Co-Mo Cooperative: Bringing Some of the Fastest Speeds in the Nation to Rural Missouri

Date: 8 Mar 2015 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Co-Mo Cooperative and the Co-Mo Connect Board of Directors recently voted to proceed with the final phases of its gigabit FTTH project. The decision assures the plan to bring to triple-play to all Co-Mo members by the end of 2016. We checked in on Co-Mo about a year ago, when the cooperative announced it would increase … Read More

Verizon Engaged in IP Transition With No Rules: Where is the FCC?

Date: 16 Jun 2014 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Public Knowledge, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), and a long list of other public interest groups, recently filed a letter with the FCC urging the agency to launch an investigation. Specifically, the alliance asks the FCC to look into reports that Verizon is forcing customers to move from copper lines to fiber IP-based service. From the … Read More

Charlotte Media Eyes Salisbury’s Fibrant

Date: 25 Apr 2014 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

WSOC TV in Charlotte recently looked at Salisbury’s four-year-old Fibrant network. Reporter Tenikka Smith investigated what a municipal network could do for Charlotte. Charlotte is also one of the communities working with Google in hopes of having it expand to them. That interest has led AT&T to consider updating its comparatively pathetic DSL services as well. Smith spoke … Read More

Home Security Firm ADT Opposes Kentucky Bill to Eliminate Landlines

Date: 26 Mar 2014 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In February, we reported on another attempt by AT&T, Windstream, and Cincinnati Bell, to eliminate plain old telephone service (POTS) in Kentucky. According to Mimi Pickering from the Rural Broadband Policy Group, AT&T’s SB 99 is quickly moving ahead and may even be up for a full House vote at any time. Kentucky has fought to … Read More

Big Incumbents At It Again In Kentucky; Mimi Pickering in the Richmond Register

Date: 20 Feb 2014 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Yet again, lobbyists from AT&T, Windstream, and Cincinnati Bell are lobbying state elected officials under the false guise of improving communications in Kentucky. In a Richmond Register opinion piece, Mimi Pickering from the Rural Broadband Policy Group revealed the practical consequences of Senate Bill 99. Republican Senator Paul Hornback is once again the lead sponsor on the … Read More

Webinar on IP Transition from Public Knowledge and Center for Media Justice

Date: 11 Dec 2013 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Public Knowledge and the Center for Media Justice have an eye on the transition from traditional copper landline telephone service to Internet-protocol services. As we move forward, both organizations continue to educate citizens on telecommunications policy and how it can affect us. On December 12, at 2:00 p.m. EST, both groups will collaborate for a webinar … Read More

Franklin County, Alabama, Task Force Investigates Internet Options

Date: 8 Oct 2013 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In a reminder of just how poor telecommunications can be in this country, Franklin County in rural northwest Alabama has formed a Task Force to investigate how it can get something better than dialup. “The Internet has become an important as having electricity and water,” said Cole, an extension agent in Franklin County. “For our businesses … Read More

Crap Cable Threatens Cloud Services

Date: 24 Sep 2013 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For my money, the best headline of last week was “The U.S.’s crap infrastructure threatens the cloud.” The rant goes on to explain just how crummy our access to the Internet is. As a patriotic American, I find the current political atmosphere where telecom lobbyists set the agenda to be a nightmare. All over the world, … Read More

Verizon Caught Forcing Customers to Take Voice Link Service Across New York

Date: 15 Jul 2013 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The war over keeping copper alive rages on in New York with more stealthy antics from Verizon. Stop the Cap! now reports that, rather than wait for a hurricane to take out the copper lines in the Catskills, it will quietly shift seasonal home owners to VoiceLink as they request reconnection. Stop the Cap! also published … Read More

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