High-speed Internet access is fast becoming a basic public necessity -- just like water, gas or electricity. But far too many Americans find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide, unable to get connected or afford expensive commercial service. Community Internet is an effective way to address America's broadband problem on the local level.Soon all media -- TV, telephone, radio and the Web -- will be delivered via the Internet over a broadband connection. New wireless and wired technologies allow local governments, public-private partnerships, schools and community groups to offer faster, cheaper and more reliable Internet service.Hundreds of Community Internet and municipal broadband projects have sprouted up across the country. Community Internet 101
New Community Internet networks crop up across the country every day. This new technology is making it possible for cities and towns to improve access to information, provide education and job training, enhance public safety, and bolster local economic and technological development. Learn more about how Community Internet is transforming communications:
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Community Internet Policy
The most important factor in establishing Community Internet is not technological or economic. It's political. Decisions being made right now by Congress, at the Federal Communications Commission, and in state legislatures will shape the future of communications for a generation. In Congress, Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), along with Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.), have introduced the bipartisan "Community Broadband Act of 2007," which would ensure that local governments are not prevented from providing broadband networks to their residents and businesses. Several states have also introduced legislation on the issue. Read about the policies and pending legislation that could affect Community Internet:
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Community Internet WorksMunicipal broadband has become incredibly popular in recent years. As more and more success stories show, Community Internet is bringing high-speed Internet service to underserved areas and lowering the cost of broadband access for residents. Community broadband networks are introducing many American citizens to broadband service for the first time. From Chelan County, Wash. to Glenwood Springs, Colo. to St. Cloud, Fla., cities and towns across the country are investing in the construction and operation of wired and wireless networks to serve their communities. Find out more about unique community broadband projects around the U.S., and learn why arguments accusing Community Internet of failure are wrong:
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