Community Broadband Bits

With all of the recent media discussions around network neutrality, reclassification, and “Title II,” we decided to spend this week talking with Matt Wood, Policy Director for Free Press to simplify some key issues. For all the hub-bub around reclassification and dramatic claims that it represents some kind of fundamental policy shift, the truth is … Continue reading "Understanding Title II and Network Neutrality – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #101" ★ Support this podcast ★

For our 100th episode, we are excited to share a conversation with Dr. Robert Wack, city council member and driving force behind a planned open access fiber network in Westminster, Maryland. Westminster has just decided that instead of a fiber pilot project, they are going to move ahead with the first phase of a larger … Continue reading "Story Behind Westminster's Pending Open Access Fiber Network – Community Broadband Bits Podcast Episode 100" ★ Support this podcast ★

In the nearly two years since we launched this podcast with an interview from Minnesota's rural Sibley County, the project has evolved significantly but the need for better Internet access remains a constant. Today, we interview Coop Vice-Chair Cindy Gerholz and Winthrop Town Manager Mark Erickson to get an update on the fiber-to-the-farm project. The … Continue reading "Catching Up with the RS Fiber Coop in Minnesota – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #99" ★ Support this podcast ★

Located in rural southwest Colorado, Cortez is just 20 miles from the famous four corners of the US southwest. When incumbents were either unwilling or unable to provide modern services in the region, Cortez stepped up with a plan. This week, Cortez General Services Director Rick Smith joins us to share how they incrementally built … Continue reading "Rural Colorado's Cortez Fiber Network Serves Region – Community Broadband Bits Podcast Episode #98" ★ Support this podcast ★

Located just outside Washington DC, Arlington is the dense, high tech county that houses the Pentagon. This week's Community Broadband [no-glossary]Bits[/no-glossary] podcast features Arlington County CIO Jack Belcher. Having already built a top-notch fiber network to connect community anchor institutions, the County is now preparing to improve connectivity for local businesses. We discuss a range … Continue reading "Connecting Arlington, From Anchors to Businesses – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #97" ★ Support this podcast ★

This week we are welcoming Scott Bradner, a long time doer, writer, and thinker on Internet matters. Thanks to a listener request, we had already recorded an interview last week discussing peering before the news broke that the FCC would be allowing paid prioritization peering arrangements, which many have said represents the end of network … Continue reading "Peering: Then and Now on Community Broadband Bits Podcast #96" ★ Support this podcast ★

Nestled in a valley in the Colorado rockies, the city of Montrose has voted overwhelmingly to reestablish local authority over whether to build a municipal fiber network. With nearly 20,000 people, Montrose does have cable service from Charter and DSL from CenturyLink but neither service is meeting local needs. Virgil Turner, Director of Innovation and … Continue reading "Montrose Moves Toward Muni Network -Community Broadband Bits Podcast #95" ★ Support this podcast ★

The Community Broadband [no-glossary]Bits[/no-glossary] podcast this week focuses on what people can do to start building a grassroots effort for a network in their community. John St Julien of Lafayette, Louisiana, returns to the show to discuss what they did and ideas for others to follow. John was last on the show for episode 19, … Continue reading "Advice for Starting a Community Network – Community Broadband Bits Episode #94" ★ Support this podcast ★

While in Iowa for the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities telecom conference, I had a chance to interview Michael Curri, the Founder and President of Strategic Networks Group – SNG. He and I have long had great discussions at events around the country and I attempted to recreate some of the key points in this … Continue reading "Benefits of Increased Broadband Utilization – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #93" ★ Support this podcast ★

While at the SEATOA Conference in Raleigh last week, I met Mike Foor, the President and CEO of the Georgia Communications Cooperative (GCC). Given the important role GCC is playing in expanding great Internet access in rural Georgia, we wanted to interview him for Community Broadband Bits. Back in episode 46, we spoke with Paul … Continue reading "Understanding the Georgia Communications Cooperative – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #92" ★ Support this podcast ★

Lisa Gonzalez and I, Christopher Mitchell, are back in studio for a short conversation about the implications of a municipal network or a coop receiving subsidies from government to engage in overbuilding, where it builds a fiber network in an area already served by slow DSL and cable networks. This has become an important issue … Continue reading "To Overbuild or Underbuild? A Rural Policy Conundrum – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #91" ★ Support this podcast ★

Just a few weeks after releasing our case study of Santa Monica's City Net, we have an opportunity to interview Jory Wolf, CIO of Santa Monica, and the chief driver of City Net. This is episode #90 of the Community Broadband [no-glossary]Bits[/no-glossary] podcast. We talk about how City Net got its start with a smart … Continue reading "Exploring Santa Monica's Incremental Fiber Approach – Community Broadband Bits Episode 90" ★ Support this podcast ★

If all had gone according to the plan behind the 1996 Telecommunications Act, we would have lots of competition among Internet service providers, not just cable and DSL but other technologies as well. Alas, the competing technologies never really appeared and various incarnations of the FCC effectively gutted the common carriage requirements at the heart … Continue reading "History of the Quickly Subverted 1996 Telecommunications Act – Community Broadband Bits Episode 89" ★ Support this podcast ★

Having just returned from a short trip to Sweden, Lisa Gonzalez and I discuss what I learned and how Stockholm has become one of the most connected cities on the planet. We talk about how Stockholm built a massive dark fiber network that has enabled competition at the service layer, the status of telecommunications in … Continue reading "Overview of Stockholm's Stokab – Community Broadband Bits Episode #88" ★ Support this podcast ★

More communities are today considering how they can improve Internet access in their community than at any other time. Having a gigabit is quickly becoming the standard – not because we all need 1,000 Mbps but because we know that everything we want to do is possible on a gigabit connection. Video games aren't going … Continue reading "Processes for a Gigabit Community: Community Broadband Bits Episode 87" ★ Support this podcast ★

Ammon, a town of 14,000 in southeast Idaho, has been incrementally building an open access, fiber optic network that has connected community anchor institutions and is starting to become available to local businesses. Ammon Technology Director Bruce Patterson joins us to explain how the community has moved forward with its model for improving Internet access. … Continue reading "How Ammon, Idaho, Builds Digital Roads – Community Broadband Bits Episode 86" ★ Support this podcast ★

The Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency, which we have written about many times, is at a crossroads. An Australian corporation specializing in infrastructure is prepared to infuse $300 million into the project but the Utah Legislature may prohibit it from expanding and even from using existing connections outside member cities. We asked Jesse Harris of … Continue reading "Fork in the Road For UTOPIA: Forward or Backward? Community Broadband Bits Episode #85" ★ Support this podcast ★

When the DC Circuit Court handed down a decision ruling against the FCC's Open Internet (network neutrality) rules, it also clarified that the FCC has the power to overrule state laws that limit local authority to build community networks. Harold Feld, Senior Vice President for Public Knowledge, joins us for Community Broadband [no-glossary]Bits[/no-glossary] Episode #84 … Continue reading "A Roadmap for the FCC To Ensure Local Authority to Build Networks – Community Broadband Podcast #84" ★ Support this podcast ★

When we think about the threat of monopoly, we almost always focus on how monopolies can raise prices beyond what is reasonable. But there are many threats from monopolies and many are much more dangerous to a free society than higher prices. This week, monopoly expert Barry Lynn joins us for the Community Broadband [no-glossary]Bits[/no-glossary] … Continue reading "The Real Threats from Monopoly – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #83" ★ Support this podcast ★

The municipal electric utility in Russellville has launched Kentucky's first citywide gigabit service on its FTTH network. [no-glossary]Russellville[/no-glossary] Electric Plant Board General Manager Robert White joins us to share their motivations for building a fiber network. The utility had originally offered some telecommunications services over a wireless system but recognized the need for a more … Continue reading "Meet Russellville, Kentucky's Broadband Speed Leader – Community Broadband Bits Podcast #82" ★ Support this podcast ★