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No Shareholders, Just Service: Sherwood, Oregon’s Community Broadband Success - Episode 634 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris speaks with Mayor Tim Rosener and IT Director Brad Crawford of Sherwood, Oregon, about the city’s journey in building a community-owned broadband network. 

They discuss Sherwood's unique approach to expanding fiber access, how they’ve leveraged Urban Renewal funding to support the network’s growth, and their commitment to keeping service affordable for residents. 

The conversation highlights the importance of local control, the economic benefits of broadband investment, and Sherwood’s expansion into surrounding rural areas. 

Tune in to hear how Sherwood is proving that community broadband can be both cost-effective and high quality, all while prioritizing local service and support.

This show is 22 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Trump FCC Begins Dismantling Agency Civil Rights Reforms

FCC building
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After decades of redlining and broadband “digital discrimination” by the nation’s biggest telecom monopolies, the FCC finally began taking aim at the problem in 2023. Now the entirety of those efforts are poised to be dismantled, courtesy of the Trump administration’s broad, controversial frontal assault on discrimination reforms and civil rights.

The 2021 infrastructure bill set aside $42.5 billion to expand broadband into all unserved parts of the United States.

But it also tasked the FCC with crafting new rules taking aim at “digital discrimination.” On November 15th of 2023 the agency obliged, passing rules banning ISPs from broadband discrimination based on income, race, or religion.

Civil rights and digital equity activists were split on the potential impact of the rules, but they did agree on one thing: it was historic for federal policymakers to finally admit that telecom monopoly deployments had unfairly excluded many low income and minority neighborhoods from affordable, next-generation broadband access.

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Save the Date: Next B4DE Marks Pivotal Time In ‘Charting the Course’ Forward

Building for Digital Equity
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With uncertainty swirling around the future of BEAD and Digital Equity Act programs in the wake of an Executive Order by the Trump administration freezing federal funding and loan programs, the next Building for Digital Equity (#B4DE) live stream is shaping up to be perhaps the most monumental one to date.

“Charting the Course: Adapting to Policy Shifts While Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize” promises to bring hundreds of digital inclusion practitioners together for the increasingly popular virtual gathering that aims to offer insights and ground-truth on how communities continue to their work in closing the digital divide at a time when the programs established to do so have been tossed into disarray.

Registration is now open here.

Vintage photo compass, hourglass and map on wooden desk

Slated for March 13 from 3 to 4:15 pm ET, the upcoming live stream will once again be co-hosted by ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and sponsored by UTOPIA Fiber.

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Championing Community Broadband in Montana with Representative Kelly Kortum - Episode 633 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris sits down with Representative Kelly Kortum of Montana to discuss his efforts to repeal a law that restricts municipal broadband networks in the state. Drawing on his personal experience growing up in a small Montana town with limited Internet access, Representative Kortum shares how his passion for technology has shaped his advocacy for better broadband for rural communities.  

The conversation explores Montana’s existing barriers to broadband expansion, including outdated legislation favoring incumbent cable companies and the impact of federal funding programs like ARPA and BEAD. Representative Kortum highlights the critical role cooperatives and nonprofits, like Yellowstone Fiber in Bozeman, play in bridging the digital divide. Together, they emphasize the importance of local control in infrastructure development and the broader implications of equitable broadband access for innovation and economic growth.  

Tune in to learn how one legislator is working tirelessly to empower small towns across Montana with faster, affordable Internet and to challenge corporate control of connectivity.

This show is 17 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Predictions for 2025: CBN Edition - Episode 632 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris and the CBN team share their insights and bold predictions for the broadband landscape in 2025. Topics include the distribution of BEAD funds, the growing role of satellite providers like Starlink and Project Kuiper, state-level preemption laws, and the future of affordability programs.

The discussion tackles key challenges such as consolidation among telecom giants, the impact of tariffs on broadband affordability, and the urgent need for smarter investments in connectivity infrastructure. The team also highlights state-level progress, like in repealing state preemption laws, and anticipates the Federal Communications Commission's actions amidst a shifting political landscape.

Join us as we explore the opportunities and obstacles shaping digital opportunity and offer forward-thinking strategies for building resilient broadband ecosystems.

This show is 42 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Monopoly ISPs vs. the States | Episode 106 of the Connect This! Show

Connect This! Show
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Catch the latest episode of the Connect This! Show, with co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) joined by regular guests Kim McKinley (TAK Broadband) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and special guests Sascha Meinrath (X-Lab) and Robert Boyle (Planet Networks) to talk about all the recent broadband news that's fit to print. On tap:

Join us live on January 24th at 2pm ET, or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.

Join for the next show on February 7th at 2pm ET.

Email us at broadband@communitynets.org with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

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Wadsworth, Ohio Converting City-Owned Broadband Network From Coaxial To Fiber

Parade marshal lighting torch from back of bucket truck to kick off the Blue Tip Parade in Wadsworth Ohio
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Wadsworth, Ohio officials say they’re making steady progress on the expansion of a city-owned broadband network that’s extending affordable fiber connectivity to the city’s nearly 25,000 residents.

Originally a coaxial-based network, the city now says it’s in the process of delivering Wi-Fi to many city residents while they go block-by-block removing older coaxial cable and upgrading residents to more future-proof fiber optic connectivity.

All told, city officials say they currently have around 5,800 existing subscribers that will ultimately be upgraded to fiber.

Wadsworth Citylink logo

Wadsworth, Ohio first launched its hybrid fiber-coaxial CityLink network back in 1997, and has been offering broadband, television, and phone access to the community ever since.

In 2020 ILSR spoke with Wadsworth IT Manager Steve Lange in Episode 438 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast.

Affordable, Popular Alternatives To Monopoly Power

The network, unlike many similar deployments, is separate from the city’s municipal electric department. Wadsworth Assistant Service Director Mike Testa recently told the Medina County Gazette that the city has completed around 400 fiber installations so far, including a recently updated area along Weatherstone Drive where 120 homes were connected.

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Sherwood, Oregon Ferments ‘Future-Proof’ Fiber To Preserve and Expand Municipal Network

Sherwood Broadband sign on side of street
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In the City of Sherwood, a mostly residential bedroom community 16 miles south of Portland, officials have been quietly cultivating a digital vineyard across Oregon’s “Gateway to Wine Country.”

As part of its on-going work to build out a citywide fiber network, Sherwood Broadband recently secured a $9 million grant from the Oregon Broadband Office Broadband Deployment Program (BDP) to continue expanding Sherwood’s municipally-owned network into neighboring rural communities just outside city limits.

The grant award is part of $132 million in federal Rescue Plan funds the state is doling out to an array of community-owned broadband initiatives for 16 projects across 17 counties.

Award winners include Beacon Broadband, a subsidiary of the Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative ($19.4 million); Jefferson County ($19.2 million); Douglas Fast Net, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Douglas Electric Cooperative ($8.5 million); the Idaho-based member-owned cooperative Farmers Mutual Telephone Company, which offers broadband service in Malheur County, OR ($18.9 million); and a handful of independent providers like Blue Mountain Networks ($6.5 million) and Ziply Fiber ($10.2 million), recently acquired by Bell Canada.

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2025 Predictions with Blair Levin - Episode 631 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris speaks again with Blair Levin, former Director of the National Broadband Plan and current Equity Analyst at New Street Research. Together, they dive into the major issues shaping the year ahead for broadband and telecommunications.  

Levin shares insights on the evolving landscape of network ownership, media regulations, and market dynamics, while addressing pressing topics like the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program and its impact on affordability. The discussion also touches on the BEAD program, fixed and wireless broadband competition, and the influence of geopolitical and economic policies on deployment efforts.  

Levin critiques the Federal Communications Commission's priorities under Brendan Carr's leadership, predicts significant shifts in media ownership and content distribution, and examines the role of satellite Internet and emerging technologies. This forward-looking conversation also highlights the importance of reliable data and competitive intensity in shaping the broadband future.  

Tune in for an engaging discussion filled with expert predictions, political analysis, and reflections on the broader implications of broadband policy decisions.

This show is 45 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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New Ideas in Competition Policy

VPA report
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A new report out from Vanderbilt University's Policy Accelerator re-emphasizes some of the important steps federal government agencies could take to make sure that upcoming Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding is used as efficiently and equitably as possible. 

New Ideas in Competition Policy covers ground beyond the broadband space - including agriculture, commerce, energy, and more - but authors Ramsay Eyre and Ganesh Sitaraman hit again some of the important and well-trod ground. Among them, they argue that:

  1. NTIA should remove the letter of credit (LOC) requirement for participating in BEAD entirely, as it is a barrier for new and smaller entrants.
  2. NTIA should consider all Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) areas as eligible for BEAD funding, given the number and level of defaulting the program as seen.
  3. NTIA should effect a rulemaking that takes a strong stance against state municipal preemption laws, either by refusing final proposals from those states or issue a rule preempting these laws itself.

The Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator conducts research and writes about markets of all different shapes around the United States. 

Read New Ideas in Competition Policy.

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