ILSR
Partnerships And Trust Go Long Way To Securing Financing For Broadband Projects, Panelists Say
Broadband Breakfast panelists wrestle with the challenge of financing broadband infrastructure projects.
Infrastructure
Focus On Community Networks In Biden Plan A Positive 180-Degree Policy Change, Advocates Say
April 7, 2021 – Despite criticism levied against President Joe Biden’s new infrastructure plan, some broadband industry experts are excited about what it could mean for municipal and co-op networks. Biden’s “American Jobs Plan” would dedicate $100 billion for broadband infrastructure improvements ac
Infrastructure
Christopher Mitchell: Electric Grid Disaster in Texas Leads to Broadband Open Access Soul Searching
The disaster in Texas resulting from an electric grid that was deliberately left exposed and likely to fail in rare cold weather events has received a lot of dramatic coverage, as well it should given the loss of life and damage to so many homes and businesses. It also raised some questions in my mi
Infrastructure
Broadband Breakfast Live Online Wednesday, April 14, 2021 – Financing Broadband Infrastructure
Guests include Jeff Johnston of CoBank, Tim Herwig of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Lauren Mathena of Mid-Atlantic Broadband and Christopher Mitchell or the Institute for Local Self Reliance. Moderated by Drew Clark of Broadband Breakfast.
Open Access
Bills In Washington State Legislature Would Allow Public Utility Districts into Retail Broadband
Though Washington is home to one of the nation’s fastest growing tech hubs, many communities throughout the state lack adequate broadband infrastructure. The stark divide between those Washingtonians with reliable home broadband connections, and those without, became especially salient last year, wh
Justice Department
Biden Justice Department Withdraws Net Neutrality Suit, Section 230 Changes, Community Digital Infrastructure
February 9, 2021 – The Justice Department on Monday withdrew its lawsuit against California for proposing net neutrality laws in the wake of a 2017 vote by the Federal Communications Commission that repealed those rules. The move signals a shift in how the White House and the new FCC could approach
Infrastructure
Building Better Broadband Underscores Joe Biden’s Top Policy Initiatives
January 5, 2021 — The digital divide afflicting the United States has become even more apparent throughout the pandemic, repositioning the issue of universal broadband access to the forefront of many Washington policy agendas, including that of President-elect Joe Biden. The Biden presidential campa
Christopher Mitchell
Big Bucks for Broadband in the Balance: Explaining the Affordable, Accessible Internet for All Act
If you have been following our series on the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, you already know the proposed legislation calls for a $100 billion investment in expanding broadband access and affordability in unserved and underserved parts of the country. In this fourth installment of the
Fiber
Differences in Approach to Open Access Showcased in Discussion About Lit and Dark Municipal Fiber
December 6, 2020 — Panelists involved in open access networks across the United States got into a fiery debate over the best model to follow when constructing an open access network. The exchange occurred during Thursday’s episode of Connect This!, a series sponsored by the Institute for Local Self-
Christopher Mitchell
NTCA Conference Highlights Collaboration With Municipalities, Cyber Security, and Supply Chain Woes
September 16, 2020 – Partnerships between local municipal governments and private broadband providers can actually work, according to a panel on “Communities in Need” at Tuesday’s kick-off the rural broadband association NTCA. Some local communities, like Fairlawn, Ohio, have begun taking forward-th
Christopher Mitchell
Ownership Models Are Evolving to Serve the Unserved, Say Panelists at Digital Infrastructure Investment
August 11, 2020 — As America prioritizes closing the digital divide, critical last-mile digital infrastructure ownership models are expanding and differentiating to serve the unserved. Different towns across America are in different situations in terms of the availability of existing digital infrast
Fiber
Fiber Optics Generally a Better Option Than Wireless, Even in Rural Areas, Says Municipal Broadband Advocate
May 5, 2020 – As internet connectivity grows increasingly essential, fiber optics may prove to be a better option than wireless internet connection, the Institute for Local Self Reliance’s Christopher Mitchell said Tuesday at a webinar hosted by the nonprofit Merit Network. Mitchell, who directs th
Christopher Mitchell
The FCC Could Do More Now About the Digital Divide, Say Panelists at Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event
April 2, 2020 – “It’s really unfortunate that it has taken a national emergency, a worldwide pandemic, for people to realize how many people don’t have access to broadband internet,” said Georgetown Law Distinguished Fellow Gigi Sohn on a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Tuesday. When she testi
Broadband Live
Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 – The Importance of Universal Broadband in the Age of the Coronavirus
Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Monday, March 31, 12 Noon ET – “The Importance of Universal Broadband in the Age of the Coronavirus” Follow upcoming Live Online events, see Broadband Breakfast Live Online Will Stream Daily in March on ‘Broadband and the Coronavirus’ Guests for this event: Ben Baw
FCC
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Announces Public Auction of C-Band, Connecticut Peels Back Broadband Barriers
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced Monday that the FCC will hold a public auction of mid-band wireless spectrum to fuel the deployment of 5G. The agency plans to auction 280 MHz of the block of spectrum, Pai said, while preserving about 200 MHz that will continue to be use
ISP
Muni Broadband Fare Well in PCMag Study, CenturyLink Intercity Fiber, Facebook and Kids’ Privacy
Locally-run internet service providers offer better broadband than their private sector counterparts, according to a recent study by PCMag. The data shows that six of America’s ten fastest ISPs either involve some form of public-private partnership or were run directly by a local community. “Local n
