28 Jun 2018

Connecticut Lawsuits Aim to Correct Poor Internet Infrastructure Decision

by | Date: 28 Jun 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In May, Connecticut’s Public Utility Regulatory Agency (PURA) struck a blow at local authority when the ruled that communities could not use their protected utility pole space for municipal fiber deployment. Big cable and telephone companies cheered, broadband advocates and communities that need better connectivity decided to take action. Now, PURA faces lawsuits that challenge the decision from the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC), the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), and at least three local communities that just want high-quality Internet access.… Read More
22 Jun 2018

New York Solar Bill Encourages Distributed Energy Market to Stay on Target

by | Date: 22 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In the New York solar version of this space epic, the Alliance’s X-wing fighters have scrambled to advance Assembly Bill 10474. It’s the only hope to stop VaDER—Value of Distributed Energy Resources–a tool once intended to transition the state’s solar market to version 2.0, but one that incumbent electric utilities have successfully turned to a dark purpose: quashing the ability of New York residents to go solar together.… Read More
12 Jun 2018

North Carolina Legislature Sides with Big Cable Providers, Foreshadowing Future Fights

by | Date: 12 Jun 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Rural Pinetop residents are getting a glimpse of  the treatment they are going to receive from Suddenlink, even before the ISP has started offering service in the small North Carolina community.  According to locals, Suddenlink subcontractors are busting water mains, connecting fiber without homeowner permission, and spreading lies about the Town’s favored community-broadband provider, Wilson’s municipal network, Greenlight Community Broadband.… Read More
7 Jun 2018

Minnesota Regulators Schedule Hearings on Frontier Communications’ Anti-Competition Actions

by | Date: 7 Jun 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

National ISPs with millions of customers are some of the most hated companies in the U.S. Poor customer service, contract tricks, and a refusal to upgrade services are only a few of the common complaints from subscribers who are often trapped due to lack of competition. Frontier Communications is proudly carrying on that tradition of deficiency in Minnesota. In fact, the company’s excellence at skullduggery has drawn the attention of the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which launched an investigation into the service quality of Frontier this spring.… Read More
24 Apr 2018

Community Broadband Bits Podcast: State Legislatures are Taking Action on Broadband

by | Date: 24 Apr 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

 This is episode 303(!) of our Community Broadband Bits podcast! Community Broadband Bits is a short weekly podcast featuring interviews with people building community networks or otherwise involved with Internet policy. We’re a little off kilter these days when it comes … Read More
19 Apr 2018

Big Utilities See Pushback to Their Dominant Role in State Houses (Episode 44)

by | Date: 19 Apr 2018 | posted in: Building Local Power, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Experts Stacy Mitchell, Christopher Mitchell, and John Farrell discuss the impact that concentrated economic power has in state legislatures in topics as wide-ranging as high-speed broadband access, electric utilities, and Facebook’s recent Congressional foibles.… Read More
13 Apr 2018

Ohio House Bill Would Address Rural Broadband Access, Encourage Local Investment

by | Date: 13 Apr 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Lawmakers in Ohio are slowly advancing a proposal to help fund rural broadband deployment. The House Bill has similarities to Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband Program, and, as it is proposed, it will infuse $100 million in to broadband deployment ecosystem over the next two years. It’s a welcome lift for rural areas struggling to fend off economic dilemmas.… Read More
10 Apr 2018

More Colorado Communities Vote in Favor of Local Broadband Authority as Legislators Dedicate Rural Broadband Funding

by | Date: 10 Apr 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In Colorado last week, communities held spring elections if they needed to choose elected officials or ask voters to make decisions on local matters. In six rural communities, voters decided to join the almost 120 municipalities and counties around the state that have already voted to opt out of Colorado’s restrictive state law SB 152. Meanwhile, the General Assembly tried to help bring broadband to the state’s most rural areas.… Read More
5 Apr 2018

Washington State Legislation Paves Way for Fiber Network Deployment

by | Date: 5 Apr 2018 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In March, Washington state legislators passed HB 2664 and sent it on to Governor Jay Inslee, who signed the bill on March 22nd. In the Port of Ridgefield, where the community has been developing plans for a dark fiber network, the community had advocated for the change. Now that the law will be changing for the better, they’re ready to pursue the partnerships they need to spur economic development and improve connectivity for residents and businesses.… Read More

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