Municipal Networks
Vermont anchors 100/100 broadband model, municipal approach
Vermont, one of the least populated states in the US, has to contend with plenty of broadband-related challenges. But state legislation and municipal providers have made bridging the digital divide a little easier. Robert Fish, the Deputy Director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB), said Vermont’s issues are the same as those elsewhere in the country.
Arlington (VA) looks to bridge digital divide with county-owned fiber network
Arlington County, Virginia, is surveying residents and businesses to understand how they use broadband internet service and if their access can be improved. The survey is part of a $250,000 study that could inform ways to bridge the digital divide between residents with good internet connectivity and those without it, using the county’s existing fiber-optic network, dubbed ConnectArlington.
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Vermont Takes a Regional Approach to Rural Broadband Expansion
The economics of rural broadband are challenging for private internet service providers (ISPs) and governments alike. The small populations spread out over large geographic areas make installing infrastructure extremely expensive and offer a limited customer base to offset the costs.
Broadband is booming in Colorado as voters lift limits on government’s involvement
Nearly 15 years after the first Colorado community opted out of a state law prohibiting local governments from providing or investing in broadband internet service, 121 cities and towns in the state have followed suit, including four more communities in the November 2022 election. The result is the installation of hundreds of miles of new fiber-optic lines throughout the state, from tiny Wray near the Kansas border to even smaller Mountain Village near Telluride — and dozens of communities in between. The big pipes delivering data to homes and businesses mean an increasing number of Colorad
New York Power Authority Transmission System Enables Access To High-speed Internet
Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced the completion of New York's first-ever municipal broadband network as a major milestone for the state's ConnectALL program.
CUDs Lead Affordable Fiber Revolution in Vermont
When it comes to affordable broadband, Vermont has always been a trailblazer.
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Adoption is at the Heart of Florida’s Broadband Internet Policies
In May 2021, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Broadband Deployment Act of 2021, codifying the Florida Office of Broadband, which had been created in the previous year within the state's Department of Economic Opportunity.
Escambia County, Florida, chooses partner to bring broadband to rural areas, but challenges remain
Escambia County (FL) is looking back to Escambia River Electric Cooperative's (EREC) proposal to build a rural broadband network, but the unusual path the county has taken drew the objection of cable and internet provider Cox Communications on November 29.
What Happened To New York City’s Internet Master Plan?
In January 2020, under former Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NY), New York City released an ambitious $2.1 billion plan for universal broadband across the city — the first effort of any large US city to strategize delivery of equitable internet access to all its residents. The proposal was to build a “neutral host” infrastructure that could be shared by multiple internet operators rather than a single company, increasing competition to the entrenched private companies that had failed to address New York’s digital divide.
What is community broadband and why it matters
The digital divide needs to be closed for society to grow, but without the high demand to ensure a return on investment, many smaller, less fortunate communities risk falling behind in a widening gap. The longer larger companies wait to prioritize these regions, the further isolated the people who live there may become from the rapidly digitizing future. Who will take ownership to bring those communities across the digital divide?