ROW or PROW), are a misunderstood resource in many communities. Local governments manage them on behalf of the public, but are under pressure as very large, very profitable cable and telephone companies seek to prevent local governments from charging rent to those using the PROW.
Update on Baltimore's Municipal Fiber Plan
Kevin Litten, of the Baltimore Business Journal has published a good discussion of why Baltimore is considering a public investment to expand the City's fiber network.
Franklin County, Alabama, Task Force Investigates Internet Options
In a reminder of just how poor telecommunications can be in this country, Franklin County in rural northwest Alabama has formed a Task Force to investigate how it can get something better than dialup.
“The Internet has become an important as having electricity and water,” said Cole, an
AT&T Fails Big in Dallas, Makes Big Claims for Austin
Even though I regularly read examples of terrible customer service from the massive corporations like AT&T, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, and more, I apparently retain the capacity to be surprised as how bad they are.
Alex Marshall Coming to Humphrey School at U of Minnesota
Six months ago, I wrote about a book by Alex Marshall, the Surprising Design of Market Economies.
Animated Video Provides Introduction to Community Networks
Anyone looking for a short introduction to community owned networks should start with this brief animated video. Please share it around - embed in Facebook, blogs, whatever. We have this and other informative videos archived here.
Idaho Town Calls for Fiber Investment; Cable and DSL Not Good Enough
This is the third time we have found an occasion to highight the community of Ketchum in Idaho.
Broadband for Schools and Libraries on the Agenda at Oct. 1 SHLB Event
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) will present a webcast via BroadbandUS.TV tomorrow, October 1. The event focuses on broadband in schools and libraries. The webcast, titled The Importance of High-Capacity Bandwidth for Schools and Libraries runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.
Surprise! Industry Lobbyists Oppose Gigabit Community Race to the Top Proposal - Part 1
This is Part 1 in a two-part series discussing comments submitted to the FCC in response to a petition filed by Fiber-To-The-Home Council proposing a new Gigabit Community Race to the Top program.
Google Ad Compares Fiber to Broadband
Google knows how to differentiate its gigabit Internet access from the slower options offered by cable and DSL. Community networks should take notes on effective advertising.
Indianola's Community Network Spurs Entrepreneurship
When Indianola decided to invest in a municipal fiber network, the decision was part of a larger economic development plan that included a startup incubator in partnership with Simpson College - which we wrote about earlier this year.
Small Minnesota Town, Annandale, Fed up With Slow DSL
Yet another Minnesota town is fed up with slow, unreliable Internet access and is examining what it can do to make sure it has the network it needs to succeed in the modern economy.
Crap Cable Threatens Cloud Services
For my money, the best headline of last week was "The U.S.'s crap infrastructure threatens the cloud." The rant goes on to explain just how crummy our access to the Internet is.
As a patriotic American, I find the current political atmosphere where telecom lobbyists
Iowa Municipal Utilities on Gigabit Nation
We were glad to hear our friend, Curtis Dean of the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities join Craig Settles on his Gigabit Nation Internet Radio show.
Institute for Local Self-Reliance Seeks Intern
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit organization in Minneapolis, seeks an intern for September-January. Focus is on providing preliminary research and support to our telecommunications and energy initiatives.
UTPOIA The Latest Network to Offer Super Affordable Gigabit
As we recently reported, EPBFiber presented a birthday gift to its current and future Chattanooga customers - gig service for $69.99 per month.
Monticello Fiber Price War Offers Key Lessons for Broadband Competition
Monticello Minnesota may be located 40 miles outside Minneapolis, but it is the center of the planet when it comes to FTTH competition.
Chattanooga Cements Status as Best Network in the Nation
Chattanooga's EPB Fiber, a municipal FTTH system owned by the city's electric power board, has dramatically lowered its prices for the gigabit connection and increased all Internet speed tiers.
The slowest connection you can get from EPB Fiber is 100 Mbps symmetrical - and it comes at the same price that most cable tiers start at for much slower connections - $58/