Chattanooga Uses Municipal Network to Give Students Free Internet Connections

Date: 30 Jul 2020 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Yesterday in an announcement via livestream, the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Hamilton County Schools, and the fiber arm of municipal utility Electric Power Board (EPB) announced a partnership to provide free Internet access and hardware to the 17,700 homes with school children on free or reduced lunch programs in the county.… Read More

Voices of 100%: Small Iowa Town Pushes for Energy Independence — Episode 79 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 20 Jun 2019 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

More than 100 U.S. cities have now set ambitious commitments to transition to renewable energy, but how are they working to make these goals a reality? In this episode of our Voices of 100% series from Local Energy Rules, we feature the small town of Bloomfield, Iowa, its goal of reaching energy independence, and what investments it is making to reach that goal.… Read More

Oregon Community is Ready to Invest in Fiber for their Residents & Businesses

Date: 22 May 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In January, the City Council approved establishing a communications utility, creating a communications fund, and taking the necessary steps to develop a dig once policy in the city’s code. Elected officials had not yet decided if the community would pursue a city-wide network, but wanted to create an environment that would offer future options and encourage private sector partners to invest in Hillsboro.

The city already owns fiber optic resources that it uses for municipal facilities, schools, traffic signals, and other purposes. They plan to use that network as a foundation to expand in order to bring better connectivity throughout the community. With a wider network, Hillsboro hopes to adopt public Wi-Fi, better public safety notifications, and applications for smart-meters for utility services as well as real-time parking and traffic updates.… Read More

Leaked Draft Bill Confirms Xcel Energy’s Priority for Profits Over Community Solar

Date: 30 Mar 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

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

Education – The Public Good Index

Date: 26 Feb 2018 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Pell grants, awarded solely on need, are the largest single source of non-loan assistance to postsecondary education. Two thirds of Pell recipients enroll in public colleges and universities.

Fraction of tuition, fee, room and board expenses in public four-year colleges covered by Pell Grants in 1975: 79 percent.

In 2017: 29 percent.… Read More

Arlington, Virginia Bridges the Digital Divide

Date: 5 Jan 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

People living at the Arlington Mill Residences in Arlington, Virginia, are on track to obtain no-cost high-quality connectivity this fall, likely through the ConnectArlington network. The initiative is an example of how one local community plans to use its publicly owned Internet infrastructure to reduce the digital divide on its home turf. The Homework Gap Within Arlington Mill’s 122 affordable … Read More

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