Disqus - Latest Comments for newrulesmitchell

Re: 'Garden Spot of Utah' Moves to Build Bountiful Fiber Network in Face of Dark Money Campaign

Christopher Mitchell — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 18:12:00 -0000

https://www.bountifulutah.g...

Re: IN OUR VIEW: Friday the 13th Mapping Challenge Deadline Highlights Failed Process

Christopher Mitchell — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 16:30:23 -0000

This is more definite - https://www.telecompetitor....

Re: IN OUR VIEW: Friday the 13th Mapping Challenge Deadline Highlights Failed Process

Christopher Mitchell — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 13:25:47 -0000

This is a good question. The fact that this is in doubt is an indictment by itself. The clearest place we have seen it is on page 5 of this NTIA pdf. https://broadbandusa.ntia.d...

Re: Is High-Speed Internet Access Getting More Affordable, Really?

Christopher Mitchell — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 15:55:25 -0000

Sure to all those things Rick - I am not sure what you are responding to... if prices were dropping in the face of all that, it would truly be remarkable. We talk about the price increases all the time on the Connect This! show - it can be hard to an ISP. But it isn't helpful to have ostensibly neutral groups putting out totally wrong information that US Telecom uses to claim there are no broadband problems to solve.

Re: Profiles of Monopoly: Big Telecom and Cable

Christopher Mitchell — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 22:53:32 -0000

Privatizing the network is what AT&T and Charter/Spectrum want. They know how to slow down and disrupt private sector business plans. They fear the possibility of smart local public investment because their tricks are less effective when a company isn't seeking a rapid profit. The public business model is focused on creating benefits more generally whereas private firms need to make a profit. Turning Greenlight into a co-op could split part of the difference, but would still lack capital and capacity to expand absent a change in law.

Re: Muni broadband ain’t a free lunch and taxpayers know it, Oregon study finds

Christopher Mitchell — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 22:50:16 -0000

Quite the straw man there, Steve

Re: About Us

Christopher Mitchell — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 13:45:27 -0000

Sorry, we don't publish the list.

Re: Soucheray: With new speed-limit decree from the political class, why stop at 20 mph?

Christopher Mitchell — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 20:13:17 -0000

I mostly skip over these columns but every now and then I stop by to see if they are as pointless as the title suggests. Woof. People putting up signs in their yards encouraging others to drive slower - definitely the first step (of I guess very very many) on the way to getting rid of cars.

Re: Two New Communications Districts Join Vermont’s Growing Community Broadband Efforts

Christopher Mitchell — Mon, 25 May 2020 11:31:18 -0000

We are working on a story about it but the Vermont approach seems to embrace the other CUDs that have been moving forward.

Re: Community Broadband Media Roundup - March 16

Christopher Mitchell — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:41:09 -0000

Thank you Tim, for a very patient and thorough response. Much appreciated. It is a better deal than I understood when looking at it originally.

Re: Community Broadband Media Roundup - March 16

Christopher Mitchell — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 14:38:55 -0000

Thank you for your comment Tim. There are much larger precedents in next-door Vermont, where more than 20 communities built EC Fiber. Minnesota has some 10 communities that built RS Fiber. In all of those cases, the community has direct input into the network. My limited understanding in New Hampshire is that the network is controlled by an out-of-state corporation. Please correct me and share any supporting documentation you can - I am sorry if I have made a mistake.

Communities that need good Internet access will strike the deal they want, but I think if Consolidated Communications maintains ownership of the network, that will be a problem down the line as they increase charges and otherwise make decisions that are better for their shareholders than local businesses and residents.

Re: Third Edition of Policy Brief Reveals Increasing Gains in Co-op Fiber Deployment

Christopher Mitchell — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 12:37:11 -0000

Per my colleague Katie,

There isn't an electric co-op, but South Central Communications/South
Central Utah Telephone Association is a telephone co-op that offers
service in Kanab. Here are the co-op's options - https://socen.com/residenti...

Re: Predictions for 2020, Reviewing 2019 - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 388

Christopher Mitchell — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 10:16:53 -0000

Thanks John! Always appreciate your feedback!

Re: Tombigbee Electric Power Association Sparks Public Interest in Fiber

Christopher Mitchell — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 21:02:08 -0000

You should ask the electric co-op about it. It is possible.

Re: Community Broadband Network Map

Christopher Mitchell — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 22:08:03 -0000

Unfortunately, I kinda doubt it. Comcast is so powerful, we haven't seen any momentum on community fiber there, which is what we tend to track.

Re: Is Your State Allowing the Cable Company to Rook You?

Christopher Mitchell — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 11:18:31 -0000

Cooperatives are a great way - and the way we'll see most of rural America connected, I believe. ILSR is strongly in favor of this approach and has worked to encourage it. But where co-ops are not available, we believe towns should be able to use municipal options as well.

Re: St. Thomas coach John Tauer sees big potential in Division I basketball

Christopher Mitchell — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 19:42:29 -0000

"No one saw this coming" ... uh, yeah, actually a lot of us did. But everyone else was too busy with stupid headlines about how they were kicked out for being too good at football. If you don't know anyone who saw this coming, you should work on getting better sources.

Re: Community Broadband Network Map

Christopher Mitchell — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 15:14:57 -0000

hey Mike - you gave me a start! Canon indeed ... as if I want to use a camera designed by people who apparently don't know how fingers work! I just verified that we have "partial" pins for Champaign and Urbana that have open access markers. Is UC2B now citywide? There are times when the markers don't all load correctly, so that might have been it...

Re: 5G Absurdity, Ammon Affordability, Speed Realities, and USF Caps - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 361

Christopher Mitchell — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 10:58:02 -0000

Re: Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 342

Christopher Mitchell — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 08:40:49 -0000

What company was it before?

Re: Telemedicine Today: More Than Sending X-rays - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 352

Christopher Mitchell — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 09:03:35 -0000

That is it - thanks!

Re: Considering ErieNet and Middle Mile Investment

Christopher Mitchell — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 12:29:47 -0000

Thanks Phil - always appreciate your insight. We also have concerns but believe that Empire is involved in this project. We are quite worried about those who build middle mile and think that a) someone will definitely come to offer service and b) it will result in actual competition without the public having to invest in last-mile. Finally, we are concerned that any new competition may be short lived given the push toward consolidation in this industry. So we will be watching this and learning.

Re: Community Broadband Network Map

Christopher Mitchell — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 20:36:33 -0000

Yes, we discuss the incompetence of the Taxpayer Protection Alliance and their absurd map here: https://muninetworks.org/co...
Funny facts... they put some cities in the wrong states. They claim it is a map of failed municipal networks and include projects that aren't municipal networks. They actually have a category on the map that is "failure" and there are only a few cities identified that way. They basically perceive debt as a sign of failure, which means nearly every private telecommunications company in the world has failed. In short, the map appears to a fraud perpetrated by lazy cynical people who are ripping off the Koch brothers for grant money rather than getting productive jobs.

Re: Baby Step Toward Better Broadband in Arkansas State Legislature

Christopher Mitchell — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 21:03:23 -0000

It is dependent on the grant program. I think it would be entertaining if someone created a dummy grant program that defined unserved as not having 1 Gbps and gave a $25 grant toward it, thus allowing the municipality to build a network.

Re: Community Broadband Network Map

Christopher Mitchell — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 08:38:17 -0000

Yes, HFC is now capable of delivering much more in the downstream direction and soon will be capable of 10 Gbps apparently. There is talk that it will be able to deliver symmetrical high capacity service in coming years too. However, communities would be smart not to depend solely on a cable monopoly for Internet access.