Local/Municipal

Block Island, located just 12 miles south of mainland Rhode Island, has launched a municipal broadband network in partnership with Sertex Broadband Solutions. Dubbed BroadbandBI, the gigabit fiber network will power the town of New Shoreham, which has a population of roughly 1,000 people. New Shoreham initially struck a partnership with Sertex in 2017 to build a municipal broadband network serving community anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries, and hospitals. That network was completed in 2019.

The bulk of Google Fiber's buildouts is focused on cities and towns that are getting broadband service from incumbent cable operators and telephone companies.

June 2023 marks four years since the completion of backbone construction and lighting of all phases of the Westminster Fiber Network (WFN) project in Westminster, Maryland. Another milestone will soon be achieved: Subscriber growth will begin generating sufficient revenue for the city to cover the debt service on the general obligation bonds sold to finance the project.

A North Carolina company is becoming recognized not only for its network expansion throughout the eastern part of the state but for its unique public-private partnerships that are bringing fiber-to-the-home in rural, underserved counties.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, is considered ahead of the game with multi-gig connectivity, as in 2022 it introduced citywide 25-gig service for consumers and businesses.

Colorado repealed the referendum requirement for community broadband projects with the passage of Senate Bill 183. Support came from all sides, including the cable industry, which was neutral on the legislation. But there was another reason for the timing: federal broadband funding. The Colorado Broadband Office wasn’t sure if communities that hadn’t opted out would be eligible for a piece of the up to $1 billion in federal broadband funds Colorado could receive.

DE-CIX, the world’s leading operator of Internet Exchanges (IXs), and Connected Nation Internet Exchange Points (CNIXP), a joint venture between nonprofit Connected Nation and Newby Ventures, are entering a strategic partnership for the establishment and operation of edge IXs in unserved and underserved markets across the US to

Loveland Pulse, a municipal broadband network in Loveland (CO), has seen considerable success since turning up its first residential customer in June 2020, and the company will be expanding to neighboring communities. Loveland Pulse was formed in 2018 by the city of Loveland and its local utility with the goal of getting high-speed broadband available community-wide.

DigitalC, a local nonprofit technology social enterprise, has been selected by Mayor Justin Bibb (D-Cleveland) to receive $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the City of Cleveland (OH) to deliver affordable, high-speed internet to city residents. The Cleveland City Council must approve legislation submitted by the mayor to allocate this funding to DigitalC. The legislation will be presented at the next City Council meeting on May 15, 2023. DigitalC was selected through a competitive process.