Information

Here at the New Rules Project, we support local businesses over businesses like Amazon. We have focused on the threat they pose to local businesses, but there is another threat from large Internet-based corporations and Cory Doctorow outlines it in this report from Internet Evolution.

That danger is that a couple of corporate giants will end up with a buyer's market for creative works, control over the dominant distribution channel, and the ability to dictate the terms on which creative works are made, distributed, appreciated, bought, and sold.

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Montana's Great Falls Tribune has an article that examines a community success story from Cleveland and the greater NE Ohio region.

Instead of going to Hollywood to see what the future may hold, go to Cleveland. It's here you'll find an example of a community with five years of experience in creating a regional fiber-optic network that connects more than 1,000 organizations — hospitals, school districts, governments, museums, libraries and other public and nonprofit organizations.

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The Department of Homeland Security has started funding a program to help all levels of government better understand open source options for computer software.

DHS' Science and Technology Directorate will fund the Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) project, which will start with a one-year, $1.5 million contract and possible additional years to follow. The University of Southern Mississippi and the Open Source Software Institute (OSSI) will conduct the work, and the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command will handle the contracting and help with guidance for the program.

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Chattanooga's Electric Power Board, a public power agency, has been building a fiber-to-the-home network to greatly increase community access to fast broadband.  They have just announced the network will be completed sooner than originally expected, connecting everyone in the community.

EPB officials announced today their plans to expedite the deployment of their 100% fiber optics network.

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ILSR, a member of the Rural Internet and Broadband Policy Group, submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission  on the matter of a national broadband policy.  Our comments highlight the importance of long term investments that will prioritize local ownership and control as well as open access networks.  The absentee-ownership model has proved detrimental to many rural communities. More

We have added a new sector to the Information Policy Area - Open Source / Open Standards. The first rule in this new sector is a recent resolution from Vancouver that will increase local government use of open standards, open source, and open/accessible data.

Open standards, open data, and open source are all important ingredients for locally self-reliant communities in the modern era. More

ILSR announces a new site focusing on publicly owned broadband networks and the benefits they offer to the community.  MuniNetworks.org explains the many advantages of community ownership and documents the impressive speeds available from some of the top-performing networks.  Community broadband networks offer some of the fastest speeds at the most affordable prices in the United States. More

Lafayette, Louisiana is one community among hundreds that are building publicly owned, broadband networks to ensure their community with thrive in the 21st century.  They fought years of legal battles and are now deploying one of the fastest networks in the country -- and keeping prices affordable.

Their Chamber of Commerce supported them throughout and is now finding ways that they will be able to leverage the network.  Being accountable to the community, that owns it, the network is open for innovative ideas.  The network is not yet finished, but the Chamber is starting meetings to spur innovation. More

We just added a new rule to our database - Saint Paul, MN, is building a robust core network to meet its telecommunications needs (as well as those of the schools, state, and county in town.

The short story is that the city wants to build a core network to replace the deficient Comcast Institutional Network that currently offers the city its connectivity.  However, the City Council passed a resolution to ensure that the network would meet future needs, not just present needs.  This wisely leaves the door open to future decisions that would allow the network to be expanded, bringing ultra-high-speeds to anyone in the City.

At this point, the City Council has not suggested it would do that, but it is looking toward the future with this network rather than remaning dependent on a private company for essential services.  Read the rule and background here. More

Cory Doctorow, a strong proponent of network neutrality explains not just why we must preserve the Internet as it is, but also why we have the authority to do it.  Some Internet Service Providers want to choose what sites their subscribers can visit - and at what speeds.  

Take filtering: by allowing ISPs to silently block access to sites that displease them, we invite all the ills that accompany censorship – Telus, a Canadian telcom that blocked access to a site established by its striking workers where they were airing their grievances. Around the world, ISPs co-operate with censorious governments in their mission to keep their citizens in the dark: for example, ISPs in the United Arab Emirates are blocking access to stories about a UAE royal family member who was video-recorded torturing a merchant with whom he had a business dispute. More