As teachers learn to apply sophisticated technical tools (Web 2.0) to their teaching strategies and as the state begins to implement the Common Core assessments, more and more devices and broadband flow will be needed to carry the amount of information that will be exchanged across the Internet. And as long as we depend on huge, profit driven, telecom companies to provide our schools with Internet service, students and teachers will always be given the minimum.
Municipal Internet service is a terrific solution to the bandwidth issue that many schools in rural Arkansas face. If schools, businesses, households and individuals in rural areas paid a non-profit cooperative a monthly bill just like they do for water and electricity, those non-profits could afford to have high-bandwidth fiber installed. The installation would be paid for, first, by bonds or other investments and the monthly subscribers would support the maintenance, service and up-keep of the system. More high-tech jobs would come to rural areas as a result of this and industries linked to such systems would thrive.
My area of Arkansas has a small manufacturing industry along with education and training to support it. What my area does not have to support the growth of this manufacturing is an efficient highway transportation system. What would municipal Internet with high bandwidth do for this industry? With the advent of 3-D printing, sending products via truck or rail is not so necessary, not for specialty items like the ones produced in my area, anyway. High powered bandwidth will give manufacturers the ability to compete globally by sending prototypes of products, or the products themselves, over air and fiber instead of pavement and rail.
Of course, these examples of how true high speed internet can benefit rural education and economy are only the things that come to my mind.
Surely the exponential number of applications will come as collaboration increases. Rural areas of the world have always been behind the pace of urbanized and industrialized areas. High speed Internet is one answer to showcase the skill and ingenuity of rural Arkansas students and entrepreneurs. Kentucky awards contract to improve Internet, cell service. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- An Australian-based investment firm will build and manage a 3,000-mile network of fiber optic cables across Kentucky that state officials say will improve broadband access and cellphone service in some of the country's most impoverished areas. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers said Tuesday they believe it to be the first contract of its kind in the country.
"In today's economy, high-speed broadband is as essential to a community as water or electricity," Beshear said. While most Kentucky households have access to the Internet, only about half of them use broadband service, a high-speed Internet connection capable of carrying lots of information to many people at once. "The cable levels those mountains," Rogers said. Eastern Kentucky, along with its Appalachian brethren in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, has long been the cultural center of the nation's coal industry. "This is a beacon of hope," Rogers said. Digital Robber Barons?
Bad metaphors make bad policy. Everyone talks about the ''information highway.'' But in economic terms the telecommunications network resembles not a highway but the railroad industry of the robber-baron era -- that is, before it faced effective competition from trucking. And railroads eventually faced tough regulation, for good reason: they had a lot of market power, and often abused it. Yet the people making choices today about the future of the Internet -- above all Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission -- seem unaware of this history. They are full of enthusiasm for the wonders of deregulation, dismissive of concerns about market power. And meanwhile tomorrow's robber barons are fortifying their castles. Until recently, the Internet seemed the very embodiment of the free-market ideal -- a place where thousands of service providers competed, where anyone could visit any site.
A few years ago everyone expected the same story to unfold in broadband. Verizon Wireless/SpectrumCo and Verizon Wireless/Cox, WT Docket 12-4. Verizon Wireless and SpectrumCoVerizon Wireless and CoxWT Docket 12-4 Timeline | Orders, Public Notices & Letters | Record Documents | Application Documents | Contacts | Request for Exparte Meeting Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless ("Verizon Wireless") and SpectrumCo, LLC ("SpectrumCo") - a joint venture among Comcast Corp.
("Comcast"), which owns 63.6 percent of SpectrumCo; Time Warner Cable Inc. ("Time Warner Cable"), which owns 31.2 percent; and Bright House Networks, LLC ("Bright House"), which owns 5.3 percent - have filed an application to assign 122 20-megahertz or 30-megahertz Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-1) licenses from SpectrumCo to Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless and Cox TMI Wireless, LLC ("Cox"), which was previously a member of SpectrumCo, have filed an application to assign 30 20-MHz AWS-1 licenses from Cox to Verizon Wireless.
Petitions to deny and initial comments are due February 21, 2012. 8/21/12 - Day 180 6/26/12Letter Stopping 180-Day ClockWord | Acrobat. Approves Verizon Wireless-SpectrumCo Transaction. FCC to review mobile spectrum ownership. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be re-entering the snakepit and investigating just how much spectrum -- the radio frequencies used to transmit signals in wireless devices -- one company should be able to control.
According to FCC officials, the investigation will lead to a proposal setting new rules for the sale of spectrum rights by one company to another. Often, companies will rent airwave rights to each other; such as Verizon's recent acquisition of spectrum from a consortium of cable firms, SpectrumCo. A "spectrum screen" is currently used to evaluate whether mergers or spectrum purchases should be approved. Currently, each case is reviewed individually, but the investigation will ask whether rules should be applied universally -- instead of the application of general guidelines for each separate case. Companies and the general public are expected to provide input. The investigation is likely to have far-reaching implications for the wireless industry. SpectrumCo, LLC for Comcast (CMCSA) Network Maps: USA Longhaul. Network-map. EXALT - Economics of Backhaul. Economics of BackhaulThere are three primary physical media used worldwide for access, backhaul and connectivity: copper, fiber and microwave.
Copper is typically leased from a service provider on a monthly basis, whereas microwave is typically purchased as a one-time capital expenditure. Fiber is used as a means to deliver high capacity leased services but is often owned in circumstances when the capacity requirements warrant the investment. Copper Copper is the traditional media for voice and data-capable T1/E1 and DS3 lines and is the most prevalent form of access, backhaul and point-to-point connectivity in North America.
T1/E1 circuits provide 1.544/2.048 Mbps in each direction, with typical prices ranging from US$150 to US$750 per month, depending upon location, and with a set-up charge averaging US$625 per T1. The major shortcoming of T1/E1 lines is that their prices increase linearly with capacity, so there are no price efficiencies associated with multiple T1/E1 lines. Rea-history. DOC-308176A1. DOC-304574A1. Mignon Clyburn, Speeches of.
Vermont Network Takes Local Ownership to Next Level. Vermont's East Central Fiber-Optic Network (ECFiber) has finished its second round of financing. We noted that the network had exceeded its financing goals at the beginning of this year by raising over $1 million and subsequently began connecting rural homes with its next-generation network. (See all of our ECFiber coverage here.) The network is now connecting 120 households, a bit below its goal of 164 for the end of the calendar year... but it also had to deal with an unexpected hurricane (Irene) that seriously disrupted the entire state and kept fiber-splicers running ragged. ECFiber has just completed its second round of financing.
While the first round was dominated by a few major investors, the second round had a broader base -- a sign that many in the community have embraced the approach. ECFiber is using an innovative funding method to extend its network, supported by local citizens who lend funds that enable build-out to local neighborhoods within and across member towns. Broadband Blindness Documentary. Community broadband networks Institute for Local Self Reliance Twitter Facebook Main Menu Broadband Blindness Documentary Tue, December 27, 2011 | Posted by christopher A new documentary from California explores the failure of the private sector and competition more generally to sufficiently invest in fast, affordable, and reliable access to the Internet.
It comes in three parts and runs about 25 minutes in total. This provides a good summary of the present broadband landscape and how AT&T, Comcast, and other major providers are not the answer to our increasing need for better connections to the Internet. <div class="disqus-noscript"><a href=" Subscribe via email for a weekly digest. Search Featured Reports View More Reports Tag Cloud more tags Christopher Mitchell communitynets communitynets Another rural community, Princeton Massachusetts, looks to build its own fiber broadband network - lnkd.in/zUnHdH 3 hours ago · reply · retweet · favorite Join the conversation Links.
ARE-ON: Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network. Fundamental Internet Concept. Bowen: Media infrastructure is key to local self-reliance « MAIN-FM. ASHEVILLE – Communities must become self-reliant in broadband and media infrastructure to achieve sustainability, said media activist Wally Bowen, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN). Speaking Nov. 17 to local economic and social justice leaders about the future of MAIN, Bowen compared broadband and media infrastructure to navigable rivers, trading routes, rail lines, and electric utilities that were critical for sustainable communities in earlier eras. “In the 21st century,” he said, “community-owned media infrastructure is essential for green jobs, economic justice, and sustainability.” Bowen made his remarks as MAIN begins a search for new leadership in the coming year.
Bowen has been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He is speaking out, he said, to ensure that community leaders understand MAIN’s pivotal role in the region’s growing sustainability movement. But the municipal broadband option in North Carolina is history. Design Principles from Virginia's nDanville Open Access Network. The nDanville network of rural southern Virginia has long been a favorite of ours (previous coverage is available here). The network has helped Danville go from being notable for having the highest unemployment rate in Virginia to being ranked as the third top digital city in the nation, according to a recent article. Danville's City Manager was honored by the Southern Piedmont Technology Council for developing the nDanville network: Danville City Manager Joe King received the Chairman's Award for his leadership in advancing the development of a modern telecommunications infrastructure in the region, a key factor in Danville's economic development renaissance.
King had been the director of the city-owned utility when it drew up plans for a fiber-optic network to be built incrementally until it could connect every home, business, and community anchor institution in Danville Utility's territory. An interesting resource that Andrew shares are the principles behind the network. Community Fiber Networks Are Faster, Cheaper Than Incumbents.
Fibre to the Home Council - Benefits of Fiber. Dep Gov John Morgan Defends Publicly Owned Broadband, Calls for Expansion. Dan O'Connell: FTTH Not Just A Verizon Thing. September 1, 2011 With Google building a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in Kansas City, Kan., local municipalities building their own FTTH networks, smaller telcos deploying fiber with their stimulus awards, and cable operators pulling even more glass, there's momentum behind the technology.
But where is it going? Daniel O’Connell became president of the Fiber-to-the-Home Council in 2010 after nearly 30 years in the private sector, most recently as the national sales director for Verizon Enhanced Communities. He spoke with Communications Technology Associate Editor Linda Hardesty about some of the hottest topics in FTTH. Communications Technology: There are more than 100 municipalities that have built fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) networks in the United States. O’Connell: There are a number of reasons. Finally, state legislative issues around municipal network builds have been in the news more frequently over the last few months, it seems. So it’s all pretty complex. Emerging-markets-key-to-ftth-growth-for-vendors-pyramid-finds-133903733. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FTTH accounted for 11 percent of total broadband lines in 2011.
FTTH deployments have slowed in developed markets in the 2009-2011 period, but increased focus on service marketing combined with strong momentum in emerging markets have led to substantial growth in FTTH subscribers, according to Ozgur Aytar, Research Director and Pyramid's Practice Leader for Broadband and Media and Consultant behind Pyramid's new Fiber in the Last Mile Insight Pack. The Fiber in the Last Mile Insight Pack offers analysis on FTTH/B network models, performance and economics, emerging services and products, service adoption trends and new business models for network operators. "The drivers for FTTx network deployment vary from the creation of new revenue streams and regulatory incentives to further monetizing existing assets and opex efficiencies," says Aytar.
To learn more, download a sample of the report and its excel template here. SOURCE Pyramid Research. Digital Society » Blog Archive » Measured broadband versus advertised broadband ranking. Home » Uncategorized It’s one thing to have pretty graphs and fancy charts, but substance should always trump superficial looks. Unfortunately, too many people are citing the latest estimated broadband rankings without analyzing what the numbers mean or ever question if the numbers are right to begin with. When we compare real-world Akamai results versus synthetic speedtest.net tests versus 2008 estimates from ITIF, we see a huge disparity in the numbers. Note that all costs are based on ITIF estimates. ITIF costs appear to be underpriced for countries like Japan so the actual cost per Mbps delta between Japan and the US is far smaller than this chart suggests.
Akamai is the world’s largest CDN which alone handles 20% of the world’s Internet traffic. Another interesting statistical artifact is that when we compare the top 10 individual states in the U.S. to Europe or compare U.S to Europe, Europe comes out behind in both cases. OECD, Comcast, AT&T, TimeWarner (no Japan data from OECD) Digital Society » Blog Archive » TechDirt mistakens Broadband for public property. Digital Society » Blog Archive » Why municipal fiber hasn’t succeeded. The following paper was authored by Dr. Robert D. Atkinson (ITIF) and George Ou (while at ITIF), and originally published at Chaffee Fiber Optics (page 17) on March 2, 2009.
Article was updated by George Ou on 3/11/2010. With the United States falling in broadband rankings and trailing many other countries in broadband deployment for a variety of reasons[i] [UPDATE 3/11/2010 - the rankings are extremely dubious], some communities have lost faith in the private sector and have begun to look to community-based alternatives. The promise of affordable ubiquitous fiber broadband service and the potential economic development opportunities that come with it are so enticing that a number of cities are considering the municipal fiber route.
Broadband Evolution Broadband technology has evolved rapidly within the last 10 years. Figure 1 – How broadband technologies compare under load Higher Speed Broadband is Coming The broadband market has grown at a rapid pace over the last 10 years. Robert D. Digital Society » Blog Archive » Internet As A Public Utility Is Dumb. Digital Society » Blog Archive » Burlington muni-fiber sticks tax payers with massive debt. The city of Burlington Vermont has just been downgraded from Aa3 “high grade” to A2 by Moody’s Investor Services due to excessive debts, and Burlington’s Municipal Fiber Telecom services seems to be the biggest culprit. This downgrade will likely mean that the city will have to pay higher interest rates to service Burlington Telecom’s debt. This was somewhat of a surprise because Burlington Telecom has always been held up as a shining example of how best to run a Municipal Fiber service as a self sustaining enterprise what doesn’t burden tax payers, but it seems that Burlington Telecom isn’t all that different from the other muni-fiber failures.
In a city with approximately 20,000 homes and businesses, 4800 of which are municipal fiber subscribers, Burlington Telecom seems to have racked up a $50,000,000 debt. Worst still, Burlington Telecom’s deficits and debt are rising which makes the prospect of financial stability more of a dream than reality. Municipal fiber needs more FDR localism, fewer state bans. How frustrating to be the mayor of a small town without good broadband access today. Imagine trying to entice businesses or entrepreneurs to a region where the best Internet option is the slow DSL most of us discarded nearly a decade ago for faster speeds. The “broadband market” in much of the US happily provides snail-speed connections at inflated prices when compared to many of our peer nations. Cable and telephone companies see little reason to upgrade these networks—the low population density does not lend itself to quickly recovering investments.
Recognizing the disconnect between the best interests of distant shareholders and the best interest of their community, cities across the US have built their own networks, taking a page from the thousands of small cities that built their own electricity networks a century ago when private utilities ignored them. Lafayette, Louisiana is a good example. Barriers Municipal networks restriction map Are public networks a failure?
Still no broadband. Community broadband networks | Helping Communities Achieve True Self-Determination. AT&T Group's Lawsuit in Wisconsin Fails. Judge dismisses lawsuit over UW broadband projects. Local exchange carrier. Why Is Mighty Time Warner So Scared of Tiny Salisbury, North Carolina? Community Broadband - A Level Playing Field? Chattanooga Gig: Your Gig is Here. How do you use 1Gbps Internet links? Chattanooga residents find out. Community Broadband Preemption Map. § 23-17-409 - Authorization of competing local exchange carriers. :: 2010 Arkansas Code :: US Codes and Statutes. Municipal Broadband | ALEC – American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC Boards and Task Forces.