New America Highlights the Broadband Prices Available on Ammon, Idaho’s Open Access Network

The Open Technology Institute of New America on Wednesday released a blog post focusing on Ammon, Idaho, and highlighted how the open access broadband networks there better meets customers’ needs and expectations that most vertically-integrated broadband networks.

In comparing broadband prices globally, a 2014 study by OTI on the cost of connectivity report found that U.S. residents paid more for broadband internet service than their counterparts in Asia or Europe.

The study stated “most U.S. cities lag behind European and Asian cities in our sample in terms of what consumers pay for 25 Mbps of service, and what consumers can get for $50.”

OTI, a tech “do tank” in the midst of the New America think tank, highlighted the Ammon experience in lights of its cost of connectivity report from six years ago.

Collaborating on a local level with government and stakeholders, Ammon leaders found “a local solution to a local problem,” wrote Becky Chao and Lukas Pietrzak in the blog post.

A rural, southeastern city in Idaho, Ammon is a costly investment for private internet providers. However, “[Ammon] created its own fiber optic network, which now serves the government, businesses, and residents, transforming Ammon into one of the most affordable broadband markets in the country.”

Their design eliminated infrastructure deployment costs for service providers, making their city a market-friendly broadband hotspot. Additionally, Ammon’s network saves the city $70,000 yearly, and is estimated to save $43.6 million in 25 years.

Now Ammon residents can choose from 18 different broadband providers and a range of affordable prices, some of which include CenturyLink, DirectCom, FyberCom, or SpeedConnect.

Ammon has a web portal that easily helps customers navigate through internet provider subscriptions.