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KY: Connect Kentucky Disconnected At Home

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:48:12 -0400

Connect Kentucky Disconnected At Home
By Art Brodsky on April 14, 2008 - 5:11pm

While Connected Nation is expanding around the country, it hit a big snag at home.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) Monday let the world know what his administration thinks of the controversial Connect Kentucky program. He vetoed $2.4 million in funds for the organization, which was founded under his predecessor, Republican Ernie Fletcher. Background on the program is here.

TN: Tennessee Franchising Bill Aims To Extend Broadband Services

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:18:10 -0400

from: MultiChannel News

Tennessee Franchising Bill Aims To Extend Broadband Services
Local Governments Could Also Subsidize Deployment If Private Sector Passes
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 4/11/2008 1:10:00 PM

Legislators in Tennessee have been presented a new version of a state franchising bill with a unique scheme to provide an incentive to new providers to extend broadband services.

Hopes for Wireless Cities Are Fading

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:58:47 -0400

from: NY Times

March 22, 2008
Hopes for Wireless Cities Are Fading
By IAN URBINA

PHILADELPHIA — It was hailed as Internet for the masses when Philadelphia officials announced plans in 2005 to erect the largest municipal Wi-Fi grid in the country, stretching wireless access over 135 square miles with the hope of bringing free or low-cost service to all residents, especially the poor.

TN: Connect Tennessee and the Battle over State Franchising

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:01:19 -0500

from: Bitch Slappin'

Connect Tennessee and the Battle over State Franchising

There’s another AT&T sponsored Cable Franchising Bill in Tennessee, this one being pushed by the Telecom Astroturf group “Connected Tennessee“. It’s not the only Tennessee Cable Franchise bill, but it is the one getting the most press and attention, probably because of the dough that’s being slung around, and now that telecom money is being handed out to Democrats, much to the chagrin of the Repuglycans, who seem to be running on a budget these days.

TN: Connected TN Backers A Front for AT$T? (Part 2)

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:23:04 -0500

from: Cup of Joe

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Connected TN Backers A Front for AT&T? (Part 2)

I have a couple of updates to add on my post from last week regarding the creation of state and national programs focusing on expanding internet access which also seems to work not only as a PR machine for AT&T but as a lobbying agency as well. A flurry of activity has been taking place and rapid changes are ahead.

TN: Connected Tennessee Backers A Front for AT$T?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:21:18 -0500

from: Cup of Joe

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Connected Tennessee Backers A Front for AT&T?

A recent examination of a program to expand internet access, which began in Kentucky and then moved into Tennessee and now goes under the name Connected Nation raises some concerns that the entire project is basically a PR machine for AT&T.

TN: Telecoms compete EPB set to challenge Comcast for local customers

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:24:34 -0500

from: Times Free Press

Telecoms compete EPB set to challenge Comcast for local customers

By: Jason Reynolds
TimesFreePress Audio

In the past, Comcast only offered cable programming and EPB just sold electricity.

Now, Comcast offers telephone and Internet service as well, and EPB is poised to offer the complete package of video, telephone and Internet service.

Connected Nation's $134 Billion Fish Tale?

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:18:45 -0500

from: Broadband Reports

Connected Nation's $134 Billion Fish Tale?
Editorial: Lets make sure we adopt the RIGHT national broadband policy....
12:00PM Friday Feb 22 2008 by Karl

Last month Public Knowledge penned a piece that suggested that Connected Nation, a group supposedly created to push a national broadband policy, was actually now essentially a baby bell lobbying effort. The allegation was that what started as a real, local Kentucky effort to map U.S. broadband penetration, has ultimately been hijacked by baby bell lobbyists, and now exists primarily as a way to protect those companies' interests under the guise of a national broadband deployment model. If true, it's absolutely ingenious in a robustly amoral way.

Maryland Broadband Bills Should Send Connect Kentucky Home

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:18:57 -0500

from: Public Knowlegde

Maryland Broadband Bills Should Send Connect Kentucky Home

From Public Knowledge, February 19, 2008
By Art Brodsky

Over the next couple of weeks, the Maryland General Assembly will consider a modest step in helping to further the spread of high-speed Internet services in the state. It could be a positive step, or a harmful misstep.

More than Rhetoric Needed to Close Broadband Gap

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:06:27 -0500

from: Benton Foundation

More than Rhetoric Needed to Close Broadband Gap

Bush Administration's Disputed Claims that High-Speed Internet Access is Universal and Affordable

In 2004, during a campaign appearance in Albuquerque, New Mexico, President Bush set an ambitious and laudable goal, he said, "We ought to have universal affordable access for broadband technology by the year 2007."

VT: Rural Towns Bundling a Blueprint for Broadband

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:30:30 -0500

Note: Despite many common misconceptions, Vermont actually is a state in the USA. Given the Vermont's headway and success in municipal broadband projects, other states would do well to take a closer look.

from: Burlington Free Press

Rural Towns Bundling a Blueprint for Broadband

ConnectKentucky should get lump of coal

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:28:17 -0500

Note: An older post, but worth revisiting given the recent interest in ConnectKy.

from: The Red, Blue and Green

Friday, December 21, 2007
ConnectKentucky should get lump of coal

This is a subject I first addressed a few weeks ago but it continues to deserve our attention. The background is that this organization, whose members are generally the big, rich, telephone companies and privately owned cable companies, ConnectKentucky, is hanging around our state legislature looking to siphon off our tax revenues for their own selfish purposes. They have been quite successful at this in the past. During the last couple of legislative sessions they have already been successful in getting millions of our tax dollars by claiming that they have a magic potion that results in more broadband facilities being built for the people of Kentucky.

ConnectKentucky Wants Your Tax Dollars

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:25:49 -0500

Note: An older post, but worth revisiting given the recent interest in ConnectKy.

from: The Red, Blue and Green

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
ConnectKentucky Wants Your Tax Dollars

This is sort of a "rerun" post. I first commented on this topic back in August when I was first experimenting with the creation of this site. However, now it is on the front burner again because ConnectKentucky is trying to ram a piece of legislation through the next session of the Kentucky Legislature aimed at further enriching some of its members.

Connect Kentucky Article Raises Bell Lobby Specter

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:32:37 -0500

from: DrewClark.com

Connect Kentucky Article Raises Bell Lobby Specter
January 17th, 2008 By Drew Clark

Art Brodsky’s 4,789-word article about Connect Kentucky and its offspring Connected Nation has been the talk of telecom circles over the past week.

Municipal WiFi Provider Forces Local Monopoly to Offer Free Broadband Service

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:52:19 -0500

from: Lawerncian.com

Municipal WiFi Provider Forces Local Monopoly to Offer Free Broadband Service

Written by Matt Del Vecchio
Jan 11, 2008 at 09:32 AM

In an environment where troubled municipal Wi-Fi projects are showing up on front pages around the nation, a municipal Wi-Fi project in Lawrence, Kansas is using Wi-Fi to give one of the nation’s most dominant media companies a run for its money.