Co-op Tactics for Community Broadband

[Commentary] If you’re Wally Bowen (founder and executive director of Mountain Area Information Network - MAIN), Larry Baumgart (CEO of Virtual Networking Service Inc), or another community IT advocate, the battle for broadband resembles the Charge of the Light Brigade. “Cannon to the right of them, cannon to the right of them, cannon in front of them.” On the left is the FCC with broadband policies a growing number of people feel will be less-than-effective at bringing broadband to under-served communities. To the right incumbent telcos are increasing their anti-municipal network wars in state legislatures. And in front are communities that may be shortchanging themselves with a one-dimensional view of what constitutes community broadband.