 CBAN is proud to welcome a new Associate Member, VETRO, to our growing network.
VETRO is a software company delivering internet infrastructure intelligence™ through a unique Broadband Intelligence Platform for ISPs, states and local communities under the flagship product VETRO FiberMap. The product suite provides comprehensive program support through a combination of data visualization and project analytics with an integrated fiber network operations software solution and platform environment that enables “end to end” network project analysis, planning, design and management. “It is a pivotal time for broadband infrastructure, especially given the current investments and funding now available,” says Brian Mefford, VETRO Vice President of Broadband Strategy. “Our Broadband Intelligence Platform is purpose-built to facilitate community broadband project planning and implementation.” Based in Portland, Maine, the VETRO platform is now in use by 42 states and over twenty countries on five continents. “Reliable high-speed internet connectivity is essential,” states Mefford. “We are excited to help communities and providers accelerate broadband expansion with software that powers data-driven decision making to bridge the digital divide.” VETRO is proud to be a member of CBAN and invites you to learn more at vetrofibermap.com.
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Jamestown, a city of around 31,000 in southwest New York state, is beginning to evaluate options for a municipal broadband network. The first step city leaders are taking is to gauge interest in the concept through a survey while also working on a feasibility study. The community is currently served by Spectrum and Windstream. The city is considering the use of some of its allotment of funds from the American Rescue Act to build the network.
CLICK HERE to read more at the Post-Journal. CBAN's next Lunch and Learn will feature a panel discussion with representatives of three state broadband programs, discussing the ways that states are taking the lead in bringing better broadband to unserved areas. We'll be talking about the similarities and differences between the approaches taken by the states of Colorado, Iowa, and Maine when it comes to implementing state broadband programs.
We'll also be using a different platform for the June Lunch and Learn. Rather than using Zoom we'll be webcasting live to the CBAN YouTube channel and the Broadband Bytes Facebook page! You'll be able to watch the stream live and share questions or observations in the comments section of either platform. Vice President Kamala Harris announced last week that the Biden administration is allocating $1 Billion for grants to expand broadband access and adoption on tribal lands. Funds will be made available to eligible tribal entities for broadband deployment, digital inclusion programs, workforce development, distance learning, and telehealth.
CLICK HERE to read more at The Verge. The US Federal Trade Commission and several states are suing Frontier for misrepresenting internet speeds and charging customers for speed tiers that it could not deliver. In the complaint, the FTC and the states of Arizona, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin claim that Frontier capped service at speeds lower than what customers paid for. Ars Technica has a great article on the subject. CLICK HERE to read.
 We are starting to put together an agenda for the 2021 CBAN Summit, scheduled for October 19, 2021 in Johnston, Iowa (suburb of Des Moines). And to gather YOUR feedback, we're dedicating our weekly Broadband Brunch Clubhouse room to the topic. As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Clubhouse is a new audio-only social media platform that's just starting to roll out widely. CBAN has established a club called Broadband Action to serve as a forum for various topics of interest to the CBAN community. Each week (Fridays at 10:30am Central) we've been hosting a room called "Broadband Brunch" to discuss broadband topics. To this point the only way to get on Clubhouse was to get an invitation from someone already on. Well, because we have a club, we've got a link that allows you to SKIP THE WAITING LIST and get on Clubhouse in time for this week's Broadband Brunch show! CLICK HERE for the invitation to join Clubhouse (now available on both iOS and Android) and you'll be automatically directed to our Broadband Brunch. You can join the Broadband Action club and be automatically alerted to future rooms.
Sometimes you see survey results that make you scratch your head. A Morning Consult survey recently released did just that. The survey, which was touted widely by the NCTA-The Internet and Television Association (the trade group representing America's largest cable operators) 86% of respondents listed their internet service as good or excellent. And 82% were satisfied with their internet service reliability. It's unclear what methodology was used by Morning Consult to reach its conclusions, other than the fact that it represents a sample of 2,200 adults. Also, did the NTCA guide the sample selection so that the survey would make big cable look good? And, if satisfaction is so high, my are so many communities across America looking for better alternatives, including municipal broadband?
 The Clinton County, Iowa Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to conduct a county-wide study designed to identify gaps in broadband availability and facilitate new networks in those areas. Clinton County is in far eastern Iowa. Parts of the county have fiber-to-the-home coverage from local providers such as CBAN members Grand Mound Cooperative Telephone and Miles Communications and several others. Other portions of the county are covered by legacy phone companies Windstream and CenturyLink and Mediacom. County leaders have expressed interest in using a portion of the county's allocation from the American Rescue Plan for broadband infrastructure in order to facilitate the extension of broadband in areas that don't have access to service today.
 Mediacom has added an appeal to the FCC in its attempts to block the City of West Des Moines, Iowa from building a conduit network in partnership with Google Fiber. Mediacom's Iowa subsidiary filed the FCC complaint under Section 253 of the Communications Act of 1934. As cited in an article in Telecompetitor: The filing with the FCC claims that West Des Moines is imposing discriminatory burdens on competitors and denying residents in developing areas of the city and elsewhere access to low-cost broadband choices. The filing claims violation of Section 253 in three ways: The City of West Des Moines has consistently maintained that it has followed the law in its efforts to bring fiber to every home and business in the community, and that following a period of Google Fiber exclusivity, the conduit network will be available to other providers. Construction of the conduit network is underway.
It's not too late (as of this morning anyway) to sign up for the latest edition of CBAN's Lunch and Learn. At Noon Central today (Wednesday, May 12, 2021) we will be turning our focus to CBAN Provider Member Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Reedsburg Utility Services GM Brett Schuppner will discuss how RUS's LightSpeed became Wisconsin's only municipal broadband provider, how they've grown overthe years, and their plans for further expansion. CLICK HERE to register and join us today!
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Lunch & LearnJune 16, 2021
Noon Central State Broadband Grant Programs
Broadband Bytes NewsPresented by the Community Broadband Action Network and curated by Curtis Dean. Archives
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