In Governing: 2022 Brings Hope for State and Local Broadband Progress
ILSR’s Christopher Mitchell is quoted in Governing. … Read More
Monopoly Internet Service Providers Mire Grant Process With Costly, Empty Challenges
Over 230 communities have applied for National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program grants. But community leaders increasingly say they’re facing costly, unnecessary challenges from incumbent broadband providers, who are exploiting unreliable U.S. broadband maps to overstate existing coverage and defend the status quo.… Read More
Alexandria Invests in Internet Infrastructure, Looks to Kick Comcast to the Curb
The city of Alexandria, Virginia, is moving to bring residents fast, reliable Internet access by building out an institutional network (I-Net) in the state’s seventh largest city.… Read More
A Nonprofit Builds Community and Connections in Montana
The Missoula Valley Internet Cooperative has successfully raised funds and designed, deployed, and launched a wireless mesh network delivering 150 Megabit per second (Mbps) symmetrical service to more than 50 of 550 pre-registered households for, on average, $40-60/month. … Read More
A Tale of Two Cities in Maine: Municipal Broadband and Misinformation
Just over 90 miles apart, Leeds and Hampden, Maine, have had motivated people in the community and in leadership advocating for better Internet access for years. In November 2021, the work of both these community initiatives was tested as voters were asked to decide whether or not to move forward with their respective municipal broadband plans.… Read More
Municipalities Across Massachusetts Move Toward Community-Owned Broadband
Cities and towns all over Massachusetts are looking for alternatives to the big incumbent Internet Service Providers in their communities as citizens across the Commonwealth have grown weary of the high-cost, second-rate Internet service – and lack of competition – that plagues markets dominated by monopoly providers.… Read More
New York Sees Wave of Projects to Expand Affordable, Reliable Internet Access
From New York City to Newfield in Upstate New York, local officials in the Empire State have kicked off projects to connect the unconnected to high-speed Internet service.… Read More
Listen: Christopher Mitchell Explains What the Infrastructure Bill Means for Internet Access
Last week, a monumental infrastructure bill passed with $65 billion devoted to broadband investment. This money will build rural connectivity, develop state policies for local broadband, and create a more digitally inclusive economy. … Read More
Report: Failed Federal Policy Generates Customer Frustration in Broadband Marketplace
A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) examines Internet Service Providers’ (ISPs) transparency — or lack thereof — around the Internet service packages they offer. Shopping for Broadband: Failed Federal Policy Creates Murky Marketplace finds that locally-controlled broadband networks are the most transparent around key service details. … Read More