The citizens group "Campaign for DBQ Municipal Internet" presented a petition to the Dubuque City Council on April 2nd, requesting that the city fully investigate a municipal fiber network.

The petition contained over 600 signatures of Dubuque residents, frustrated by the level of service provided in the community. Mediacom is the incumbent cable provider and CenturyLink is the incumbent telephone company."

Christine Darr, one of the grassroots group organizers, says the FCC's repeal of net neutrality was a primary driver of the effort that began in late 2017. During remarks to the Dubuque City Council, Darr and others pointed out other concerns that are driving their advocacy. In particular, Campaign for DBQ Municipal Internet is urging the City to conduct a feasibility study to fully explore the benefits and costs of a network in the northeast Iowa city of around 58,000. John Swift, (right in screenshot above)a Dubuque resident and professed "internet power user", works from home.  "The internet is important for me, and 2017 was a bad year for the internet," Swift told the Council, referring to the net neutrality ruling.  "There simply isn't enough competition in Dubuque for me to just choose another internet provider that will protect my privacy and guarantee my content won't be throttled."

Dubuque City Manager Mike Van Milligan says city staff will conduct additional research in order to provide information to the City Council before their budget planning session this summer.

The City of Decorah has selected Uptown Services of Boulder, Colorado to conduct a feasibility study for a possible fiber-to-the-home project in the northeast Iowa community.

The study, which has a completion date of July 31, 2017, will give Decorah leaders direction on whether or not a community fiber broadband network in Decorah would be feasible, including a cost estimate and business case. Voters in Decorah approved a municipal telecommunications utility in November 2015 and the city has been taking steps to move toward a feasibility study since the election.