I haven’t written a post in a while, but reading an interesting article in Atlantic Cities today, Why Are There No Big Cities with Municipal Broadband Networks?, I was reminded of some past posts and wanted to take the opportunity to bring some thoughts together. The largest city in the United States with its ownRead… Read more »
Since 2011, federal agencies have surveyed Americans’ access to broadband on BroadbandMap.gov. In addition to visualizations on their website, you can download shapefiles for each state. When I first searched for Macon (my CfA partner city), I saw that most of the city was covered by multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs). What surprised me wereRead… Read more »
Ohio is pushing forward on a ten-fold boost to its broadband network speeds. In an event today that included Governor Kasich and researchers from Ohio State, University of Cincinnati, Summa Western Reserve Hospital and Case Western Reserve University officials outlined the state’s plan to become a world leader in medical research. Ohio is launching theRead… Read more »
An issue I’d recommend all free thinking technologists dive into is the current technological trades facing the nation over LightSquared. They are a company building a wireless network based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technologies combined with commercial satellite coverage in a way that will cover the entire united states in broadband. The goal: unleashRead… Read more »
Google is joining a coalition of companies, communities and activists encouraging Georgia state Senators to vote against a bill that would effectively limit municipal broadband in the state. The was introduced by a Republican lawmaker who claims that government networks unfairly compete with private providers. The bill SB 313 introduced by Sen. Majority Leader ChipRead… Read more »
The federal government has approved West Virginia’s plan to get their statewide broadband plan back on track. The $126.3 million project has been delayed since early this year with state officials and private sector contractors blaming everything from the Washington D.C. earthquake to the tsunami in Japan as reasons for the lack of progress. TheRead… Read more »
“Freedom of Information Summit brings journalists, open-records advocates together” The event was held in New Hampshire (in part) by the National Freedom of Information Coalition. “Real-Time Data Helps Iowa Households Lower Their Water Bills” Data = potential for cost-savings. “New GAO Report Shows the Benefits of Spending Transparency” “Often, when talking about why Recovery ActRead… Read more »
“Open government requires accessibility, not just data, specialists say” “Making important agency information easy to find online can also be a key factor in improving the agency’s public image, said General Services Administration digital government specialist Sheila Campbell.” “Open Government Philadelphia: an initiative and policy paper from Councilman Bill Green” The post has “his 10Read… Read more »
The National Broadband Map (NBM) is a searchable and interactive website that allows users to view broadband availability across every neighborhood in the United States. The NBM was created by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in collaboration with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and in partnership with 50 states, five territories and theRead… Read more »
Recently, as my firm engaged in some social and mobile campaigns targeting urban consumers (highly successful due to the large adoption rates for advanced mobile devices), I began to wonder if “access to broadband” was still a needed conversation. Between smart phones, iPads, public wifi (starbucks and others commonly offering it free), and personal mobileRead… Read more »