Municipal broadband advocates fight off attacks from “dark money” groups

Cities and towns that build their own broadband networks often say they only considered the do-it-yourself option because private Internet service providers didn't meet their communities' needs.  Hundreds of municipal broadband networks have been built around the US as a result, including dozens that have started operating since 2021. The rise of public broadband hasn't happened without a fight, though. Private internet service providers (ISPs) that would rather face no government-funded competition have tried to convince voters that public networks are doomed to become boondoggles. Opponents of public broadband don't always attach their names to these campaigns, but it often seems likely that private ISPs are behind the anti-municipal broadband lobbying. Public broadband advocates say that over the past few years, they've seen a noticeable increase in "dark money" groups attacking public network projects. Gigi Sohn, executive director of the Association for Public Broadband, said it's easy for public broadband opponents to register as 501(c)(4) groups that don't have to disclose donors.