Baltimore for high-speed fiber — even if it’s not Google’s

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The folks who organized Baltimore’s application for the Google Fiber for Communities project (where the city is vying with more than 1,000 other communities for a high-speed broadband project from the search giant) are moving the ball further by organizing a symposium next month on the topic of high speed broadband fiber in the city.

The thinking is that Baltimore should want to try to build out its fiber-optic broadband network for its citizens, even if Google doesn’t choose us. So how do we as a city get there? That’s what this symposium will be all about, I gather.

Here’s the link for full details — cost is $25 to attend.

Maybe I’ll see you there?

Hoyle to municipal broadband: Drop dead

Last Wednesday, state Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston, unveiled a bill that if passed, would severely restrict North Carolina municipalities attempting to build their own broadband network. Supported by the powerful telecommunications companies, the bill would interminably delay or even halt public broadband projects.

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BroadbandBreakfast.com: UTOPIA, Perfection or Fantasy: Partnering public-private sectors with broadband

Leonard Grace, Expert Opinion, BroadbandBreakfast.com

Utopia

Utopia: the definition brings about visions of an “ideal place or state”, or “a system of political and social perfection.” Thus became the name chosen for a consortium of sixteen Utah cities building their own broadband infrastructure with a fiber-to-the-premise architecture, while offering residents a clear and alternative choice to incumbent operators, including Quest and Comcast.  Is it perfection or fantasy?

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Fiber network looks to bolster local economy

It used to take Golfballs.com an hour and 31 minutes to upload one of its high-definition product demo videos for editing.

Now, it takes 2 minutes and 26 seconds.

Golfballs.com recently became one of the first businesses in Lafayette to connect to Lafayette Utilities System’s Fiber service.

LUS started rolling out its fiber network to business customers in October, and many are just beginning to discover the possibilities for economic development.

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