Resources

We have collected a number of documents and links we hope will help the community gain a deeper understanding of the importance of municipal broadband, as well as the economics and technology of the broadband industry.

Public Broadband


Community Internet Page
Collection of articles related to municipal broadband. From Freepress.net

Media Reform Beginner's Guide
A nice introduction to media issues from Freepress.net

Municipal Broadband: Should Cities Have a Voice? 
Remarks by FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz (2005)

Burlington Telecom Case Study
An example of a recently established municipal broadband utility.

Fiber to the User As a Public Utility 
Makes the case for public broadband and fiber networks. By Tim Nulty, NATOA Journal, spring 2009.

Municipal Broadband: Demystifying Wireless and Fiber-Optic Options
Policy brief from newrules.org (March 2008).

Municipal & Utility Fiber Optics Guidebook
Examines in detail the economic and social benefits of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment by four communities; a 136 page guide to help government leaders build a strong case for investing in FTTH infrastructure.

Municipal Networks Service Comparison
A report from muninetworks.org.

Municipal broadband projects map
From CNet News.

Municipal broadband projects list
From Broadband Properties Magazine.

Municipal FTTH Deployment Snapshots
From Broadband Properties Magazine.

Politics and Law


Telco Lies and the Truth about Municipal Broadband Networks 
An overview of the legislative manipulations and the spreading of fear uncertainty and doubt (FUD) by the broadband industry regarding municipal broadband. From freepress.net (2005).

Federal Government Encourages Public Ownership of Broadband
Article from from newrules.org.

New America Foundation: Telecom and Technology
Various reports and articles.

Public Power


Public broadband can learn from public power.

American Public Power Association
APPA website, with lots of information, reports, and articles.

New Roles for Local Distribution Utilities: An Array of Broadband Services 
Describes the economic potential of combined public power and broadband services (2004).

Utility Broadband: Separating Fact From Fiction
From APPA. Very informative.

APPA Utility Broadband Factsheet 
Two page fact sheet summarizing the article above (2004).

Technology


FTTH Council Website
A website of the fiber-optic equipment industry with lots of technical information and industry news.

Fiber-to-the-Home Primer 
Contains a wealth of detailed information about Fiber-to-the-Home.

The Fiber Optic Association
A non-profit association of fiber-optic professionals.

EBS Tech Brief 
Wireless Broadband Opportunities for Local Governments in the Educational Broadband Service (EBS).

Economics of Industry


Cable Industry Economics 
A presentation by Greorge Kohl, Communications Workers of America, 2004, describing the monopoly power, high profits, hidden profits, industry ownership, etc.

Cost and Profitability Drivers for FTTH 
Short description of FTTH implementation costs (Note: prices are lower now, but the cost breakdown is useful). By Patrick Garvey, Corning Inc. (2005)

Seattle FTTH Financial Feasability Report 
A business analysis, covering all major issues and concepts of building a network, in a very readable 32 pages. Note that Seattle has 6.5 times the population, and calculations should be adjusted accordingly. Original link is here. (2007)

General


NTIA Grants Online Resources 
Links to broadband stimulus grants information.

Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)
Program description, grant application information, etc.

BroadbandUSA.gov
Apply for BTOP grants or search applications database.

www.muniwireless.com
News site focused on municipal wireless broadband.

www.muninetworks.org
A new website founded by newrules.org focused on municipal broadband issues.

www.stopthecap.com
A blog originally focused on bandwidth cap issues, but now a more general and very good broadband news site. See their Rochester, NY articles.

www.savetheinternet.com
A new website associated with freepress.org, focused on Net Neutrality information and news.

http://www.dslreports.com/
an informative news site focused on broadband issues, business, and products.

The Buske Group
A consulting firm hired by the city to help negotiate a new franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable and Verizon.