Broadband
has become what water and electric, roads and bridges have always
been -- public utilities -- vital elements of a strong society. It is
time for us to bring cost effective services to our constituents.
Now
that the FCC has removed restrictions on communities developing their
own broadband networks, the big challenge is to get the State
legislators to pass laws permitting communities to do so. A number of
bills have been introduced in Nashville that favor big business
control and maintain the status quo, much like the Mafia did by
controlling which thugs controlled which turf.
Two
bills, HB 1303 and SB 1134 will give control to rural TN communities.
It is incumbent on us as citizens to contact our elected officials to
demand they vote for
these
two bills and against
any
bills that keep control with corporate interests.
The
issues that stand before our counties are STATE-WIDE Issues and we are
in the very fortunate position of having allies all over the state
because our
issues are their
issues
as well.
If
you know people across the state who want what you want, feel free to
pass along some of my earlier emails and include the contact
information below to make it easy for people to contact their elected
officials to make sure they get the message, too.
This
document contains a long list of communities and actions they are
taking to bring their communities into the 21st century. It tells me
that we're on the right track, doing what we
need
to do to get into the forefront of change.
All
the best,
Joe
Malgeri
Cleveland
Utilities and residents alike support EPB broadband
expansion
(Chattanooga
Times Free Press © 03/06/2015)
CLEVELAND,
Tenn. -- Despite warnings of potential snow and ice, more than 100
broadband-hungry people packed the Bradley County Courthouse on
Thursday to learn if, when and how communications provider EPB will
serve them. It comes down to the details of a recent Federal
Communications Commission ruling allowing EPB and other communication
providers to extend services beyond their stated areas
EPB
Lays Out Plans To Provide All Of Bradley County With High-Speed
Internet, TV Service; Cost Is Up To $60 Million
(Chattanoogan.com
©03/06/2015)
In
what was hailed as a big win for rural Bradley Countians, EPB
officials laid out a plan Thursday night to reach the community with
currently unavailable high-speed internet. EPB CEO Harold DePrist
told a capacity crowd at the Bradley County Courthouse that the
expansion would serve roughly 1,000 people, about 800 of whom have no
current option other than dial-up. The Federal Communications Co...
CU
joins fight for Internet options
(Cleveland
- Daily Banner © 03/05/2015)
The
possibility of bringing broadband Internet to Cleveland and Bradley
County through a municipal power company is gaining momentum.
Cleveland Utilities joined the movement Wednesday when its board of
directors passed a resolution asking the state Legislature to lift
restrictions on where municipal electric companies could provide
broadband Internet. A very similar resolution has already been...
BROADBAND
BroadbandUS.TV
Special Program on Net Neutrality and Municipal Broadband
March
13, 2015 – 1:00-3:00 pm EST
“In
this special edition of Broadband US TV we examine two
historic decisions from the FCC:
The decision to classify broadband access as a Title II service, and
the preemption of state laws in North Carolina and Tennessee
that
placed limits on municipal broadband networks. We’ll dive into
these issues with two panels of prominent players and experts on both
sides of these white hot issues. Hear details about the rulings,
predictions on implementation and court challenges, and what these
rulings are likely to portend for broadband in America over the next
year and beyond. On the muni broadband panel, our own Jim Baller,
lead counsel to Chattanooga and Wilson before the FCC, will go from
host to panelist and mix it up with our other guests. We’ll be sure
not to cut him any slack.” For a list of speakers and sign-up
information, click here: TV
Worldwide
Even
after the FCC ruling, Cities must wait for FCC to release its final
ruling and likely court fights before knowing if they can expand
public Internet service. Center
for Public Integrity|
Mayor
of Lafayette, LA congratulates Wilson, NC: "Like you, we do not
believe this issue is about politics or partisanship or electoral
politics or the public versus the private sector. Rather, it is about
strengthening America, local self-reliance and the opportunity of our
citizens" Coalition
for Local Internet Choice
"EPB
Lays Out Plans To Provide All Of Bradley County With High-Speed
Internet, TV Service" The
Chattanoogan
Bristol
TN Council
adopted a resolution to support proposed
legislation
that would remove the restriction from Internet service providers
like Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BETS) from providing
broadband services outside of their electrical-service footprint.
Tricities
"A
recent FCC ruling paves the way for more cities to jump in to the
internet game. Philadelphia was a pioneer in that arena. Wireless
Philadelphia — with its positive legacy and fatal shortcomings —
offers plenty of lessons [for other big cities]." |Technically
Philly
FCC
Announces Additional Provisionally Selected Bidders For Rural
Broadband Experiments and Sets Deadlines for Submission of Additional
Information FCC
Public Notice
Improving
Cities by Investing in Next-Generation Internet: A coalition called
Next Century Cities is bringing leaders together to demonstrate the
value of Internet infrastructure investments, celebrate member
cities’ successful projects, and help other cities do the same.
Government
Technology
Iowa
Gov. Terry Branstad recognized broadband efforts in Charles City
"Unggoy Broadband is doing what some believed impossible in the
area, by bringing low-cost, high-speed internet to rural parts of
town." KIMT|
Carl
Junction [Missouri] approves a community broadband service agreement
with S.T.L. Wi-Max Aire Fiber out of St. Louis Four
States Homepage
"Structural
alternatives to the Internet monopolies are still needed. The battle
for Internet freedom has only just begun."Huffington
Post
"$10
Million Frontier Rural Revitalization Contest Draws 250 Applicants"
Telecompetitor
WIRELESS
"Small
cells could help network operators generate a business case for
deploying wireless service in rural areas that currently lack mobile
service." Telecompetitor
"A
group of senators has introduced a resolution calling for
prioritizing and accelerating the development and deployment of the
Internet of Things, which means broadband connectivity of a host of
devices and services." Multichannel
News
VIDEO
"The
FCC is considering allowing online services to operate as
'multichannel video programming distributors,' an action that could
benefit consumers and competition by opening up the video marketplace
to new entrants, and paving the way for online services to offer the
same kinds of channels that are available today only through
traditional pay-TV services like cable and satellite." Public
Knowledge
National
Association of Broadcasters endorses the FCC proposal that "online
video distributors (OVDs) wishing to carry broadcast signals must
obtain retransmission consent from the owners of the signals just as
cable and satellite operators do." TV
News Check
"'HBO
Now' coming this spring for $15 per month, with Apple as launch
partner" Ars
Technica
Study
finds "the thirteen largest pay-TV providers in the US --
representing about 95% of the market -- lost about 125,000 net video
subscribers in 2014." Leichtman
Research Group
OTHER
NEWS
"Why
Comcast, AT&T and other Internet providers might not sue the FCC
(to overturn the agency's net neutrality rules) after all."Washington
Post
