Welcome to Community Networks

Roanoke Cooperative Plans $2.4 Million Rural North Carolina Fiber Expansion

sean — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:08:35 +0000

Roanoke Cooperative Plans $2.4 Million Rural North Carolina Fiber Expansion

sean Tue Apr 21, 2026

Tue Apr 21, 2026

Roanoke Cooperative’s Fybe has been awarded $2.4 million in state funds to expand affordable access to high speed Internet to 826 locations across eight predominantly rural North Carolina counties. Fybe, the cooperative's fiber business, will receive $2.4 million through the state’s Stop-Gap Solutions program to connect 826 locations across Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Granville, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, and Northampton counties. The fiber expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Unbuffered Live! Coming Tuesday, April 28th at 2pm ET

Ry Marcattilio — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:45:48 +0000

Unbuffered Live! Coming Tuesday, April 28th at 2pm ET

Ry Marcattilio

Ry Marcattilio Fri Apr 17, 2026

Fri Apr 17, 2026

Join us for our very first episode of Unbuffered Live! at our new time, on Tuesday, April 28th at 2pm ET. Host Christopher Mitchell will be joined by guests Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting), Heather Mills (ITG) and Drew Garner (Benton Institute for Broadband and Society) to talk about the intersections of tech, Internet access, and policy.

B4DE Reprise: Following the Money on Digital Equity and AI Data Centers

sean — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:31:05 +0000

B4DE Reprise: Following the Money on Digital Equity and AI Data Centers

Sean Gonsalves

sean Thu Apr 16, 2026

Thu Apr 16, 2026

With tax day as a backdrop, the ILSR Community Broadband Networks Initiative and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance convened its quarterly Building for Digital Equity livestream yesterday that shined a light on how public dollars and tax policy intersect with digital equity. The event – an ongoing series sponsored by UTOPIA Fiber – brought together community organizers, policy experts, and local government leaders on the frontlines of working to expand opportunities for those being left in the digital dust – with a special focus on how the emergence of AI hyperscale data centers are impacting communities and how communities can fight for a better deal.

A Cap, Gown, and Connection

sean — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:10:06 +0000

A Cap, Gown, and Connection

Sean Gonsalves

sean Wed Apr 15, 2026

Wed Apr 15, 2026

A laptop and a low-cost Internet connection opened the door of opportunity for a first-generation college graduate. It wasn’t just about getting online – it was about unlocking access to everything that comes with it. When that door closes for millions, the consequences ripple far beyond a single household. It impacts who gets educational and work opportunities, and the ability to meaningfully participate in modern life.

Illinois Takes Major Steps To Improve Broadband Affordability, Cooperative Expansion

sean — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:29:01 +0000

Illinois Takes Major Steps To Improve Broadband Affordability, Cooperative Expansion

Karl Bode

sean Tue Apr 14, 2026

Tue Apr 14, 2026

The Illinois Legislature has taken several major legal steps to not only improve broadband affordability in The Prairie State, but empower local cooperatives to expand affordable, reliable fiber access to state residents. Illinois State Sen. Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet) recently introduced Senate Bill 3612, which would amend the state’s Utilities Act to require that large private telecoms in the state provide affordable, fast broadband access to low-income state residents.

Farewell - Episode 125 of the Connect This! Show

Ry Marcattilio — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:39:52 +0000

Farewell - Episode 125 of the Connect This! Show

Ry Marcattilio

Ry Marcattilio Fri Apr 10, 2026

Fri Apr 10, 2026

After five and a half years and 124 shows, we’re saying goodbye to Connect This!, where we've spent time with you, our wonderful audience, talking about building and managing networks, competition in the marketplace, creating clear and effective marketing campaigns, state and federal infrastructure grant programs, dark money campaigns, local broadband champions, affordability, digital skills, and more. Keep in touch with us via Unbuffered, our new show.

California Activates Nation’s Largest Middle-Mile Network, Connecting Tribal, Rural Areas

sean — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:28:18 +0000

California Activates Nation’s Largest Middle-Mile Network, Connecting Tribal, Rural Areas

Broadband Breakfast

sean Thu Apr 9, 2026

Thu Apr 9, 2026

On Thursday, the California Department of Technology (CDT) announced that after five years of planning, building, and promising access, the state’s $3.2 billion Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative (MMBI) is now operational. The high-speed network connected the last mile to the state’s first customer, the Bishop Paiute Tribe, a Native American community in Inyo County.

Pennsylvania’s Claverack Cooperative Passes 100 Mile Fiber Milestone

sean — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:23:10 +0000

Pennsylvania’s Claverack Cooperative Passes 100 Mile Fiber Milestone

Karl Bode

sean Wed Apr 8, 2026

Wed Apr 8, 2026

Pennsylvania’s Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) says it’s making steady inroads in expanding affordable fiber access throughout rural Bradford and Wyoming Counties. The cooperative recently passed a notable milestone: the cooperative just wrapped up a project that delivered 100 miles of new fiber-optic cable to pass roughly 1,300 previously-unserved and underserved homes and businesses in rural Bradford and Wyoming counties for the first time ever.

BEAD ‘Non-Deployment’ Fund Guidance A No Show, Creating More Delays

sean — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:15:37 +0000

BEAD ‘Non-Deployment’ Fund Guidance A No Show, Creating More Delays

Karl Bode

sean Tue Apr 7, 2026

Tue Apr 7, 2026

The Trump administration continues to give muddled guidance in terms of the whopping $21 billion in “non-deployment” funds states should have at their disposal from the “savings” created by unwelcome changes to the federal BEAD program. As part of that retooling, the Trump administration demanded that states prioritize the cheapest – but not necessarily the best, most future proof, or reliable – broadband options, a direct nod to lobbying pressure from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite providers like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink, and Jeff Bezos’ Leo (previously project Kuiper).

Lenoir City Public Utility Makes Speedy Progress On Tennessee Fiber Build

sean — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:52:51 +0000

Lenoir City Public Utility Makes Speedy Progress On Tennessee Fiber Build

Karl Bode

sean Wed Apr 1, 2026

Wed Apr 1, 2026

Lenoir City, Tennessee officials say they’re making steady progress on their goal to deliver affordable fiber well beyond the Southern city of 12,998. Under the collaborative umbrella of the Lenoir City Utilities Board (LCUB) and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), officials say they’re leveraging century-old experience in rural electrification to help bridge the digital divide across Knox and Loudon counties.