Institute for Local Self-Reliance: Recent Episodes
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
In May, we published a story about the fate of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), based on a prediction model we built that was intended to visualize how long we might expect the $14.2 billion fund to last before needing new Congressional appro...… Read More
Representing 26 towns across Massachusetts, from Cape Cod to Chelsea, an informal group of mostly town officials have formed the Massachusetts Broadband Coalition in search of a way out of a broken monopoly broadband market to ensure that everyone in their individual communities has access to high-speed Internet.… Read More
With the construction of its 65-mile dark fiber backbone nearly complete, city officials in Boulder, Colorado are now ready to move into the next phase of their plan: build out a citywide fiber network.… Read More
Creative efforts are underway in Marin County, California to bring fiber connectivity to underserved pockets of the community and eventually the whole area.… Read More
City officials in Syracuse, New York have formally approved a new project to provide heavily discounted wireless broadband to low-income city residents. … Read More
Profile on the people behind Project Waves, a non-profit organization founded in 2018 to bring broadband to mostly low-income households in Baltimore City...… Read More
LA County is accelerating its plan to deliver affordable broadband access to the city’s unserved and underserved, with an eye toward building one of the biggest municipal broadband networks in the nation...… Read More
LA County is accelerating its plan to deliver affordable broadband access to the city’s unserved and underserved, with an eye toward building one of the biggest municipal broadband networks in the nation...… Read More
LA County is accelerating its plan to deliver affordable broadband access to the city’s unserved and underserved, with an eye toward building one of the biggest municipal broadband networks in the nation...… Read More
LA County is accelerating its plan to deliver affordable broadband access to the city’s unserved and underserved, with an eye toward building one of the biggest municipal broadband networks in the nation...… Read More
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) as a host organization for a Leading Edge Fellowship for the second time. The application window has opene...… Read More
Last Friday was a major milestone in the process of moving $42.5 billion from the federal government to states to distribute mostly to rural areas to build new, modern Internet access networks. January 13th marked the deadline for error corrections (ca...… Read More
As the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is set to unleash an unprecedented amount of federal funds to expand high-speed Internet access...… Read More
When it comes to affordable broadband, Vermont has always been a trailblazer. From early adoption of municipal broadband and cooperatives to more recent experimentation with CUD (Communications Union District) fiber deployments, the state’s...… Read More
A bipartisan coalition of Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced legislation that attempts to reverse some of the state’s stringiest provisions hamstringing municipal broadband builds. But experts suggest that while the bill may be well intentioned, a ...… Read More
With good reason, many are confused about the information shown in the FCC's new Broadband Availability map, the challenge process, and why we should care about helping the FCC make corrections. We believe it is importan...… Read More
The Tribal Broadband Bootcamps, which have worked with 20 Tribes and more than 100 participants over the past 2 years, offering hands-on training in wireless and fiber-optic networks, will continue in 2023 with an expanded schedule and expanded ...… Read More
Historically, Enfield was known for its tobacco and peanuts. Today, there’s a new wave cresting in this small rural community in eastern North Carolina. Thanks to a recent $350,000 investment from Connect Humanity, a start-up Internet service provider ...… Read More
In 2020, New York City officials unveiled a massive new broadband proposal they promised would dramatically reshape affordable broadband access in the city. Instead, the program has been steadily and quietly dismantled, replaced by a variety of costly ...… Read More
Subscribers to FairlawnGig – Fairlawn, Ohio’s municipal broadband network – are being upgraded to new service levels as the city-owned network bumps up speeds and slashes prices.… Read More
The FCC is under deadline to release an order to “promulgate regulations to require the display of” the broadband nutrition label by November 15 of this year. We’ve taken a moment here to re-access the issue, offer a few updates, and… Read More
In northeast Ohio, the City of Hudson looks to modernize its telecommunications infrastructure through a public-private partnership that would expand the city-owned municipal fiber network… Read More
A new study from the Digital Equity LA initiative lays bare how low-income communities of color are impacted by the quiet business decisions of the county’s monopoly Internet service provider...… Read More
Tennessee cooperatives and utilities came out at the top of the heap in the latest round of awards from the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund, netting nearly half of all money awarded for the expansion of more affordable broadband statewide...… Read More
In early August, the city of Holland, Michigan (pop. 33,000) voted to fund the construction of a citywide, open access fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. It’s the culmination of almost a decade of consideration, education, planning, and success, and bui...… Read More
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced earlier this week that Louisiana will be the first state in the nation to receive federal grant planning funds to help states prepare for the deployment of high-speed Inter...… Read More
In May, we published a story about the fate of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), based on a prediction model we built that was intended to visualize how long we might expect the $14.2 billion fund to last before needing new Congressional appro...… Read More
Like countless U.S. communities, Duluth, Minnesota (pop. 86,000) got a crash course on the importance of affordable broadband during the Covid-19 crisis. Those struggles in telecommuting and home education helped fuel a dramatic new broadband expansion...… Read More
The Southwestern Waldo County Broadband Coalition (SWCBC) is close to securing a major victory for local Internet choice in the face of a well-funded opposition campaign sweeping the Pine Tree State as the Big Telecom lobby and its allies try to underm...… Read More
In the 1980s, Rancho Cucamonga proclaimed itself “The City with a Plan.” Back then, the plan was to remake this once rural enclave known for its vineyards into more than just one of the many sunny suburbs of Los Angeles. That forward-looking spirit was...… Read More
The recently enacted budget bill includes “the largest ever investment in New York's 21st century infrastructure (that) will leverage public and private investments to connect New Yorkers."… Read More
Business has been unmistakably good for Comcast recently, having added 1.3 million new broadband subscribers in 2021 alone. But that wasn’t the only cause for its increased earnings. … Read More
Researchers at the University of Chicago show that a lack of Internet access has been strongly correlated with higher Covid-19 mortality rates.… Read More
Predictably, the big monopoly incumbents are aiming their lobbying efforts to influence state lawmakers as states funnel federal funds into state broadband grant programs. … Read More
A newly approved plan aims to deliver wireless broadband to the 365,000 low-income households in Los Angeles county that currently don’t subscribe to broadband service. … Read More
The digital divide has only become more pronounced with the pandemic, prompting Baltimore officials to make moves in the direction of something exciting: building a city-owned, open access fiber network.… Read More
The Dover Bridge is the span of infrastructure that crosses the Choptank River into Maryland’s Eastern Shore. But it’s the Choptank Electric Cooperative that’s building a bridge across the digital divide in the rural reaches of the region.… Read More
Institute for Local Self-Reliance is teaming up with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance for a two-hour livestream event to demystify the landscape. On Wednesday, March 16th, from 2-4pm ET, we're hosting an online conversation to bring together local stakeholders, policy advocates, and funding experts in one place. We're calling it Building for Digital Equity: Demystifying Broadband Policy and Funding.… Read More
Over 230 communities have applied for National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program grants. But community leaders increasingly say they’re facing costly, unnecessary challenges from incumbent broadband providers, who are exploiting unreliable U.S. broadband maps to overstate existing coverage and defend the status quo.… Read More
The city of Alexandria, Virginia, is moving to bring residents fast, reliable Internet access by building out an institutional network (I-Net) in the state’s seventh largest city.… Read More
The Missoula Valley Internet Cooperative has successfully raised funds and designed, deployed, and launched a wireless mesh network delivering 150 Megabit per second (Mbps) symmetrical service to more than 50 of 550 pre-registered households for, on average, $40-60/month. … Read More
Just over 90 miles apart, Leeds and Hampden, Maine, have had motivated people in the community and in leadership advocating for better Internet access for years. In November 2021, the work of both these community initiatives was tested as voters were asked to decide whether or not to move forward with their respective municipal broadband plans.… Read More
Cities and towns all over Massachusetts are looking for alternatives to the big incumbent Internet Service Providers in their communities as citizens across the Commonwealth have grown weary of the high-cost, second-rate Internet service – and lack of competition – that plagues markets dominated by monopoly providers.… Read More
From New York City to Newfield in Upstate New York, local officials in the Empire State have kicked off projects to connect the unconnected to high-speed Internet service.… Read More
The U.S. Department of Treasury recently released the guidelines governing the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) — a $10 billion pot of money available to states, territories, and Tribal governments to confront the need for improved Internet connectivity exposed during the pandemic.… Read More
In July, the USDA announced it would grant $10.1 million in ReConnect funds in support of the project to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will connect 2,170 people, 50 farms and 30 businesses to high-speed broadband in Madison County.… Read More
With support from the Internet Society, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance has produced a video series to help tribes meet the requirements set by the FCC in getting their 2.5GHz networks up and running.… Read More
Following hundreds of requests from community members urging the local Public Utility District (PUD) to address the lack of Internet access in Lewis County, Washington, the Lewis County PUD is answering the call with a proposal to construct an open access countywide fiber-to-the-home network.… Read More
Four communities across Denton County, Texas, home to the North Texas State Fair and a thriving equine and agricultural center, are trying to bridge the digital divide for residents who live in the region.… Read More
This guide consolidates the different funding opportunities made available through various relief packages to assist communities interested in accessing federal funds to expand broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion services.… Read More
Just a year after city leaders of Superior, Wisconsin, passed a resolution declaring fiber optic cabling critical infrastructure, officials are beginning to put the city’s money behind an action plan.… Read More
Earlier this summer, a small group of people gathered in the southern California desert for the first Tribal Wireless Bootcamp. Organized by a loose collection of people with a long history of building and encouraging nontraditional broadband networks, the focus was on building, maintaining, and troubleshooting wireless networks in Indian Country.… Read More
For local governments, fast, reliable, and resilient Internet service is crucial for public safety communications. When flames engulf the region, relaying critical emergency information with speed is paramount. Seconds matter. It’s equally important for citizens to get timely information on the course of wildfires, receive alert notifications or evacuation orders, and be able to connect with friends and family. … Read More
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) represents an unprecedented amount of money flowing to local governments, and an equally historic opportunity to spend the money on bringing fast, affordable broadband access to the millions of unserved and underserved households... … Read More
On December 7th, Our Revolution Arlington hosted an event to talk about the impact of the ongoing pandemic on small and independent business owners.… Read More
This week on the podcast Christopher talks with representatives from a broadband cooperative operating in two rural counties in south-central Minnesota.… Read More
This week on the podcast Christopher talks with Steve Lange, IT Manager for the city of Wadsworth in eastern Ohio. … Read More
A nonprofit in Providence, Rhode Island is building a fixed wireless network to provide free Internet access to residents in the Olneyville neighborhood.… Read More
This week on Let's Connect! Christopher is joined by Mason Carroll (Monkeybrains), Deborah Simpier (Althea Networks), and returning champion Travis Carter (US Internet). … Read More
Connect This! is a new, live video show from ILSR, featuring new guests every other week discussing hot topics in the broadband policy world. … Read More
Building a successful community broadband network, we’ve often pointed out, relies on successful organizing and marketing campaigns as much as it does on putting fiber in the ground. Those networks that do it well succeed, and those that fail to take i...… Read More
Over the next year, Springboro will build a 23-mile fiber loop for municipal services and lay five additional conduits to entice ISPs to come in and offer service, stimulating competition and economic development in the region.… Read More
West Kentucky & Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative will extend its existing network to cover the entire county and give residents access to its broadband service. … Read More
AT&T has stopped making connections to users subscribing to its DSL Internet as of October 1st. The most conservative number of those affected by the decision will be about 80,000 households that have no other option.… Read More
FairlawnGig, Fairlawn Ohio’s municipal network, shows marketing innovation during the ongoing public health crisis.… Read More
Over the summer, the city of McAllen, Texas (pop. 140,000) collected broadband data, designed, and deployed a fixed wireless networks which to date covers more than three dozen neighborhoods and provides free connectivity for the city’s students and re...… Read More
Almost 54,000 electric cooperative residents will see the benefits of a statewide law change in Maryland. … Read More
Westfield's Whip City Fiber is bringing municipally owned gigabit Internet to twenty Western Massachussetts Hill Towns over the next few years. … Read More
Over the summer, Oregon created a larger rural broadband development fund by revising its state Universal Service Fund program to include wireless and VoIP telephone service.… Read More
When schools in Champaign, Illinois, realized that many kids living in a mobile home park weren't online after the pandemic hit, a coalition came together to build the students a free fixed wireless network.… Read More
Scott Vanderlip can see Google’s headquarters from his house in the town of Los Altos Hills, California. Still, some of his neighbors struggle to access the online world that the tech company has helped shape. So they created Los Altos Hills Community Fiber, a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation that’s bringing a local, high-quality connectivity option to the area.… Read More
In this episode of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, Christopher is joined by Jamie Letzring, Deputy City Manager for West Des Moines, Iowa, and Dave Lyons, a consultant with the city, to explain how the city decided to build a citywide conduit system, which has convinced Google Fiber to offer service in West Des Moines.… Read More
Marin County and the city of San Rafael, California, have built a Wi-Fi mesh network in the city’s Canal neighborhood to connect over 2,000 students and their families in anticipation of the upcoming school year.… Read More