We regularly share stories about new fiber optic networks from local communities, cooperatives, and even local independent internet access companies.Cognitive views of learning once in a while, we like to get an idea of what practical matters affect deployment and this week, we brought travis carter on the show to share his experiences.Cognitive views of learning travis, CEO of US internet, has been working within the city of minneapolis as the company deploys a fiber optic network to serve residents, businesses, and other premises.Cognitive views of learning

Travis explains the way the company has changed and describes what it’s been like to go from an ISP that offered fixed wireless to one that also provides fiber optic in a large city.Cognitive views of learning he offers some firsthand knowledge on the permitting process and shares the lessons he city staff have learned in working with a municipal structure.Cognitive views of learning travis explains how being part of the city’s long term vision for better connectivity has helped cut through some red tape that used to slow down the process.Cognitive views of learning

In addition to working with the city to deploy their infrastructure, travis and his colleagues at US internet need to achieve a balance of revenue and investment that keeps the company growing and viable.Cognitive views of learning christopher and travis discuss some of the types of decisions that all private firms make, including customer service, hiring practices, and taking on debt.Cognitive views of learning

The central virginia electric cooperative (CVEC) announced in january 2018 that they had solidified plans to deploy fiber across 14 counties for smart grid operations and to bring fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) to the region.Cognitive views of learning the project, dubbed firefly fiber broadband, is underway, and we’ve got president and CEO gary wood along with communications and member services manager melissa gay on the podcast this week to discuss the multi-year project.Cognitive views of learning

During this interview, we learn about the CVEC service territory, which is a mix of a few denser populated areas and very rural communities where poor internet access, when it’s available, is a real problem.Cognitive views of learning CVEC members have been dealing with unreliable connections, oversubscription, and outdated technologies for years. Those problems will be eliminated, however, with FTTH from the co-op that many have come to trust.Cognitive views of learning by obtaining grants, working with local communities, and approaching the process in a strategic manner, CVEC plans on bringing gigabit connections to about 37,000 potential subscribers within five years.Cognitive views of learning

Gary and melissa describe the cooperative’s process, the discoveries they made about attitudes toward the co-op from members in the community (including some interesting stories), and lessons learned.Cognitive views of learning we hear about some of their marketing approaches that focus on the uniqueness of the region and what it was like to establish a subsidiary in accordance with state law.Cognitive views of learning through all the hard work, melissa and gary have nothing but accolades for employees of the cooperative and compliments for local officials who helped get the project off to a strong start.Cognitive views of learning

In early april while christopher was at the 2019 broadband communities summit in austin, he recorded a series of interviews for the podcast. We’ve been sharing them over the past two months.Cognitive views of learning this week we’re presenting his conversation with director of market development and government affairs monica webb and vice president for networks adam eisner from ting.Cognitive views of learning

In addition to giving us a quick history about the canadian company that provides internet access, mobile phone service, and other services, monica and adam describe how the company’s culture that focuses on customers has been a driving force behind their success.Cognitive views of learning christopher asks monica and adam about the different models that ting is using in its efforts to bring high-quality connectivity to places like westminster, maryland; sandpoint, idaho; and now fullerton, california.Cognitive views of learning our guests describe how the company’s startup culture, emphasis on branding and marketing, and hyper local approach has assisted them with becoming and integral part of different communities and in developing unique partnerships.Cognitive views of learning

Monica and adam also share some of the lessons they’ve learned in working with municipalities. While places vary widely in character, there are some actions every local community can take that help expedite deployment, especially with regard to preparation of permitting processes and related matters.Cognitive views of learning the sooner a network is constructed and launched, the sooner local residents and businesses are enjoying high-speed internet access.

Interest in community broadband and broadband service from cooperatives has grown significantly within the past few years.Cognitive views of learning this legislative session, lawmakers in states such as vermont, north carolina, and arkansas, have decided that they’d like to start contributing to new ways to bring better internet access to their constituents.Cognitive views of learning this week, christopher and jess del fiacco, our communications specialist, sit down to review some of the most recent state bills that we find promising.Cognitive views of learning

Jess and christopher talk about H 513 making it’s way through vermont’s legislature. The bill contains policy changes and financial support designed to invigorate local broadband projects.Cognitive views of learning H 513 was developed after state leaders examined the success of ecfiber, the regional network that brings gigabit connectivity to more than 20 communities in the central part of the state.Cognitive views of learning

The state of north carolina’s FIBER NC ACT, which relaxes some of the state’s restrictions on local internet network infrastructure investment, also comes up in the conversation.Cognitive views of learning christopher finds the bill a promising start to restoration of local telecommunications authority in north carolina. State lawmakers are also considering another bill that will assist with pole issues.Cognitive views of learning

With former experience working at the FCC in the office of strategic planning and policy analysis, jonathan has insight we try to tap into every time a thorny issue arises.Cognitive views of learning satellite internet access provider viasat was one of the top winners of federal funding, winning more than $122 million. Questions remain, however, if they will be able to deliver services that meet the requirements and deliver what they promised.Cognitive views of learning apparently, viasat is unsure if their chosen satellite technology will be able to meet the testing thresholds and have asked the FCC to retroactively adjust the requirements to ensure their services pass muster.Cognitive views of learning

The FCC has yet to decline this request, which raises direct and indirect issue with the CAF II program, the FCC’s administration of the program, and viasat.Cognitive views of learning in this interview, jonathan and christopher discuss the issue in more detail and use the matter as a springboard to more thoroughly talk about the role of federal, state, and local government in developing rural broadband.Cognitive views of learning jonathan and christopher ponder ways for local residents to have more of a voice in how broadband is funded and deployed in their communities and how ways to improve the process.Cognitive views of learning

We bring listeners many stories from communities across the country who are taking steps to improve connectivity and find better ways to access the internet.Cognitive views of learning this week, christopher and his guest talk about why we value the internet. Author david weinberger is also a senior researcher at harvard’s berkman klein center for internet & society and a writer in residence at google PAIR.Cognitive views of learning

David has worked with technology and the internet for decades and has studied how the internet and access to such vast amounts of information has changed the way we understand information, relationships, and the world we live in.Cognitive views of learning christopher asks david to share is findings and his analysis and they talk about the risks, the benefits, and the possibilities that these shifts bring.Cognitive views of learning christopher and david get into a deeper look at the value of the internet and the responsibilities that we share as a result of this limitless tool that takes information from anywhere to anyone.Cognitive views of learning

David has in recent years worked with machine learning, which he’s weaved into his research. He and christopher look at the problems and potentials that machine learning have revealed and discuss possible solutions and innovative approaches.Cognitive views of learning david explains his discoveries that connect interoperability, unpredictability, and the expansion of innovation.

On a typical episode of the community broadband bits podcast, you’ll hear from a guest whose community may be in the process of deploying a publicly owned fiber network, or an elected official who has championed a broadband-friendly policy for their city or town.Cognitive views of learning sometimes we talk to local business leaders or cooperative board members who’ve led their communities toward better connectivity. For the first time ever, we have a comedian on the show this week — ron placone.Cognitive views of learning what does this mean? Not that the issue of publicly owned networks is joke material, but that it’s something that people from all walks of life care about.Cognitive views of learning

Ron is host of the streaming show, “get your news on with ron,” a show driven by its audience. He has a popular youtube channel and is regularly on the jimmy door show and the young turks, often discussing municipal networks and the importance of network neutrality.Cognitive views of learning in his home town of pasadena, ron is also a broadband champion, inspiring fellow citizens to attend city council meetings and encourage elected officials to consider the possibility of a publicly owned broadband network.Cognitive views of learning christopher and ron discuss how ron’s using his ability to reach people to help spread the word about the benefits of municipal network and some of the challenges he’s faced as a citizen advocate.Cognitive views of learning

This week, marshall fibernet’s customer service and marketing manager jessica slusarski talks to christopher about the town’s investment in their community broadband network.Cognitive views of learning quiet and quaint marshall, michigan, didn’t expect to become one of the state’s communities with the best internet access, but here we are. Like many other small towns where big incumbent providers didn’t want to make infrastructure investments, most of marshall was stuck with DSL and some premises were still using dial-up connections.Cognitive views of learning their solution was clear — build a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network.

Jessica and chris discuss how the idea became a reality and what were some of the services that the city decided they wanted to include for subscribers, based on the needs of residents and businesses.Cognitive views of learning they also discuss how, even though michigan requires local communities to reach out to the private sector first, a lack of responses allowed the town to move forward.Cognitive views of learning jessica describes the favorable response from users and how subscribers are taking advantage of better internet access than they’ve ever experienced.Cognitive views of learning

I therefore lay down the following principle: that where a community--a city or county or a district--is not satisfied with the service rendered or the rates charged by the private utility, it has the undeniable basic right, as one of its functions of government, one of its functions of home rule, to set up, after a fair referendum to its voters has been had, its own governmentally owned and operated service.Cognitive views of learning

That right has been recognized in a good many of the states of the union. Its general recognition by every state will hasten the day of better service and lower rates.Cognitive views of learning it is perfectly clear to me, and to every thinking citizen, that no community which is sure that it is now being served well, and at reasonable rates by a private utility company, will seek to build or operate its own plant.Cognitive views of learning but on the other hand the very fact that a community can, by vote of the electorate, create a yardstick of its own, will, in most cases, guarantee good service and low rates to its population.Cognitive views of learning I might call the right of the people to own and operate their own utility something like this: a "birch rod" in the cupboard to be taken out and used only when the "child" gets beyond the point where a mere scolding does no good.Cognitive views of learning