Blog Posts

August 13, 2012    267 reads

The Syracuse Community Broadband Initiative (SCBI) has received a $15,000 grant to explore the economic viability of building a state of the art fiber optic broadband network for Syracuse. The SCBI seeks to pro¬¬vide cable, internet, and phone service to residents and businesses. The network would operate like a public utility committed to the best service at the least cost; and would operate from subscriber revenue independent of tax payer subsidies.

April 2, 2012    394 reads

this article was published in the April 2012 Peace Council Newsletter

The Syracuse Community Broadband Initiative just received a $15,000 grant to determine the viability of a non-profit, community-owned broadband network for Syracuse. The network would provide residents and institutions with cable, internet, and phone. The network would operate like a public utility with a commitment to the best service at the least cost, and rely on subscriber revenue independent of tax payer subsidies.

December 25, 2010    1,699 reads

Telecom expert Timothy Nulty, our consultant for the community broadband initiative, discusses some of his other community broadband projects past and present at the munintworks.org.

September 17, 2010    1,454 reads

Chattanooga, TN and its public utility, EPB, recently announced symmetrical 1 Gbit/s service to residential customers. This includes 170,000 customers, many spread out over a total of 600 square miles. That's a density of of only 283 customers per square mile, an expensive proposition. Syracuse has a density of 2,400 customers per square mile, much less expensive.

August 24, 2010    1,514 reads

The ProAndContracts.com blog publishes a column that examines and analyzes Contracts that affect many of us in our daily lives. They have a duesy on the Comcast Cable subscriber contract agreement. Basically, they can do whatever they want and change the terms of the agreement itself whenever they want (why would they since they already reserve all rights in dealings with their subscribers).

July 30, 2010    1,597 reads

Sascha is the Director of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative and Research Director of the Foundation's Wireless Future Program. Below are two short videos very much to the point on the reasons for creating community-owned networks, and why government should insist on greater openness and interoperability of communications products.

June 28, 2010    1,716 reads

The FCC has been holding closed-door meetings with telecom lobbyists on Internet policy. Why public interest groups were not invited is unclear. To alert the public, FreePress.org, a pro-consumer advocacy group, placed a full-page ad in the Washington Post.

June 15, 2010    1,931 reads

The network currently serves government, institutional, and business customers. It was built by the city, over time, in parallel with public works projects. As the network grew, the city canceled more and more of it's leased services and switched to the new network. There is no residential service, yet. But the city is looking for retail service providers. Who will build the last mile (FTTH)? The city or the operator?

May 29, 2010    1,841 reads

Well, actually, they have been doing it for many years. But with cell phones, the call record includes the cell tower you are using, so your whereabouts can be easily tracked by time and location (within a mile, roughly). If telcos can access your phone's GPS location, your location can be recorded precisely.