[Advisors] Fwd: Recently in Community Networks... Week of 12/4
James Van Leeuwen
jvl at ventus.ca
Wed, 5 Dec 2012 08:00:34 -0700
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This is my favourite newsletter and website.
Perhaps TC should consider some kind of alliance, and focus on becoming =
Canada's experts on mapping and promoting the economic and social =
benefits of community broadband.=20
The primary focus for advocacy needs to be our community/municipal =
sector... not senior government.=20
JvL
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Christopher Mitchell <christopher@newrules.org>
> Subject: Recently in Community Networks... Week of 12/4
> Date: 5 December, 2012 7:45:26 AM MST
> To: communitynetworks-weekly@ilsr.org
> Reply-To: communitynetworks-weekly+owners@ilsr.org
>=20
> Recent Stories from MuniNetworks.org - a project of the Institute for =
Local Self-Reliance). Instructions for unsubscribing appear at bottom. =
Send feedback. Forward Widely.
>=20
> New Fact Sheet: Community Broadband and Public Savings
>=20
> Thu, November 29, 2012 | Posted by lgonzalez
>=20
> We have already published a fact sheet on the critical role community =
broadband plays in job development. Now, ILSR presents a collection of =
how commnity owned broadband networks save money for local government, =
schools, and libraries while providing cutting edge services. The Public =
Savings Fact Sheet is now available.
>=20
> Though schools, libraries, and other community anchors need access to =
faster, more reliable networks, the big cable and telephone companies =
have priced those services so high that they are breaking the budget. =
But when communities create their own connections, affordable high =
capacity connections are only one of the benefits. A community owned =
network offers the promise of self-determination -- of upgrades on the =
community's time table and increased reliability for emergency =
responders.
>=20
> The Public Savings Fact Sheet is a great piece to share to mobilize =
other members of your community. Share it with decision makers and use =
it to start meaningful conversations.Distribute it widely and often.
>=20
> ... Get the Fact Sheet Here!! ...
>=20
>=20
> Community Broadband Bits 23 - Harold Feld from Public Knowledge
>=20
> Tue, November 27, 2012 | Posted by christopher
>=20
> One hundred years after Teddy Roosevelt and AT&T agreed to the =
Kingsbury Commitment, Harold Feld joins us on Community Broadband Bits =
podcast to explain what the Kingsbury Commitment was and why it matters. =
In short, AT&T wants to change the way telecommunications networks are =
regulated and Harold is one of our best allies on this subject.
>=20
> AT&T is leaning on the FCC and passing laws in state after state that =
deregulate telecommunications. Whether we want to deal with it or not, =
these policies are being discussed and consumer protections thus far =
have taken a beating. This interview is the first of many that will help =
us to make sense of how things are changing and what we can do about it.
>=20
> We also discuss the ways in which the Federal Communications =
Commission and Federal Trade Commission spurred investment in =
next-generation networks by blocking the AT&T-T-Mobile Merger on =
anti-trust grounds.
>=20
> ... Listen to Our Discussion Here ...
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Fibrant Network Gains Subscribers Despite Technical Difficulties
> Wed, November 28, 2012 | Posted by lgonzalez
>=20
> As we emphasize time and time again, communities build their own =
networks because they have to, not because they want to. North =
Carolina's Fibrant network in Salisbury is no exception and a recent =
technical headache is a reminder that no network is built without =
problems developing.
>=20
> Fortunately, Salisbury's strong reputation for providing great, local =
customer service is helping as it deals with service interruptions that =
are the fault of the gear that runs the network.=20
>=20
> According to an Emily Ford article in the Salisbury Post, there have =
been several outages this month. While some outages are attributed to =
unreliable access gear, the city is still investigating to determine =
what other factors continue to cause problems. The network currently =
serves 2,160 subscribers, with 220 of them being commercial customers.
>=20
> ... Get More Information Here ...
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Welcome to The Gigabit Club, BTES!
> Thu, November 29, 2012 | Posted by lgonzalez
>=20
> Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES) announced November 19th =
that it now has the capability to offer 1 Gbps service. While the BTES =
rates do not reflect a standard cost for the service yet, 1 Gbps is =
offered as an option to businesses and households.
>=20
> =46rom the BTES press release:
>=20
> "Bristol now has one of the fastest, totally built out networks in the =
United States. To give an example of how fast, you can download about =
two hours of video or upwards of 200 songs in just six seconds," said =
Dr. Michael Browder, CEO of BTES. "For our residential customers, that =
means one person in the household can download a movie, while another is =
playing an online game, while another is watching an HDTV program =96 =
all without slowing down any of the activities. For our business =
customers, it opens the way for transporting and accessing 'big data', =
which is critical for economic development of the area."
>=20
> ... Learn More About This Network Here ...
>=20
>=20
> We Can't Shop Our Way to a Better Economy
> Tue, November 27, 2012 | Posted by christopher
> Our colleague at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Stacy Mitchell =
(too brilliant to be a relation of mine), recently gave an incredible =
presentation that focuses on some of the threats to our economy and how =
we can build stronger, more resilient communities.
>=20
> She doesn't discuss broadband explicitly, but much of her critique of =
the largest corporations in banking and the food system applies to the =
big cable and telephone companies. Highly recommended.
>=20
> ... Watch Our Video Here ...
>=20
>=20
> Why Wi-Fi Performance Varies Greatly
> Sat, December 01, 2012 | Posted by lgonzalez
>=20
> Why can Wi-Fi be so great in some places but so awful in others? =
(Ahem... Hotels.) Time to stop imagining Wi-Fi as magic and instead =
think of it just as a means of taking one connection and sharing it =
among many people without wires.
>=20
> If you take a ho-hum connection and share it with 10 people, it =
becomes a bad connection. On the other hand, if you take a great =
connection and share it with those same 10 people, they will be very =
happy surfers. As Benoit Felten recently told us, the best wireless =
networks have been built in cities with the best wired infrastructure.
>=20
> Wi-Fi still has hiccups but they are well worth it for convenience, =
mobility, and ubiquity. In a recent GigaOm article, Stacey Higgenbotham =
detailed additional reasons that not all Wi-fi is created equal.
>=20
> ... Learn More About Wi-Fi Here ...
>=20
>=20
>=20
> --=20
> You can always find our most recent stories and other resources at =
http://MuniNetworks.org
> ---=20
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google =
Groups "Community Networks Weekly Updates" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to =
communitynetworks-weekly+unsubscribe@ilsr.org.
> For more options, visit =
https://groups.google.com/a/ilsr.org/groups/opt_out.
> =20
> =20
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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dwindows-1252"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">This =
is my favourite newsletter and website.<div><br></div><div>Perhaps TC =
should consider some kind of alliance, and focus on becoming Canada's =
experts on mapping and promoting the economic and social benefits of =
community broadband. </div><div><br></div><div>The primary focus =
for advocacy needs to be our community/municipal sector... not senior =
government. </div><div><br><div>JvL</div><div><br></div><div><br></di=
v><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">Christopher =
Mitchell <<a =
href=3D"mailto:christopher@newrules.org">christopher@newrules.org</a>><=
br></span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, =
1.0);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium;"><b>Recently in Community Networks... Week of =
12/4</b><br></span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, =
1.0);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium;">5 December, 2012 7:45:26 AM MST<br></span></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>To: </b></span><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><a =
href=3D"mailto:communitynetworks-weekly@ilsr.org">communitynetworks-weekly=
@ilsr.org</a><br></span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, =
1.0);"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium;"><a =
href=3D"mailto:communitynetworks-weekly+owners@ilsr.org">communitynetworks=
-weekly+owners@ilsr.org</a><br></span></div><br><div =
style=3D"color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;b=
ackground-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><i>Recent Stories from <a =
href=3D"http://MuniNetworks.org">MuniNetworks.org</a> - a project of =
the </i><i>Institute for Local Self-Reliance). Instructions for =
unsubscribing appear at bottom. Send feedback. Forward =
Widely.</i></div>
<div><br></div><div><h2 class=3D"title" =
style=3D"line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px =
0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;background-color:rgb(255,255,255=
)"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/new-fact-sheet-community-broadband=
-and-public-savings" =
style=3D"color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:initial">New Fact Sheet: =
Community Broadband and Public Savings</a></h2>
<div class=3D"meta" =
style=3D"color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:14px;font-style:italic;margin-botto=
m:10px;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu =
Sans',sans-serif;line-height:18px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span=
class=3D"submitted" style=3D"font-size:0.9em">Thu, November 29, 2012 | =
Posted by <a href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" =
title=3D"View user profile." =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">lgonzalez</a></span=
></div>
<div class=3D"content" style=3D"font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu =
Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18px;background-color:rgb(255,=
255,255)"><div class=3D"field field-type-filefield field-field-image" =
style=3D"float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px">
<div class=3D"field-items"><div class=3D"field-item odd"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/new-fact-sheet-community-broadband=
-and-public-savings" class=3D"imagecache imagecache-teaser =
imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial"><img =
src=3D"http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache=
/teaser/fact-sheet-public-savings.png" alt=3D"" title=3D"" =
class=3D"imagecache imagecache-teaser" width=3D"125" height=3D"116" =
style=3D"border: 0px;"></a></div>
</div></div><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">We have already <a =
href=3D"http://www.ilsr.org/community-broadband-and-economic-development-f=
act-sheet-2/" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">published a fact =
sheet</a> on the critical role community broadband plays in job =
development. Now, ILSR presents a collection of how commnity owned =
broadband networks save money for local government, schools, and =
libraries while providing cutting edge services. The <a =
href=3D"http://www.ilsr.org/ilsr-releases-new-public-savings-fact-sheet/" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">Public Savings =
Fact Sheet</a> is now available.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em =
0px">Though schools, libraries, and other community anchors need access =
to faster, more reliable networks, the big cable and telephone companies =
have priced those services so high that they are breaking the budget. =
But when communities create their own connections, affordable high =
capacity connections are only one of the benefits. A community owned =
network offers the promise of self-determination -- of upgrades on the =
community's time table and increased reliability for emergency =
responders.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">The Public Savings Fact Sheet =
is a great piece to share to mobilize other members of your =
community.<strong> Share it with decision makers</strong> and =
use it to start meaningful =
conversations.<strong>Distribute </strong>it widely and =
often.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px"><a =
href=3D"http://www.ilsr.org/ilsr-releases-new-public-savings-fact-sheet/">=
... Get the Fact Sheet Here!! =
...</a></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><h2 class=3D"title" =
style=3D"line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px =
0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;background-color:rgb(255,255,255=
)">
<a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-23-harold=
-feld-public-knowledge" =
style=3D"color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:initial">Community =
Broadband Bits 23 - Harold Feld from Public Knowledge</a></h2>
<div class=3D"meta" =
style=3D"color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:14px;font-style:italic;margin-botto=
m:10px;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu =
Sans',sans-serif;line-height:18px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span=
class=3D"submitted" style=3D"font-size:0.9em">Tue, November 27, 2012 | =
Posted by <a href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher" =
title=3D"View user profile." =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">christopher</a></sp=
an></div>
<div class=3D"content" style=3D"font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,'DejaVu =
Sans',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18px;background-color:rgb(255,=
255,255)"><div class=3D"field field-type-filefield field-field-image" =
style=3D"float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px">
<div class=3D"field-items"><div class=3D"field-item odd"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-23-harold=
-feld-public-knowledge" class=3D"imagecache imagecache-teaser =
imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial"><img =
src=3D"http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache=
/teaser/logo-community-bb_0.png" alt=3D"" title=3D"" class=3D"imagecache =
imagecache-teaser" width=3D"125" height=3D"119" style=3D"border: =
0px;"></a></div>
</div></div><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">One hundred years after Teddy =
Roosevelt and AT&T agreed to the Kingsbury Commitment, Harold Feld =
joins us on Community Broadband Bits podcast to explain what the =
Kingsbury Commitment was and why it matters. In short, AT&T wants to =
change the way telecommunications networks are regulated and Harold is =
one of our best allies on this subject.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em =
0px">AT&T is leaning on the FCC and passing laws in state after =
state that deregulate telecommunications. Whether we want to deal with =
it or not, these policies are being discussed and consumer protections =
thus far have taken a beating. This interview is the first of many that =
will help us to make sense of how things are changing and what we can do =
about it.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">We also discuss the ways in =
which the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission =
spurred investment in next-generation networks by blocking the =
AT&T-T-Mobile Merger on anti-trust grounds.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em =
0px"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-23-harold=
-feld-public-knowledge">... Listen to Our Discussion Here ...</a></p><p =
style=3D"margin:1em 0px"><br></p><h2 class=3D"title" =
style=3D"line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px =
0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif">
<a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/fibrant-network-gains-subscribers-=
despite-technical-difficulties" =
style=3D"color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:initial">Fibrant Network =
Gains Subscribers Despite Technical Difficulties</a></h2>
<div class=3D"meta" =
style=3D"color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px"><span =
class=3D"submitted" style=3D"font-size:0.9em">Wed, November 28, 2012 | =
Posted by <a href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" =
title=3D"View user profile." =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">lgonzalez</a></span=
></div>
<div class=3D"content"><div class=3D"field field-type-filefield =
field-field-image" style=3D"float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div =
class=3D"field-items"><div class=3D"field-item odd"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/fibrant-network-gains-subscribers-=
despite-technical-difficulties" class=3D"imagecache imagecache-teaser =
imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial"><img =
src=3D"http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache=
/teaser/logo-fibrant.png" alt=3D"" title=3D"" class=3D"imagecache =
imagecache-teaser" width=3D"125" height=3D"71" style=3D"border: =
0px;"></a></div>
</div></div><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">As we emphasize time and time =
again, communities build their own networks because they have to, not =
because they want to. North Carolina's <a =
href=3D"http://www.fibrant.com/" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">Fibrant</a> ne=
twork in Salisbury is no exception and a recent technical headache is a =
reminder that no network is built without problems developing.</p><p =
style=3D"margin:1em 0px">Fortunately, Salisbury's strong reputation for =
providing great, local customer service is helping as it deals with =
service interruptions that are the fault of the gear that runs the =
network. </p><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">According to <a =
href=3D"http://www.salisburypost.com/News/111912-Fibrant-growing-pains" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">an Emily Ford =
article</a> in the Salisbury Post, there have been several outages =
this month. While some outages are attributed to unreliable access gear, =
the city is still investigating to determine what other factors continue =
to cause problems. The network currently serves 2,160 subscribers, with =
220 of them being commercial customers.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em =
0px"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/fibrant-network-gains-subscribers-=
despite-technical-difficulties">... Get More Information Here =
...</a><br><br></p><div style=3D"margin: 1em 0px; "><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><h2 class=3D"title" =
style=3D"line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px =
0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif">
<a href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/welcome-gigabit-club-btes" =
style=3D"color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:initial">Welcome to The =
Gigabit Club, BTES!</a></h2><div class=3D"meta" =
style=3D"color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px">
<span class=3D"submitted" style=3D"font-size:0.9em">Thu, November 29, =
2012 | Posted by <a href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" =
title=3D"View user profile." =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">lgonzalez</a></span=
></div>
<div class=3D"content"><div class=3D"field field-type-filefield =
field-field-image" style=3D"float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div =
class=3D"field-items"><div class=3D"field-item odd"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/welcome-gigabit-club-btes" =
class=3D"imagecache imagecache-teaser imagecache-linked =
imagecache-teaser_linked" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial"><img =
src=3D"http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache=
/teaser/logo-bristol-tn.jpg" alt=3D"" title=3D"" class=3D"imagecache =
imagecache-teaser" width=3D"125" height=3D"52" style=3D"border: =
0px;"></a></div>
</div></div><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px"><a href=3D"http://www.btes.net/" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">Bristol Tennessee =
Essential Services</a> (BTES) announced November 19th that it now =
has the capability to offer 1 <a class=3D"glossary-term" =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term14" =
style=3D"text-decoration:initial;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-sty=
le:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)"><cite =
title=3D"Gigabits per second - or one billion bits per second. 8 Gbps =
means that 8 billion bits are transferred each second. Using an 8 Gbps =
connection, it would take 1 second to transfer a 1 GB (Gigabyte) file - =
a compressed 90 min movie, for instance. 1 Kbps (Kilobits)<1 Mbps =
(Megabits)<1 Gbps">Gbps</cite></a> service. While the BTES rates =
do not reflect a standard cost for the service yet, 1 Gbps is offered as =
an option to businesses and households.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em =
0px">=46rom the <a =
href=3D"http://www.btes.net/index.php/for-quick-links-menu/news/" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">BTES press =
release</a>:</p><blockquote style=3D"margin:1em =
2em;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.5em;font-style:itali=
c"><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">"Bristol now has one of the fastest, =
totally built out networks in the United States. To give an example of =
how fast, you can <a class=3D"glossary-term" =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term8" =
style=3D"text-decoration:initial;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-sty=
le:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)"><cite =
title=3D"Internet connections have two components - a downstream and =
upstream. Downstream refers to the rate at which the user's computer =
can receive data from the Internet.">download</cite></a> about two =
hours of video or upwards of 200 songs in just six seconds," said Dr. =
Michael Browder, CEO of BTES. "For our residential customers, that means =
one person in the household can download a movie, while another is =
playing an online game, while another is watching an HDTV program =96 =
all without slowing down any of the activities. For our business =
customers, it opens the way for transporting and accessing 'big data', =
which is critical for economic development of the area."</p>
</blockquote><span =
style=3D"color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.5em"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/welcome-gigabit-club-btes">... =
Learn More About This Network Here ...</a><br><br></span></div><div><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
</div><h2 class=3D"title" style=3D"line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px =
0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/we-cant-shop-our-way-better-econom=
y" style=3D"color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:initial">We Can't Shop =
Our Way to a Better Economy</a></h2>
<div class=3D"meta" =
style=3D"color:rgb(85,85,85);font-size:1em;font-style:italic;margin-bottom=
:10px"><span class=3D"submitted" style=3D"font-size:0.9em">Tue, November =
27, 2012 | Posted by <a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/users/christopher" title=3D"View user =
profile." =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">christopher</a></sp=
an></div>
<div class=3D"content"><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">Our colleague at the =
Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Stacy Mitchell (too brilliant to be a =
relation of mine), recently gave an incredible presentation that focuses =
on some of the threats to our economy and how we can build stronger, =
more resilient communities.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">She doesn't =
discuss broadband explicitly, but much of her critique of the largest =
corporations in banking and the food system applies to the big cable and =
telephone companies. Highly recommended.</p>
<div><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/we-cant-shop-our-way-better-econom=
y">... Watch Our Video Here =
...</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><h2 class=3D"title" =
style=3D"line-height:1.3em;margin:0px 0px =
0.5em;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif">
<a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/why-wi-fi-performance-varies-great=
ly" style=3D"color:rgb(51,51,51);text-decoration:initial">Why Wi-Fi =
Performance Varies Greatly</a></h2><div class=3D"meta" =
style=3D"color:rgb(85,85,85);font-style:italic;margin-bottom:10px">
<span class=3D"submitted" style=3D"font-size:0.9em">Sat, December 01, =
2012 | Posted by <a href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/users/lgonzalez" =
title=3D"View user profile." =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">lgonzalez</a></span=
></div>
<div class=3D"content"><div class=3D"field field-type-filefield =
field-field-image" style=3D"float:left;margin:0px 10px 1em 0px"><div =
class=3D"field-items"><div class=3D"field-item odd"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/why-wi-fi-performance-varies-great=
ly" class=3D"imagecache imagecache-teaser imagecache-linked =
imagecache-teaser_linked" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial"><img =
src=3D"http://muninetworks.org/sites/www.muninetworks.org/files/imagecache=
/teaser/wireless_orange.jpg" alt=3D"" title=3D"" class=3D"imagecache =
imagecache-teaser" width=3D"110" height=3D"125" style=3D"border: =
0px;"></a></div>
</div></div><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">Why can <a =
class=3D"glossary-term" href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/glossary/1#term29"=
=
style=3D"text-decoration:initial;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-sty=
le:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,136,0);color:rgb(121,80,37)"><cite =
title=3D"This is a suite of protocols that allow wireless devices to =
exchange information using unlicensed frequencies. Equipment carrying =
the Wi-Fi brand is interoperable. Recently, a number of cities and some =
private companies attempted to blanket their cities with Wi-Fi but the =
technology is not well suited to such large scale efforts. Wi-Fi has =
proved tremendously successful in homes and businesses on small =
cities.">Wi-Fi</cite></a> be so great in some places but so awful =
in others? (Ahem... Hotels.) Time to stop imagining Wi-Fi as magic and =
instead think of it just as a means of taking one connection and sharing =
it among many people without wires.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px">If =
you take a ho-hum connection and share it with 10 people, it becomes a =
bad connection. On the other hand, if you take a great connection and =
share it with those same 10 people, they will be very happy surfers. =
As <a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-21-benoit=
-felten-stokab" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">Benoit Felten =
recently told us</a>, the best wireless networks have been built in =
cities with the best wired infrastructure.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em =
0px">Wi-Fi still has hiccups but they are well worth it for convenience, =
mobility, and ubiquity. In a recent GigaOm article, Stacey =
Higgenbotham detailed additional reasons that <a =
href=3D"http://gigaom.com/2012/10/26/wi-fis-annoying-little-secret-not-all=
-wi-fi-is-created-equal/" =
style=3D"color:rgb(121,80,37);text-decoration:initial">not all Wi-fi is =
created equal</a>.</p><p style=3D"margin:1em 0px"><a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/content/why-wi-fi-performance-varies-great=
ly">... Learn More About Wi-Fi Here ...</a></p></div></div><div =
class=3D"field field-type-emvideo field-field-video" =
style=3D"margin-bottom:1em">
</div></div><div><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></div><div><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
-- <br>
You can always find our most recent stories and other resources at <a =
href=3D"http://muninetworks.org/">http://MuniNetworks.org</a><br>
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