Do municipal fiber networks offer lower prices than the their competitors? Yes, almost always, according to a study from Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center called Community-Owned Fiber Networks: Value Leaders in America.David Talbot, a Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, joins us for episode 289 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast to … Continue reading "Retail Muni Fiber Networks Charge Less – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 289" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jan 17, 2018•19 min•Ep. 290
With only about 757,000 residents and more than 710,000 square miles North Dakota is ranked 53rd in population density among U.S. states, territories, and Washington DC. There may not be many people there, but North Dakota has some of the best connectivity in the United States. Why? Rural cooperatives and independent companies have made continued … Continue reading "North Dakota’s Exceptional Fiber Networks – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 288" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jan 09, 2018•27 min•Ep. 289
With the Federal Communications Comission Republicans poised to redefine broadband to include slow, unreliable, and often bandwidth-capped mobile service, we talk with two high school students from southeast Ohio, Herron Linscott and Lilah Gagne, that have succeeded despite the lack of fixed broadband access in their homes. Soon the FCC may include those homes as … Continue reading "The Challenge of Mobile Only – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 287" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jan 03, 2018•25 min•Ep. 288
It is that time of year – as 2017 draws to a close, we pulled Nick, Hannah, Lisa, and myself back into a podcast to talk about the predictions we made one year ago on episode 234. And despite having to deal with our failed predictions from last year, we dive right into making more … Continue reading "2017 in Review and a Preview of 2018 – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 286" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Dec 26, 2017•39 min•Ep. 287
David Young is a veteran of our Community Broadband Bits podcast, having been interviewed in episodes 182, 228, and 238. For reasons that are beyond this interviewer, he still has a job in Lincoln as the Fiber Infrastructure and Right of Way Manager. Just kidding David – you are such a friendly person I cannot help … Continue reading "Catching up with Lincoln on Fiber, 5G, and US IGNITE – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 285" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Dec 19, 2017•16 min•Ep. 286
If everyone subscribed to Internet access, the business models for supplying it would be much easier. But there are strong reasons for why many are locked out of Internet access today, a subject we explore with National Digital Inclusion Alliance Executive Director Angela Siefer in episode 284 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. We discussed what … Continue reading "Discussing the Digital Divides On Road to Digital Equity – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 284" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Dec 12, 2017•26 min•Ep. 285
We're continuing the interviews Christopher conducted while at the November Broadband Communities Economic Development Conference in Atlanta; this week, he's talking with Stephen Barraclough, General Manager for Burlington Telecom (BT) in Vermont. Stephen has worked diligently to reinvigorate and preserve the publicly owned network that, regardless of troubles, has been popular with subscribers.Christopher and Stephen had their … Continue reading "Reinventing Burlington Telecom – Community Broad...
Dec 06, 2017•23 min•Ep. 284
Fort Collins, like more than 100 communities in Colorado, had already opted out of the state law that requires a referendum prior to a city or county investing in an Internet network, even with a partner. But it went back to another referendum a few weeks ago to amend its city charter to create a telecommunications … Continue reading "Organizing For a Community Network, Against Big Cable – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 282" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Nov 30, 2017•26 min•Ep. 283
Christopher went to Atlanta for the Broadband Communities Economic Development Conference in early November, and while he was there, he touched base with this week’s guest Will Rinehart. Will is the Director of Technology and Innovation Policy at the American Action Forum, a DC nonprofit organization that’s been around since 2009.Will and Christopher don’t always … Continue reading "Another Perspective on Policy From American Action Forum – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 281" ★ Support this po...
Nov 29, 2017•30 min•Ep. 282
NC Hearts Gigabit is a grassroots group recently launched in North Carolina that aims to dramatically improve Internet access and utilization across the state. We caught up with Economic Development Consultant Christa Wagner Vinson, CEO of Open Broadband Alan Fitzpatrick, and Partner of Broadband Catalysts Deborah Watts to discuss what they are doing. We discuss their … Continue reading "NC Hearts Gigabit – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 280" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Nov 21, 2017•27 min•Ep. 281
Grant County's Public Utility District was, along with some nearby PUDs, among the very first deployers of Fiber-to-the-Home networks shortly after the turn of the millennium. And per Washington's law, they built an open access network that today has more than twenty service providers.Grant County PUD Project Specialist Russ Brethrower joins us for Community Broadband … Continue reading "Lessons From the Nation's Oldest Open Access Fiber Network – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 279" ★ Support ...
Nov 15, 2017•23 min•Ep. 280
As an increasing number of communities invest in and explore the advantages of publicly owned networks, Christopher finds himself making more trips to cities and towns across the country. In addition to sharing what we discover about all the communities we research, he absorbs what he can from others who also document the way local … Continue reading "Intelligent Communities In Dublin, Ohio, And Beyond – Community Broadband Bits Episode 278" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Nov 07, 2017•30 min•Ep. 279
The Kit Carson Electric Cooperative serves rural north central New Mexico and has been an early investor in a fiber-optic network that has brought high quality Internet service to a state largely stuck with 90's era DSL from incumbent CenturyLink. Luis Reyes, CEO of Kit Carson, joins us for episode 277 to discuss how the utility … Continue reading "Kit Carson Fibers up New Mexico – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 277" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Nov 01, 2017•27 min•Ep. 278
After being told by the large telephone incumbent that he could pay a nominal fee in rural Michigan to get phone service, John Reigle built a home. And when the telephone company changed its mind after quoting an outrageous price, he created a cooperative that is building fiber networks in a very rural region of Michigan. General … Continue reading "Allband All-in For Rural Michigan Internet Access – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 276" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Oct 24, 2017•29 min•Ep. 277
Maryland may be home to our nation’s bustling, urban capital, but on the other side of the state are the Appalachians and many rural communities that struggle with poor Internet access. One of those communities is Garrett County. Residents, businesses, and institutions have limped along for years using outdated connections. Some people don’t have any … Continue reading "Garrett County Builds Better Connections By Combining Technologies in Rural Maryland – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 275" ★ ...
Oct 17, 2017•23 min•Ep. 276
Mason County Public Utility District 3 covers a large area with a lot of people that have poor Internet access. If “PUD” didn't give it away, it is located in Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula and had already been investing in fiber as an electric utility for monitoring its internal systems.Mason PUD 3 Telecommunications & … Continue reading "Mason PUD 3 Responds to Muni Fiber Demand with Fiberhoods – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 274" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Oct 11, 2017•38 min•Ep. 275
Back in June, Louisville had a close call with missing a key opportunity to build municipal fiber to local anchor institutions at a substantially reduced cost. An anti-muni broadband group pushed hard to disrupt the project but city staff educated metro council-members and moved forward with a unanimous vote. Louisville Chief of Civic Innovation Grace Simrall and … Continue reading "Louisville To Save Big With Embattled Anchor Network – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 273" ★ Support this podcas...
Oct 04, 2017•28 min•Ep. 274
Michigan's Lyndon Township set a local election turnout record in August when voters supported a measure to build a municipal fiber network by 2:1 margin. The initiative was largely organized and supported by the Michigan Broadband Cooperative, a local effort to improve Internet access in the community. To better understand their approach, organizing, and future plans, we … Continue reading "Referendum Lights Up Lyndon Fiber – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 272" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Sep 26, 2017•30 min•Ep. 273
After a friendly coup in the offices of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Hannah has taken the podcast host chair from Christopher for episode 271 of the Community Broadband Bits. Hannah grills Christopher on where he has recently traveled, interesting lessons, and recent news around community broadband. (Christopher mentions a great event in Pittsfield – … Continue reading "Fiber For All and More – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 271" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Sep 19, 2017•26 min•Ep. 272
The modern fight over network neutrality isn't a few years old. It is well over 1,000 years old across a variety of infrastructures and is totally wrapped up in a legal concept known as common carriage that has governed many kinds of “carriers” over the years. Few, if any, are as conversant in this subject … Continue reading "Uncommon Knowledge of Common Carriage – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 270" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Sep 12, 2017•29 min•Ep. 271
Holland is expanding its pilot area for municipal Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services in Michigan's Dutch outpost. To explain the past, present, and expected future of muni fiber in Holland, Broadband Services Manager Pete Hoffswell for the Board of Public Works, joins us in episode 269 of the Broadband Bits podcast.The city has some 25 years of … Continue reading "Holland's Muni Fiber Pilot Expands in Michigan – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 269" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Sep 06, 2017•30 min•Ep. 270
Jon Chambers, a partner at Conexon, returns to visit us this week to talk about rural connectivity and the approaching Connect America Fund (CAF) auction. Conexon works with electric cooperatives to establish high-quality Internet networks for members, typically in rural areas where national providers don’t offer the kinds of services communities need.Having spent time at the … Continue reading "Jon Chambers: Rethinking The Rules on The Connect America Fund – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 268...
Aug 29, 2017•30 min•Ep. 269
With the right policies and local investment, Spiral Internet could bring high quality Internet access to much of northern California. Spiral is a small private company and its CIO, Michael Anderson, talks with us today for episode 267 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. We discuss Spiral's enthusiasm for open access fiber networks and how the … Continue reading "Spiral Investing in Rural California While AT&T Invests in Sacramento – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 267" ★ Support this ...
Aug 23, 2017•28 min•Ep. 268
When policy and decision makers discuss how to improve connectivity in the U.S., they often compare Internet access in other parts of the world to connectivity in America. We can learn from efforts in other places.Benoit Felten, CEO of Diffraction Analysis, has analyzed business models, approaches, and infrastructure development all across the globe. His company has … Continue reading "Benoit Felten of Diffraction Analysis Talks Global Strategies – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 266" ★ Support...
Aug 15, 2017•40 min•Ep. 267
It shouldn't be surprising that the city that is home to CalTech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory needs high-quality connectivity. Those institutions are part of the reason Pasadena began investing in its own fiber network.To learn the other reasons and how they went about it, Pasadena's Telecom & Regulatory Administrator Lori Sandoval joins us on Community Broadband … Continue reading "Pasadena Benefits From Municipal Fiber – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 265" ★ Support this podcast ...
Aug 08, 2017•21 min•Ep. 266
After we saw April Glaser's article on a local San Francisco ISP connecting low-income housing to high-quality Internet access, we knew we wanted to learn more. Preston Rhea is the Senior Field Engineer for Monkey Brains and someone we knew from his work with the Open Technology Institute at New America. He joins us with … Continue reading "Connecting San Francisco Low-Income Housing with Monkey Brains – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 264" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Aug 01, 2017•28 min•Ep. 265
Eugene is a good example of recent public-public partnerships developing to expand fiber optic Internet access. The city of 166,000 in Oregon helped finance a downtown dark fiber network by the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), which is publicly owned but has an independent governing board from the city. Eugene's Economic Development Planner Anne Fifield … Continue reading "Dark Fiber Brightens Downtown Business Climate in Eugene – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 263" ★ Support this podca...
Jul 26, 2017•25 min•Ep. 264
After a recent announcement from Microsoft committing to building rural networks using TV white spaces [NYT, Ars Technica stories], we asked Public Knowledge Senior Vice President and long-time TVWS enthusiast Harold Feld to explain the significance. We discuss what TVWS are and why this announcement is such a big deal given that we have previously covered multiple … Continue reading "Microsoft Supercharges TV White Spaces – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 262" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jul 18, 2017•18 min•Ep. 263
Sonic is one of the best ISPs in the nation – well beloved by its California subscribers and policy geeks like us in part because of its CEO and Co-Founder, Dane Jasper. Dane combines a tremendous amount of technical and business knowledge in a thoughtful and friendly personality. And while we don't always agree, we are always … Continue reading "Sonic Suggests Dark Fiber for Munis – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 261" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jul 11, 2017•34 min•Ep. 262
Just what does it take to have a market? It may be more complicated than you think — and in large part because of the things most of us don't notice that governments do. We discuss this and the role of broadband planners with Alex Marshall on Community Broadband Bits podcast 260. Alex is the author … Continue reading "Broadband Planning and How Government Creates Markets – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 260" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jun 27, 2017•27 min•Ep. 261
