The 82nd Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) will be voting on resolutions this weekend in Dallas. It’s time for you to call your Mayor and tell him or her to support Resolution #115 on Network Neutrality and restoring local authority on Internet infrastructure. The Resolution (page 293 of the Resolutions list) … Read More
Chanute City Commission decided on June 9th to take the next step to bring ftth to the community; Commissioners voted unanimously to pursue and finalize funding to deploy a municipal network. The City’s current fiber network provides connectivity to schools, hospitals, electric utility and municipal facilities, the local college, and several businesses. Chanute has worked since … Read More
In an effort to bring better connectivity to New Yorkers, the City is transforming old pay phones into free Wi-Fi hotspots. Rick Karr, reporter for MetroFocus from New York Public Media, reached out to ILSR’s Chris Mitchell to discuss the project. Chris and Karr discuss the challenges faced by lower income people in our digital age, … Read More
Sheboygan County, the City of Sheboygan, and the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) plan to collaborate to deploy a fiber network. According to an article in the Sheboygan Press, all three entities seek cost savings and higher capacity connections. Approximately, 49,000 people live in the City of Sheboygan; there are 10,000 students attending SASD. Over 115,000 … Read More
The Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, serving a five county rural region, plans to begin offering gigabit service in its territory by the end of 2014. The cooperative has formed Bolt Fiber Optic Services to offer connectivity to approximately 32,000 homes and businesses. According to Light Reading, the infrastructure is funded with a $90 million loan from the … Read More
Public Knowledge, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), and a long list of other public interest groups, recently filed a letter with the FCC urging the agency to launch an investigation. Specifically, the alliance asks the FCC to look into reports that Verizon is forcing customers to move from copper lines to fiber IP-based service. From the … Read More
In a June 10 Official FCC Blog post, Chairman Tom Wheeler’s words show continued resolve to restore local decision-making to communities that want to evaluate their own investments and partnerships. This is the latest in a series of public statements indicating the agency is ready to assert authority and remove barriers to community networks. Wheeler writes: … Read More
If you missed Chris in D.C. at the New America Foundation on May 28th, you can still catch the action via the archived presentation. Chris joined Joanne Hovis, Will Aycock, and Catharine Rice to discuss “Localism Over Consolidation: An Exploration of Public Broadband Options.” New America Foundation writes: Today, more and more communities are thinking of … Read More
On Tuesday June 17th, Chris will be participating in a conversation hosted by the Media Consortium as part of its Media Policy Reporting and Education Program (MPREP). You are invited to sit in on what is sure to be a spirited discussion on community networks and the lack of competition in the cable industry. What: Community Fiber … Read More
