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Community Broadband Networks

@communitynets.bsky.social
506 followers 102 following 360 posts

Internet access touches almost every aspect of our daily lives. At CommunityNetworks.org, we have assembled the nation's largest storehouse of information on communities building publicly-owned networks directly accountable to the communities they serve.

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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 3h
Lots of detail in this discussion! Legal references if you dig them, but plenty of context even if you don't!
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Reposted by Community Broadband Networks
Broadband Breakfast @broadbandbreakfast.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Join Christopher Mitchell, Director of the @communitynets.bsky.social at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (@ilsr.bsky.social), on Wednesday, September 30 at 12 p.m. ET. Watch and join the conversation: broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-br...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Is national broadband data actually reliable, or are we just taking ISP claims on faith? @sportshotchris.bsky.social and @seangon.bsky.social unpack flawed FCC reports, cover major BEAD dropouts, Starlink tree canopy problems, and the questionable math of DOGE on this weeks Unbuffered podcast 🎙️
youtu.be
Tree Canopies, Broken Data, and DOGE Math - Episode 26 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Los Alamos is splitting the broadband monopoly atom Big Telecom wouldn't deliver so the county decided to build its own open access fiber network to create choice and deliver affordable fiber Internet connectivity to all county residents Love to see local self-reliance in action Our story here ⬇️
communitynetworks.org
Los Alamos Prepares To Light Up Open Access Fiber Network | Welcome to Community Networks
Los Alamos County, New Mexico is inching closer to the launch of its “Atomic Fiber” county-wide open access fiber network, which aims to dramatically improve affordable Internet access to the county’s...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
🎙️On this week's Unbuffered podcast @sportshotchris.bsky.social and @dougdawsonccg.bsky.social break down: New Ookla fixed wireless data Critique the FCC’s flawed mapping challenges Examine the final BEAD funding numbers And tackle the wild economics of AI
youtu.be
The FWA Reality Check and the BEAD Final Numbers - Episode 25 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
🚨Save the date: Oct. 8th for our next B4DE livestream🚨 It will feature an exploration on the volunteer army aiming to bring wireless connectivity to Seattle's tiny-home communities Also: Digital Navigators are evolving — see how and why it matters in a political era where federal funds falter
communitynetworks.org
Sustain, Empower, Evolve: Next Building for Digital Equity Marks Digital Inclusion Week, Looks at What's Actually Working | Welcome to Community Networks
As Digital Inclusion Week 2026 kicks off October 4-10, the Building for Digital Equity webinar series — co-hosted by the Institute for Local Self Reliance’s (ILSR) Community Broadband Networks Initiat...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"GAO’s recommendations seem unlikely to be taken seriously under an FCC chaired by Brendan Carr, who appears far more interested in approving mega-mergers, stripping consumer protections, and punishing late-night TV show hosts for airing content critical of the Trump administration..." 😮‍💨
communitynetworks.org
Federal Agencies Still Can't Get Their Broadband Data Straight, GAO Finds | Welcome to Community Networks
A recent Government Accountability Office report reveals what’s been obvious to broadband deployment experts for years now: the federal government’s multi-agency approach to closing the digital divide...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Can local governments build public safety infrastructure w/o sacrificing citizen privacy or handing millions to private vendors? On the latest Unbuffered pod, Former Shreveport CTO Keith Hanson joins us to break down the hidden costs of vendor-owned surveillance and the realities of municipal IT
youtu.be
Local Tech, Big Surveillance: Rethinking Municipal IT - Episode 24 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
After Trump administration changed the spending rules of the flagship federal BEAD program to favor Elon Musk's Starlink satellite service, reality is starting to dawn that satellite Internet company is not a panacea Our story today from @karlbode.com provides an insightful look at the latest
communitynetworks.org
Can't See the Sky for the Trees: Obstruction Could Plague Ohio’s Planned Starlink BEAD Plan | Welcome to Community Networks
Researchers say they’re concerned that a massive influx of new federal grant money being redirected to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite broadband company in Ohio will be thwarted by the simple fact that...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Surveillance backlash is bipartisan On the latest Unbuffered podcast, reporter Daniel Boguslaw talks to host @sportshotchris.bsky.social about why the fight against Flock is just the tip of the iceberg in a bigger reckoning over surveillance 👀 Full episode at link below: youtu.be/6e-m8zeR7i0?...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
FCC broadband data is notoriously messy — so ILSR is launching the Broadband Data and Policy Forum, a free community for researchers, analysts & policy wonks to compare notes & troubleshoot Join our first virtual meeting on Sept 9 at 3pm ET More info here ⬇️ communitynetworks.org/content/ilsr...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
ICYMI Unbuffered podcast host @sportshotchris.bsky.social sits down with independent reporter Daniel Boguslaw to unpack the Flock Safety debate Besides exploring how the technology works, they discuss how everyday citizens are fighting back against this private dragnet for mass surveillance
youtu.be
Flock Off! - Episode 23 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
🎙️You're not gonna wanna miss the latest episode of Unbuffered 🎙️ Host @sportshotchris.bsky.social speaks w/indie reporter Daniel Boguslaw about Flock cameras They get into how private surveillance data is increasingly bought and repackaged AND the growing grassroots resistance to mass surveillance
youtu.be
Flock Off! - Episode 23 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Fiber connectivity isn't just about the most common reasons for getting online It's also about resiliency in the face of natural disasters New Mexico-based Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative is stepping up #CommunityNetworks Our story at link below ⬇️ communitynetworks.org/content/pena...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
🎉Municipal broadband for the win - in East Longmeadow, MA🎉 "Every time a bill is paid, that money will stay in East Longmeadow rather than outflow to a corporate entity. We are taking care of our own infrastructure and not relying on an outside entity to take care of that.” Our story here ⬇️💻🌐
communitynetworks.org
East Longmeadow Approves $43.5 Million for Municipal Fiber Network | Welcome to Community Networks
Three months after town meeting voters in Longmeadow, Massachusetts rejected a $8.6 million proposal to kickstart the construction of a municipal fiber network, Town Councilors in the neighboring town...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
⌛The countdown to our next Building for Digital Equity livestream is at t-minus 1 hour⌛ Not too late to grab a virtual seat! Click the link to register sites.google.com/ilsr.org/b4d...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
⚡Attn Digital Equity Advocates⚡ Consider this your invitation to tomorrow's Building for Digital Equity livestream at 3pm ET Registration link here ⬇️ sites.google.com/ilsr.org/b4d...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Mayor Mamdani isn't the only one in NYC trying to serve the people NYC Mesh's all-volunteer ISP is doing big things in the Big Apple Check out the story @karlbode.com wrote for us today on NYC Mesh expanding deeper into Brooklyn
communitynetworks.org
With State Backing, NYC Mesh's Volunteer-Run Mesh Network Pushes Into Central Brooklyn | Welcome to Community Networks
Officials for the volunteer-run nonprofit NYC Mesh have been been awarded a new $898,000 grant from New York State’s ConnectALL initiative that should help the project expand affordable wireless Inter...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🎉Community network ownership for the win 🎉 Oregon’s Coos-Curry Electric Co-op and its subsidiary Beacon Broadband completes the biggest fiber expansion project in the cooperative’s history Imagine getting symmetrical gig fiber service for just $85/month! communitynetworks.org/content/coos...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
On the latest episode of Unbuffered, Lee Brown and John Fredericks join @sportshotchris.bsky.social to discuss how Erwin Fiber weathered Hurricane Helene and what the community is building back stronger
youtu.be
Built for the Storm - Episode 21 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
For years, Cleveland was labeled as one of the worst-connected cities in the nation despite the presence of AT&T and Charter Spectrum But all of that is changing, thanks to the nonprofit DigitalC, offering high-speed Internet citywide for just $18/month Local community organizing is where its at 👊
communitynetworks.org
DigitalC Beats 2025 Targets, Now Tests If ‘Cleveland Model’ Can Be Replicated | Welcome to Community Networks
For years, Cleveland was labeled as one of the worst-connected cities in the nation despite the presence of AT&T and Charter Spectrum. But all of that is changing, thanks to DigitalC, an innovative no...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Lots of Americans live in housing w/antiquated wiring that doesn't allow for high-speed Internet service - mostly in the northeast part of the U.S. Our latest Unbuffered podcast looks at what Massachusetts is doing w/its Retrofit Program Plus a What The Tech?! segment on space mirrors! 📶💻🪞
youtu.be
Time for a Retrofit! - Episode 20 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
In the U.S. northeast, there's a number of states with housing stock that has antiquated wiring that won't support high-speed Internet access Massachusetts is one of the few states doing something about that w/its Residential Retrofit Grant Program Our @seangon.bsky.social writes about it here ⬇️📶
communitynetworks.org
Massachusetts' Residential Retrofit Program Hits Its Stride | Welcome to Community Networks
Officials from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and Community Broadband Networks America — an independently-owned fiber Internet service provider — gathered with dozens of residents at two Southb...
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Reposted by Community Broadband Networks
Lazarus \o/ @heylazarus.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The shortlist is the argument. "Community-owned" isn't sentiment — it's a different answer to who the network is accountable to when a line goes down in a valley with forty customers on it. Scale never fixed that part. Ownership does.
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
What do surveillance, A.I., and broadband policy have in common? @sportshotchris.bsky.social and @saschameinrath.bsky.social connect the dots on our latest Unbuffered podcast
youtu.be
Technology Without Guardrails - Episode 19 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
While billions in BEAD $ is going to the big guys, the 2026 "Provider of the Year" shortlist tells a different story — 8 community-owned & independent networks proving bigger isn't always better From UTOPIA's 85,000+ subs to DigitalC in Cleveland connecting 21,000 residents, see who made the cut
communitynetworks.org
Broadband Communities Names Its 2026 Provider of the Year Shortlist — and It's Not the Usual Suspects | Welcome to Community Networks
Eight community and independently-owned networks are in the running for this year’s Broadband Provider of the Year Award. The winners will be revealed live during a special awards ceremony at the end ...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
California regulators say AT&T lied to the FCC in a bid to abandon its legal obligation to provide basic phone service to 199,000 customers — with life-or-death stakes Read @karlbode.com piece on AT&T's multi-front war on California & how it could set the standard for every state it operates in
communitynetworks.org
AT&T vs California: The Life-and-Death Battle Over Landline Service | Welcome to Community Networks
California residents are engaged in a protracted, ugly battle with telecom giant AT&T over their ability to receive life-saving communications during an emergency. The battle comes as the telecom mono...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A federal judge has ruled that Digital Equity Act grant programs can resume — a win for the NDIA-led lawsuit, though the court struck the Act's race-based language as unconstitutional Read ILSR's Community Broadband Networks Director @sportshotchris.bsky.social full statement here ⬇️
ilsr.org
Digital Equity Grant Program Reinstatement Is a Victory
"Digital equity work does not cost the federal government money," says broadband expert Christopher Mitchell.
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Rural electric co-ops gathered in DC for their 5th annual Broadband Leadership Summit The mood was far from celebratory, as NTIA's controversial changes to BEAD continue to frustrate the very providers doing the hard work of connecting rural America Our story here ⬇️
communitynetworks.org
Rural Cooperatives Frustrated With NTIA BEAD Changes | Welcome to Community Networks
Earlier this month rural electric and broadband cooperatives gathered in Washington, DC, for their fifth-annual Broadband Leadership Summit. The topic du jour was broadly unpopular changes made by the...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Spectrum access isn't just a policy footnote for Tribal Nations. It's the foundation of digital self-determination. The FCC's proposed changes to the Tribal Licensing Window could put that at risk @sportshotchris.bsky.social & @matthewrantanen.bsky.social break it down on the latest Unbuffered
youtu.be
Protecting Tribal Access to Spectrum - Episode 17 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
In this ep of Unbuffered, Chris and Douglas Dawson break down the NDIA's lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Digital Equity Act. They also dig into new survey data on how rural Americans actually use the Internet, and what it says about bandwidth, AI, and the future of connectivity
youtu.be
Too Easy to Reach Orbit? - Episode 16 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
⚡In 30 minutes, at high join us and @aapbroadband.bsky.social for another not-your-typical webinar: "Control + Shift + ALTernative: Building Community-Owned Fiber" We're diving into two real-world community fiber projects to tease out the practical lessons that other communities can learn⚡
youtube.com
Control + Shift + ALTernative: Building Community-Owned Fiber
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
In the latest Unbuffered pod, @sportshotchris.bsky.social @seangon.bsky.social and @karlbode.com say happy 250th birthday to the U.S., noting its anti-monopoly founding ideals They also dive into Sean and Karl's recent article for The Verge and unpack this week's Congressional hearings on BEAD
youtu.be
The Plot to Hijack America’s Broadband - Episode 15 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The Vermont Community Broadband Board and the state's Communications Union Districts are on 🔥
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
In Vermont, it's not just about wires and expanding high-speed Internet for online shopping and Netflix It's about things like privacy pods, telehealth and transforming the lives on residents - all with community-owned fiber networks Our story here ⬇️ communitynetworks.org/content/beyo...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
🎉The Tribal Broadband Bootcamps is celebrating its 5th anniversary! 🎉 On the latest Unbuffered, @seangon.bsky.social interviews Unbuffered host & bootcamp co-founder @sportshotchris.bsky.social along w/bootcamp co-founder @matthewrantanen.bsky.social on the growing Tribal connectivity movement
youtu.be
Five Years of Tribal Broadband Bootcamps - Episode 14 of Unbuffered for Local Self-Reliance
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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The Verge @theverge.com · 23/06/2026
BEAD was intended to give underserved communities billions of dollars for high-quality, future-proof fiber networks. But under Trump and a group of tech moguls, Build Back Better has been transformed into “tear down quickly.” Read more from @karlbode.com and @seangon.bsky.social: buff.ly/NmgmAPS
Verge headline: Elon Musk and the plot to hijack America’s broadband
by Karl Bode and Sean Gonsalves

Photo illustration of Elon Musk's silhouette revealing a small town. An error pops up, "You are not connected to the internet"
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Today, our own @seangon.bsky.social and longtime tech writer and ILSR contributor @karlbode.com wrote about what's happened to the BEAD program in the @theverge.com "BEAD was a once-in-a-generation chance to fix the digital divide — then turned into a gift for tech moguls."
theverge.com
Elon Musk and the plot to hijack America’s broadband
“We’re fed up … The BEAD program has failed us.”
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
⚡Our updated Tribal Networks Census is here!⚡ It's comprehensive look with an interactive map of Indian Country connectivity across 202 federally recognized Tribes Since 2020, the number of Tribally-owned/operated networks has doubled! Resource here ⬇️ communitynetworks.org/content/trib...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Yet another community harnessing state grant funds to build a targeted community-owned network to enable public housing residents to get free Internet service In Fresno, they just completed bldg a mesh wireless network for 350 residents Our story here ⬇️ communitynetworks.org/content/fres...
A group of community leaders watches as public housing resident, a young woman, cutting through a red ribbon
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Longmont, Colo. is home to the best ISP in the nation. Nope, not of one of the Big Cable or Telecom companies... It's their city-owned fiber network, NextLight On this week's Unbuffered pod, @sportshotchris.bsky.social welcomes Valerie Dodd & Scott Rochat fr NextLight explore how they did it
youtu.be
How NextLight Became the #1 Internet Service Provider in the Country - Episode 12 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
FCC Chair Brendan Carr has the E-rate program in his crosshairs He's also eying "reforms" to the FCC’s broadband mapping efforts -something consumer groups say could harm our ability to map and measure which communities need reliable & affordable Internet access, or where there's a lack of choice
communitynetworks.org
FCC’s Carr Eyes Dubious ‘Reforms’ To E-Rate, Broadband Mapping | Welcome to Community Networks
Trump Federal Communication Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has announced vague potential changes to the FCC’s E-Rate program that could harm program funding, effectiveness, and the overarching goal ...
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Reposted by Community Broadband Networks
Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Hi! I'm Bret Rhett Chet, here to tell you why you should buy and hodl SpaceX stonk. For a mere $135/share, you get pro forma tangible book value of $7.85/share, an immediate 94% dilution. New investors are putting up 48% of all capital ever invested in SpaceX in exchange for 4.2% of the shares. /1
SpaceX prospectus dilution table with all those figures
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Reposted by Community Broadband Networks
Bill Callahan @cycbill.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
The Utility Reform Network (TURN) in CA says consumer groups got caught looking the other way. This is from a paywalled report at communicationsdaily.com/news/2026/06... --TURN quotes it on their site.
"Opposition Grows to California CPUC Amendment", text of Communications Daily article reproduced at https://www.turn.org/turn-newsroom.
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Why would a California Dem be trying to strip the California Public Utilities Commission of its telecom authority, just as the agency is making a real difference on broadband affordability? Well, here we are, and our own @seangon.bsky.social writes about what's at stake here in @prospect.org
prospect.org
A California Democrat Is Trying to Gut the State’s Broadband Watchdog - The American Prospect
The state’s Public Utilities Commission has been a national leader in making broadband affordable for low-income families. Assemblymember Tasha Boerner wants to end that.
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
You've likely heard about a municipally-owned grocery store in the works for New York City Now, the NYC Public Advocate's office has unveiled a resurrected & revamped Internet Master Plan from the de Blasio days, calling for a city-wide municipal broadband system in a new report Our story here ⬇️
communitynetworks.org
Rebooted: New York City's Buried Internet Master Plan Is Coming Back to Life | Welcome to Community Networks
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams – a non-voting member of the New York City Council with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation – released a detailed “Get Connected” report ca...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
In the latest Unbuffered ep, @sportshotchris.bsky.social is joined Josh Edmonds, CEO of DigitalC, for a super insightful conversation about one of the most ambitious efforts in the country to address the digital divide in Cleveland
youtu.be
DigitalC at 10,000 Subscribers - Episode 11 of Unbuffered
YouTube video by Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
You'd think every elected Dem would be championing affordability initiatives and oversight that produces tangible results around broadband affordability, right? Well, then there's this Assemblymember in Calif looking to gut the CPUC and its authority to regulate broadband as a utility Our story ⬇️
communitynetworks.org
California Assembly Member Moves to Strip CPUC Broadband Oversight, Undermine Affordability Efforts | Welcome to Community Networks
The California State Assembly recently voted 67-1 to strip telecom oversight authority away from the CPUC and shift it to a more easily-lobbied state legislature – and an as-yet-undefined state broadb...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
In the marathon to bring universal high-speed Internet service to the most rural state in the nation, Vermont is heading into the last-mile stretch of the race with the finish line in sight The state understands that building the infrastructure is only half the battle. Affordability is a must
communitynetworks.org
Vermont Closes In on Universal Broadband Access as Federal Dollars, Local Innovation, and Workforce Training Converge | Welcome to Community Networks
In the marathon to bring universal high-speed Internet service to the most rural state in the nation, Vermont is heading into the last-mile stretch of the race with the finish line in sight. While fed...
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Community Broadband Networks @communitynets.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
The annual Fiber Connect conference wraps up today An interesting data point emerged: independent ISPs, electric co-ops, and municipal networks together accounted for about 40 percent of all fiber deployment in 2025 Community-rooted operators 💪 Our story ⬇️ communitynetworks.org/content/nati...
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