For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: 612-276-3456 MONTICELLO FIBER NETWORK FIGHTING FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT Minneapolis, Minn.— (June 4, 2008). One day before the city of Monticello secured funding to build a citywide fiber optic network, TDS Telecom filed a lawsuit challenging Monticello’s right to construct the network. Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative … Read More
Minneapolis, Minn.— (June 4, 2008). One day before the city of Monticello secured funding to build a citywide fiber optic network, TDS Telecom filed a lawsuit challenging Monticello’s right to construct the network.
Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), was not surprised. “Cable and telephone companies routinely file these lawsuits against community owned networks,” says Mitchell.… Read More
For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: 612-276-3456 MUNI BROADBAND NETWORKS: IN FOR THE LONG HAUL Minneapolis, Minn.—(May 20, 2008). In a matter of days, MetroFi and Earthlink have announced they are abandoning the municipal wireless market. Both will shut down their existing Wi-Fi networks in several cities if they cannot find buyers. The private sector … Read More
Minneapolis, Minn.—(May 20, 2008). In a matter of days, MetroFi and Earthlink have announced they are abandoning the municipal wireless market. Both will shut down their existing Wi-Fi networks in several cities if they cannot find buyers.
The private sector has largely decided municipal Wi-Fi networks are not profitable. But the public sector has come to the opposite conclusion and is continuing to build networks. Why?
For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: 612-276-3456 25 VERMONT TOWNS JOIN EAST CENTRAL VERMONT COMMUNITY FIBER NETWORK Minneapolis, Minn.– (March 5, 2008). The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) congratulates the 25 Vermont towns that have voted to join the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network. These rural towns have rejected dependency on outside providers in order … Read More
Minneapolis, Minn.– (March 5, 2008). The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) congratulates the 25 Vermont towns that have voted to join the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network. These rural towns have rejected dependency on outside providers in order to build the infrastructure they need.
At least nine of the towns were unanimous in their support of the publicly owned fiber network. Many of the other towns still registered over 90% support for the measure.
Too many cities in California are stuck with slow (or no) broadband access. As the United States continues to dip in international broadband rankings, individual communities have a choice: build their own broadband network or hope someone else does it for them.
Broadbandmay be comparatively new, but these difficult questions of infrastructure have been with us for far longer. One hundred years ago, communities were told electricity was too complicated for municipal meddling and they should wait for private companies to electrify them. Thousands of communities realized that a community cannot wait for essential infrastructure. They accepted responsibility for their future and wired their towns. How little has changed since then.
For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: 612-276-3456 New Report Concludes: To Be Competitive, Cities Must Own High Speed Information Networks https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/files/munibb_0.pdfMinneapolis, Minn.– (January 22, 2008). The United States, creator of the Internet, increasingly lags in high-speed access to it. In the absence of a national broadband strategy, hundreds of communities have invested in broadband infrastructure to … Read More
The United States, creator of the Internet, increasingly lags in access to it. In the absence of a national broadband strategy, many communities have invested in broadband infrastructure, especially wireless broadband, to offer broadband choices to their residents.
Newspaperheadlines trumpeting the death of municipal wireless networks ignore the increasing investments by cities in Wi-Fi systems. At the same time, the wireless focus by others diverts resources and action away from building the necessary long term foundation for high speed information: fiber optic networks.
