In this commentary from the Minneapolis StarTribune, John Farrell makes a case against monopoly utilities using customer funds for political lobbying. Compelling captive customers to pay for political speech is a violation of their first amendment right, says Farrell.… Read More
A bipartisan coalition of Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced legislation that attempts to reverse some of the state’s stringiest provisions hamstringing municipal broadband builds. But experts suggest that while the bill may be well intentioned, a …… Read More
It’s been 15 years since Colorado passed SB 152, the state law intended to restrict communities from building and managing their own broadband networks In this episode Christopher talks to Ken Fellman and Geoff Wilson. They describe how monopoly Internet providers used legislative allies to introduce the anti-local authority bill aimed at protecting their profits.… Read More
The influence of telecom lobbyists prevented a bill supporting publicly owned fiber networks from passing in Mississippi. … Read More
A newly-released parody video makes Xcel Energy’s top priority clear: maximize profits for shareholders, even if that comes at the expense of the country’s most successful community solar program. Supporting analysis of a leaked draft bill from Xcel lobbyists illustrates this further and points out the company’s nasty habit of trying to make its own rules.… Read More
The FCC is scheduled to decide the fate of Internet access on Thursday, Dec 14. Will anyone anywhere in the U.S. be able to pay one basic fee to access information on the Internet from the most popular to the most arcane content providers? If all indications are correct, probably not. ISPs will increasingly decide on what … Read More
With their back against the wall, Comcast is pulling out it’s well manicured, sharp claws in Fort Collins, Colorado. Voters will be asked to approve measure 2B on November 7th, which would allow the city to take steps toward establishing their own municipal telecommunications utility. In order to preserve the lack of competition, incumbent Internet access … Read More
If you work to secure Americans’ rights to solar energy or to accelerate the deployment of inexpensive renewable energy, you understand that not everyone is in favor. In particular, incumbent electric utilities tend to oppose competition in their (often monopoly) share of the electricity market. Where competition exists, it is plagued by unfairness. Below, we share … Read More
Sharing information about the fabulous work by communities investing in publicly owned Internet infrastructure is a full-time job. So is correcting the misinformation spread by national providers trying to undermine that important work. Fortunately, there are people with firsthand knowledge of those inaccuracies who can set the record straight. It Started As A Simple Question A … Read More
