Franklin Municipal FiberNET Spurs Economic Development, Serves Government, in Kentucky
Franklin, Kentucky expects to see more positive economic growth when it launches its new fiber optic network.
Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
News
SEATOA Conference Set for March 21st-22nd
This March 21-22, the SouthEast Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (SEATOA) will be hosting the "Networking Communities for the New South" conference. The conference will be held at the Omni Charlotte Hotel.
MN House Committee Learns About the PUC/Broadband Relationship
We want to thank Ann Treacy from the Blandin Foundation for getting out and reporting on many events dealing with telecommunications. We know we can rely on her to faithfully share her findings via the Bladin on Broadband blog.
Longmont Soon to Connect Businesses, Residents in Colorado Community
Readers know we have offered extensive coverage of the publicly owned network in Longmont, Colorado. The utility will soon offer telecommunications services to businesses and residents that are physically located within 500 feet or less of its existing network.
Discussing the FCC's Gigabit Challenge
Last week, I joined Craig Settles on his Gigabit Nation show to discuss Chairman Genachowski's Gigabit Challenge along with Jim Baller, Masha Zager of Broadband Communities Magazine, Gary Evans of Hiawatha Broadband Communications, and Arkansas Senator Linda Chesterfield
Op-Ed: NC In Bottom of Broadband Barrel
Common Cause's Todd O'Boyle and myself have just published an opinion piece in the North Carolina News & Observer to highlight the foolishness of the General Assembly revoking local authority to build broadband networks.
Todd and I teamed up for a case study of North Carolina's most impressive fiber n
Lack of Competition Creates Capped Connections
This post comes to us from Patrick Lucey of the Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation. The post was originally published there, but we are excited to feature it here as well.
Electric Coops Natural Choice for Expanding Rural Internet Access
“The electric co-ops represent possibly the greatest potential for expansion of really good infrastructure in rural America,” [Todd] Pealock said, explaining how it’s a natural fit for co-ops to be infrastructure providers.
“It’s very synergistic for our linemen to hang cable, to lift the hardware up,” Pealock said. “The splicing is very natural for them.”
Former Cable CEO on Competition and Wireless as Complement to Wired
Given the frequent claims of lobbyists for the cable companies regarding how incredibly competitive the broadband market is in the United States, I thought we might want to hear what John Malone, one of the most aggressive cable CEOs ever (TCI) has to say on the subject. He is now with Liberty, a media company among other things.
Susan Crawford on Bloomberg TV
Six minute interview from Susan talking about the failure of policy in America to expand access to fast, affordable, and reliable networks.
Indianola City Owned Network Partners to Encourage Economic Development
“We want to grow our own new businesses in Indianola, and Simpson College is home to an entire group of potential entrepreneurs who we hope will find support for their efforts here and some day choose to locate their businesses here,” [Jerry Kelly, former Indianola mayor and executive director of the city's development association] said.
Taking Advantage of Chairman Genachowski's Gigabit Challenge
On Friday, I wrote a harsh, quick response to FCC Chairman's Genachowski's so-called gigabit challenge announced in a guest column on Forbes.
Since then, I have learned more about the 1 Gbps Challenge and I have to reiter
Comcast Brags About Lack of Broadband Competition in America
The next time you hear someone claiming that the broadband market in the U.S. has plenty of competition, remember this statement from Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.
And so each of the last two years, we have had modest increases in the cost of the broadband service, and yet we've had tremendous sales. We're 33%, 31% penetrated. We hope someday all of America has broadband.
American Crafts' New Muse is UTOPIA
If you are a 21st century crafter, you are probably prolific at finding inspiration online. You may be familiar with American Crafts of Orem for ideas or products. The company, founded in 1994, is now a customer of UTOPIA and reports significant bandwidth improvement after the switch from old T-1 connections. From the UTPOIA blog:
Goliath Regulator Asks For More Davids
In a column published today, Chairman Genachowski explains why the U.S.
Bandwidth Caps are Unnecessary and Counterproductive
The Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation has released a report on data caps in the U.S.
Amherst, MA, Upgrades Its Free WiFi
In 2007, the City of Amherst, Massachusetts received a $150,000 grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build a wireless mesh network. DARPA and NSF have long been interested in developing mesh networks that are more resilient than traditional hub and spoke type networks.
County and State Partner For Local Connectivity in Iowa
In 2010, the Iowa Communications Network received a $16.2 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The project will connect all 99 counties in the state by upgrading an existing 3,000 mile network (PDF of the project summary).
Broadband Communities Magazine Spotlights ILSR's Chanute Report
We are pleased to announce that an excerpt of our report, Chanute's Gig: One Rural Kansas Community's Tradition of Innovation Led to A Gigabit and Ubiquitous Wireless Coverage, is now highlighted in the newest Broadband Communities Magazine. The November/December 2012 issue focuses on economic development.
