rural broadband

Want Rural 21st Century Broadband? Form a Co-Op or Wait Indefinitely for Someone Else to Provide It

Stevie Converse — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:08:10 -0500

Full article: Stop the Cap!
Phillip Dampier
Parts of rural Minnesota are teaching the nation a lesson or two about how to deliver rural broadband -- form a community co-op and provide it yourself, or wait forever for a commercial provider to deem it sufficiently profitable to deliver a reasonable level of service.

Markets and Morality: The Slow Life in an Online Dead Zone

Stevie Converse — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:46:02 -0400

Full article: Boston Globe
Roland Merullo
The free market is basically a good system, but the profit motive is not a moral force. The unregulated free market has no more conscience than a balance sheet. That must be imposed by government, by our collective sense of decency, for the benefit of everyone. Nowhere is that more apparent than with broadband service. The government must intervene because the market isn't serving large portions of the population, while other countries are reaching more of their citizens through government-enabled initiatives.

Media Minutes: October 21, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:31:03 -0400

A street protest outside News Corp.'s annual shareholders' meeting in Los Angeles is sending a message to Rupert Murdoch and his investors that "News Corp. Is Not Above the Law." And community members spoke eloquently at the Rural Broadband Summit about Appalachia’s need for high-speed broadband service.

Mountain Talk -- the Rural Broadband Hearing

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:51:21 -0400

Full article: Making Connections
On Oct. 12 a group gathered at Appalshop to talk about the importance of accessible, affordable high-speed Internet in Appalachian communities. Residents from across the region came to share their concerns and ideas with special guests Jonathan Adelstein, administrator of the Rural Utilities Service in the US Department of Agriculture and Mark Defalco from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The FCC and Broadband: Will Rural Areas Be Left Behind?

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:06:03 -0400

Full article: MinnPost.com
Former Sen. Byron Dorgan
The benefits broadband brings to America's rural areas are so important. Rural residents can connect to doctors and specialty physicians, purchase goods from retailers around the world, access education through courses offered in far-away schools and much more. In short, broadband service is essential for rural areas. But if the FCC gets this wrong, it could have a devastating effect on the ability of smaller and rural telephone companies to provide the most advanced telecom services to their customers.

USDA Announces $192 Million in Loans to Build Broadband Service in Rural Areas

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:44:12 -0400

Full article: USDA
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that rural telecom companies have been selected to receive nearly $192 million in loans for projects that will deliver broadband services to rural customers across eight states.

Will the FCC Stay Committed to Rural America?

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:53:12 -0400

Full article: The Hill
Byron Dorgan
Today there are new and real questions about who will be able to access advanced telecomn services in the future. Will the people who live in rural and hard-to-reach areas have the same access as other Americans? That question is going to be answered by the actions of the FCC in the coming months. Unless the FCC protects a time-honored principle called "universal service," millions of rural Americans could be left behind in this telecom revolution.

FCC Chair Pushes for High-Speed Internet Connection in Nebraska

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 19 May 2011 11:24:55 -0400

Full article: KETV Omaha
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski discussed the importance of expanding local infrastructures to accommodate a high-speed Internet connection in Nebraska. Genachowski said better Internet connection can generate millions of dollars for the economy. In Nebraska alone, 300,000 people do not have broadband Internet access.

Many Rural Areas Still Without High-Speed, Affordable Internet

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:26:31 -0400

Full article: Arkansas Democrat
Wayne Bryan
According to Arkansas Connect, 24 percent of Arkansans subscribed to high-speed Internet in the past year, and 68 percent of the state's residents have high-speed Internet in their home or workplace. While these results show progress, C. Sam Wall, president of Connect Arkansas, said the figures show that the state still has a long way to go toward full connectivity.

USDA Invites Applications for Grants to Connect Rural Communities to Broadband Service

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:20:14 -0500

Full article: MuniWireless
Esme Vos
USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein announced that USDA is accepting applications for grants to provide broadband access in rural communities currently without broadband service. Funding will be provided through the Community Connect Grant program.