About a decade ago, there was a strong push for local communities to build and operate their own broadband networks, either as a ground-based fiber network, or through a municipal WiFi network. At the time, the technology was perhaps a bit raw and expensive. That, along with objections from existing public service telecomm providers (mostly telcos and cable systems), and their success in some states in getting state law to block city-owned networks, slowed development and reduced expectations of success. And when the major initial outside players (EarthLink in WiFi and Google) dropped out, the idea of municipal nonprofit broadband faded into the background.
But apparently the idea hasn't completely disappeared. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a community advocacy group, has issued a report showing that over 100 communities around the U.S. have built their own fiber-based broadband networks. Eventually, they hope to include municipal WiFi and fiber to business networks, but for now they're concentrating on lobbying the FCC and various state legislatures to stop the spread of legislation limiting the development of municipally owned networks.
Source: "Community advocate: Muni-broadband networks top 100," Connected Planet
Also: ILSR website
ILSR report, "Publicly Owned Broadband Networks: Averting the Looming Broadband Monopoly"
ILSR interactive Community Broadband Network Map
Update: Found another Broadband "map" of interest, and added it to the Net Resources section.
M-Lab's Visualization of broadband performance using M-Lab data.
This map focuses on actual performance of broadband networks, and uses a visualization process in conjunction with Google maps and data.
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