 One of the biggest headaches for cable operators - and their customers - is dealing with TV stations to negotiate retransmission consent. Signals that are free to receive with an antenna cost cable operators up to $5.00 per subscriber per month to place on their systems. Cable companies - particularly small, independent operators - have almost no leverage in these negotiations. In many cases where communities are up to 100 miles from the TV broadcast towers, the only way for consumers to watch these channels is through their cable operators. And as nationwide experience with temporary blackouts has shown, customers react angrily to losing their access to NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and other broadcast networks. The result: cable operators are forced to pay what the broadcasters demand, meaning cable bills that are $15-20 higher than they would be without the broadcasters and their networks demands. An east coast-based non-profit organization called Locast is hoping to shake up that paradigm by serving as a "digital translator station" that is effectively allowed under US copyright laws. This article in the New York Times does a great job of outlining the issues involved and the Locast team's motivations for launching the service. Locast is hoping to continue expanding coverage beyond the major markets they serve now, while at the same time keeping an eye on the potential for lawsuits aimed at shutting them down.
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ColoradoKentuckyMassachussetsNebraskaNorth CarolinaTennessee Registration is now open for the 8th Annual Municipal Broadband Conference! The event is March 13 & 14, 2019 at the Holiday Inn and Suites, 4800 Merle Hay Road in Des Moines - the same location as last year. The conference is presented by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities. Again this year, Power & Tel is the Presenting Sponsor of the gathering.  The Conference is filled with educational workshop sessions and networking opportunities for communities that are operating their own broadband networks. A highlight of the conference is the Vendor Show and Reception, featuring companies that provide vital products, services, and support to broadband operators. IAMU member registration is $130.00 for the first participant and $100.00 for each additional person. The non-IAMU members fee is $180.00 for the first person, $150.00 each for additional persons. Registration is online at www.iamu.org/events For a PDF of the conference flyer, CLICK HERE. The topics for the workshop sessions will be determined over the next few weeks. Customer Service Roadshow By popular demand, this year's broadband conference includes a day-long customer service training! Pivot Group, a nationally-acclaimed training and marketing company, will lead the Customer Service Boot Camp on March 13th from 9am to 5pm. The Boot Camp will include the following topics:
Participation in the Customer Service Roadshow is open to any broadband provider, municipal or otherwise. The cost for the Customer Service Road Show is just $50 in addition to registration in the Broadband Conference! Register Today!Register online at www.iamu.org/events. If you are an IAMU member you will need to login with your credentials to receive member pricing. If you have an issue with your member credentials, contact Josh Trout at IAMU, [email protected].
New HampshireInfrastructure innovation: A new idea for a partnership could bring better broadband to Chesterfield North CarolinaTennesseeVermontVirginiaThe Fiber Broadband Association is offering a certification for fiber network operators to use as a tool to promote their networks and the communities they serve.  To be eligible for All-Fiber Certification, network operators must be a member of the Fiber Broadband Association and must have marketed fiber networks to 90% or more of customers, delivered either through PON or Active Ethernet, and exhibited a high-level strategic commitment to all-fiber deployment. If a network operator member has not marketed 90%, but has marketed to at least 70% of customers, they are eligible for a Fiber Certification. Membership in the Fiber Broadband Association is a prerequisite to receiving the certification. For more information about the certification and membership, CLICK HERE.
In what seems almost like an annual rite of passage, a bill has been introduced in the Iowa Legislature to sell the Iowa Communications Network (ICN). Senate File 8, introduced by Senator Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale) is similar to one passed several years ago. Eventually, then Governor Terry Branstad rejected the bids submitted by Iowa Network Services (now Aureon) because he didn't feel the bids adequately reflected the value of the network to Iowans. The ICN has been a political football ever since its establishment and construction in the 1990's. The desire by some lawmakers to dispose of the state-owned network was reinforced a year ago when former executive director Rick Lumbard was accused of misusing $380,000 worth of taxpayer dollars over a period of 3 years.
 Citizens of Traverse City, MI will be improving their broadband services over the next couple of years, thanks to a new FTTH networking being built for Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P). This week, the TCL&P Board approved a plan to build the network with Fujitsu to design, build, and implement the network. Fujitsu's first step will be to develop engineering and design plans, a detailed business plan, an operational plan, and a networking architecture plan for phase one.
For more on Traverse City's plans, CLICK HERE to read an article on "The Traverse Ticker", an online publication that covers news around the northwest Michigan community.  Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds advocated for an additional $20 million in state funding for improving broadband in rural areas during her "Condition of the State" address on January 15, 2019. Last year the Iowa Legislature appropriated $1.3 million to provide grants for rural broadband improvements. Reynolds would like to legislature to commit an additional $20 million for the upcoming fiscal year. "It’s no secret, we need to keep our rural communities connected if we hope to keep our young people or attract others to Iowa. Over a century ago, a town’s proximity to the railroad was key; over the last 100 years, our focus has been on highways and interstates. And, by the way, it’s that focus that finally gave us a completed four-lane Highway 20. While the Iowa Legislature has not taken action on Reynolds' request, there seems to be general consensus that the State of Iowa should invest more financial resources into improving broadband in areas where it is inadequate. A huge challenge remains - how to determine WHERE those investments should be made.
 Companies that provide products and solutions for municipal broadband providers can now register for an exhibit table or sponsorship for the 2019 IAMU Broadband Conference in Des Moines on March 13-14, 2019. The event returns to the Holiday Inn & Suites, 4800 Merle Hay Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322. Each year, representatives of municipal broadband providers across Iowa and the Midwest gather for two days of networking and learning. The vendor exhibit hall is always a popular feature of the event, with up to 45 exhibit tables featured. Vendors can visit the Events page at www.iamu.org to register for a table or purchase a conference exhibit. For a PDF of the vendor information flyer, CLICK HERE.
 The Iowa Heartland Chapter of the SCTE is hosting its annual Cable-Tec Games on February 27, 2019. This year the Games will be held in central Iowa, with the IAMU Office and Training Complex in Ankeny hosting the competition. The Cable-Tec Games gives telecommunications technicians an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in a variety of areas while learning best practices from trainers and networking with their fellow professionals. The event is open to SCTE members and non-members and there is no charge to attend and participate.
To register, visit the Iowa Heartland website at https://www.iowaheartlandscte.org/events--training.html.www.iowaheartlandscte.org/events--training.html |
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