Best Practices for Broadband

Best Practices of Public Interest Broadband

If you listen to the debates inside the beltway about broadband deployment, you might believe that the only parties involved are major media companies and a handful of consumer groups. And you'd be right - in Washington, DC. But in reality there are efforts going on all over the country, in fact all over the world, that aim to influence the shape and character of high-speed communications in very different ways. And you might be surprised to learn that many of these efforts are not simply focused on bottom lines and business plans. Instead, these efforts are being undertaken by individuals, community groups, nonprofits and local municipalities, and focus on the public interest benefits of the next generation Internet.

From municipal-owned broadband networks, to ad-hoc wireless access points, to community technology projects, there are grassroots efforts underway everywhere to harness the potential of high-speed communications for public purposes. These efforts are rooted in a broader vision for the Internet than the highly centralized and controlled model being espoused by major media companies. Instead, they share the spirit of community and public good that characterized the growth of the original dial-up Internet as an open communications platform supporting a diversity of content and applications.

To be sure, the news out of Washington is often dire when it comes to broadband. The FCC has made rulings that threaten to eliminate the diversity of service options that to-date has characterized the dial-up Internet, instead handing control over to a few cable and telephone media giants. Congress seems willing to follow suit, and the Bush administration continues to pay little to no attention to public interest concerns about the process. Still, the battle is not lost. While Washington is wooed by big money and empty promises, local communities are taking charge in the fight to preserve an open and nondiscriminatory high-speed Internet.

Such grassroots efforts can play a critical role in a multi-pronged resistance to big media's attempted takeover of the Internet. Yet so often the success of these projects goes unsung. Therefore, CDD offers the following collection of resources detailing just what's being done to preserve the public interest in the broadband Internet. Our hope is to provide models that can be adapted by other communities, while at the same time giving a face to the sorts of projects that may be threatened by the heavy handed strategies being deployed by large media companies.

If you have stories or links that you think should be added here, please send them to us through the Share Your Stories page.

 

Community Organizations:

At the grassroots level, groups are forming to ensure that all members of a community can benefit from emerging broadband technology. From community technology centers that provide public access points and technology classes to online communities created around social groups, these efforts are extending traditional social services to the broadband environment.

Grand Rapids Community Media Center
http://www.grcmc.org/
Local CMC dedicated to "building community through media, including facilitation of free high-speed Internet access."

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: Nonprofit Broadband Initiative
http://www.mncn.org/broadband.htm
Minnesota organization promoting development of broadband applications for nonprofit use.

Community Broadband Workforce
http://216.194.92.236/CBW/index.html
Professional services organization designed to "help communities and regions 'Bridge the Digital Divide,' and achieve economic growth and job creation benefits from the Internet Economy."


Institutional Networks:

Institutional networks, or I-nets, are community systems specifically created to connect government agencies, schools and other public entities. They are usually high speed fiber optic networks that are operated separately from commercial cable and telephone systems. Often municipalities require construction of I-nets by cable companies in local franchise agreements, though at times the community itself builds the network through public-private partnerships.

King County I-Net
http://www.metrokc.gov/dias/its/i-net/
Fiber optic network carrying data, voice and video for public facilities in King County, Washington (Seattle), including schools, government agencies, public safety agencies, courts, public health facilities.

Pittsburgh I-Net
http://www.pgh-inet.org/
Serving schools, libraries, non-profit organizations and local government agencies.

Arlington County I-Net
http://www.co.arlington.va.us/dts/e-town/Arlington%20County%20Institutional%20Network%20(INET)_files/frame.htm#slide0001.htm

Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network
http://www.gaatn.org/
Austin Texas institutional network built by a partnership of gvernment entities and universities.

  • http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~quinn/GAATN.html

    • Greater Boston Broadband Network
    http://www.bnntv.org/gbbn/
    Led by University of Mass with many partners.

  • http://www.cpcs.umb.edu/VISTA/gbbn.pdf

    • Mt Hood Area Institutional Network
    http://www.purveyor.com/pdxinet.htm
    Serving Public, Educational, and Government Users with alternative high speed digital video, voice, and data services.

    City of Tucson Institutional Network
    http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/it/transfer.html

  • http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/it/inetplan.html#exec
  • http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/it/inet2.html

    • Cable Franchise Renewals
    http://www.buskegroup.com/Outcomes_of_Recent_Cable_Franchise_Renewals__2002__v.3_.pdf


    Municipal/Public Broadband Initiatives:

    Many municipalities have found it efficient to build publicly-owned broadband networks to serve their communities. In many cases, these networks started out as control systems for local power grids, but have repurposed their excess bandwidth to offer cable television and high-speed Internet service to the public. Such municipal networks can provide much-needed competition for the major telephone and cable companies who have become infamous for their poor customer service and failure to upgrade their technology.

    iProvo
    http://www.iprovo.net/
    Municipal broadband network under construction in Provo, Utah.

  • http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jul/07032003/business/72088.asp

    • Glasgow EPB HomeLAN
    http://www.glasgow-ky.com/lan/
    Service of Glasgow, Kentucky Electric Plant Board offering cable television and high-speed Internet access to local residents.

    Canarie Inc.
    http://www.canarie.ca/
    Canadian national organization that promotes broadband network and application deployment.

    Internet2
    http://www.internet2.edu/
    Government/university/industry partnership to develop next-generation broadband network for research and eventual public use.

    Link Michigan Project
    http://www.michigan.gov/treasury/0,1607,7-121-1750_19156_24979-69316--,00.html
    Project of the Michigan Department of Treasury intended to boost broadband deployment in the state.


    Research Resources:

    While mainstream media largely focuses its attention on the broadband policy debates going on inside the beltway, there are many groups keeping track of the local efforts to promote high-speed connectivity that serves the public interest. These websites not only offer the latest news in this area, but also help local leaders share models for success.

    Community Broadband Networks
    http://communityfiber.blogspot.com/
    A blog site devoted to news about community broadband networks.

    FreeNetworks.org
    http://www.freenetworks.org/
    Listserve promoting open spectrum policy that facilitates development of wireless networking technology.

    Wi-Fi Networking News
    http://wifinetnews.com/
    Daily news digest site covering wi-fi and technical standards.

    BroadbandReports.com – Broadband Politics and Legislation Forum
    http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,6502431~root=politics~start=22~mode=flat

    Analysys
    http://www.analysys.com/default_acl.asp?Mode=article&iLeftArticle=1071&m=&n=
    Survey of state broadband inititiatives

    National Regulatory Research Institute
    http://www.nrri.ohio-state.edu/programs/telcom/broadbandquery.php
    Database of community connectivity info.

    American Public Power Association: Community Broadband
    http://www.appanet.org/legislativeregulatory/broadband/index.cfm
    Power provider assocaition providing information on public broadband infrastructure projects.


    Wi-Fi Projects:

    While cable and telephone companies resist deploying truly open and nondiscriminatory broadband networks, many people are finding a way around the traditional "last mile" bottleneck. Wireless technology allows users to access the Internet at high speeds and with the added benefit of mobility. With technology that is both readily available and inexpensive, many local groups are knitting together wireless access points into community-wide Internet service areas.

    NYCWireless
    http://www.nycwireless.net/
    Organization providing free public wireless Internet service to users in public spaces throughout the New York City metro area.

    Seattle Wireless
    http://www.seattlewireless.net/
    Nonprofit organization working to develop a free wireless broadband Community Wireless Network (CWN) in the Seattle region.

    Bay Area Wireless Users Group
    http://www.bawug.org/
    Nonprofit promoting wireless use in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, including the Bay Area Research Wireless Network.

  • http://www.svbizink.com/headlines/article.asp?aid=4825&iid=311

    • Portland Personal Telco Project
    http://www.personaltelco.net/static/
    Nonprofit organization promoting wireless community networks in Portland, Ore.

    NoCatNet
    http://nocat.net/
    Nonprofit organization working to build a community supported 802.11b wireless network in Sonoma County, CA.

    Boingo Wireless
    http://www.boingo.com/
    National broadband wireless service being offered in a variety of locations, including airports, hotels and cafes.