Information News

ILSR Releases New Report: Learning from Burlington Telecom

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:40:10 -0500

Burlington Telecom, a publicly owned broadband network in Vermont, transitioned from a hopeful star of the community broadband movement to the first example used by those opposed to government investing in the infrastructure of the 21st century.

Our new report investigates the mistakes made by Burlington Telecom, extracts lessons for community networks to avoid similar pitfalls, and discusses the ways Burlington Telecom has benefitted the community even as it was mismanaged.

New Video: Community Fiber Networks Better than DSL, Cable Networks

admin — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:59:50 -0500

With the vast majority of Americans greatly overpaying for slow and unreliable broadband compared to connections in Europe and Asia, hundreds of communities have started building their own networks.

These networks have been incredibly successful, but massive corporations have smeared them with lies and accusations of failure. We created this video to demonstrate their stunning, if underreported, successes. Watch the video on Huffington Post or on YouTube.

ILSR Joins Debate over Public Ownership of Broadband

admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:32:24 -0500

On June 1, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation held an oxford-style debate over the proposition: "Governments should neither subsidize nor operate broadband networks to compete with commercial ones."

Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative, argued that local governments must always have the option of building and operating their own networks if the community so desires. Watch the video on YouTube.

New Rule Added: Ammon Idaho Fiber Optic Network

admin — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:47:26 -0500

Ammon, Idaho, is a community of approximately 15,000 outside Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho. Ammon has struggled to boost economic development in part because providers in Ammon offer slower, more expensive services than are available in Idaho Falls. For years, Ammon has sought to expand access to next generation networks, including an application to the broadband stimulus program in 2010.

However, it became clear that the City would have to move ahead without assistance from the federal government. Having studying their options and existing technology for years, they were well equipped to begin building their own network and have embraced an incremental approach to building the network they need.

Ammon is currently building the core of a network that will eventually connect all residents and businesses if the vision succeeds. In the meantime, they are expanding the open access network opportunistically to keep costs low.

Read the new rule here

ILSR Defends Local Authority to Build Broadband Networks

christopher — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:54:09 -0500

ILSR has continued working to preserve local authority to build broadband networks in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Massive companies like AT&T and Time Warner Cable are lobbying heavily to strip communities of deciding locally whether to build and own essential infrastructure -- networks that these companies are often not willing to build.

We recently published an op-ed in North Carolina and have written about South Carolina as well.

New Map of Publicly Owned Broadband Shows Impressive Coverage Across America

christopher — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:27:36 -0500

ILSR has released the Community Broadband Map, showing the location of over one hundred communities that have rejected the tyranny of existing carriers and built their own networks. Along with the map, ILSR has released a report, Publicly Owned Broadband Networks: Averting the Looming Broadband Monopoly.

“The Community Broadband Map reveals the depth and breadth of publicly owned networks,” says Christopher Mitchell, Director of ILSR’s Telecommunications as Commons Initiative.

Video Shows Community Networks Far Superior to Cable, DSL in North Carolina

christopher — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:06:07 -0500

ILSR produced a video to highlight the impressive dominance of publicly-owned networks in North Carolina.

The state has two community fiber networks, Wilson's Greenlight and Salisbury's Fibrant. Together, these networks are the most advanced broadband networks in the state, offering residents and businesses globally competitive packages.

Bill to Limit Community Broadband in North Carolina Will Kill Jobs

christopher — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:00:48 -0600

While the rest of the world is working to become more innovative and competitive, the North Carolina General Assembly is considering a bill that will stifle innovation, hurt job creation and slow economic development. The Bill, H129/S87 will effectively prevent any community from building a broadband network and impose onerous restrictions on existing networks.ILSR is helping groups in North Carolina to stop this bill from becoming law.

Support New Rules! Double Your Contribution for Limited Time!

admin — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:21:47 -0600

As 2010 draws to a close, we look back on a year of both opportunities and challenges. Despite the hurdles, we had a long list of successful initiatives this year that we’re very proud of. See details in our 2010 Year End Program Report. We hope that you can take a minute and support our work with a year-end donation – We’re happy to tell you that because of a $6,000 matching grant from a family foundation in Minnesota, contributions until we get to that level will be doubled! Donate online or by mail. Thanks!

Banning Community Networks Ensures Slower, More Expensive Internet for North Carolinians

admin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 07:46:01 -0600

North Carolina consumers and businesses would pay more for slower internet access when communities are preempted from building broadband infrastructure according to a new analysis released today by the Institute for Self-Reliance’s New Rules Project. This analysis shows that community fiber networks are faster and cheaper than incumbent cable and telephone networks in North Carolina.