Re-defining Broadband in Maine What’s your opinion?

By Tracy Scheckel of OTELCO If you’re reading this post, you are an Internet consumer, or you may be an entrepreneur who depends on the internet to conduct business; whatever your broadband needs are, your opinion about Internet speed may help shape the future of broadband in Maine. What Defines Broadband? When cable companies began to […]

Community Broadband Sticker Shock? Try a Different Approach

By Trevor Jones, OTELO (www.otelo.com) Community Broadband Sticker Shock recently hit Cambridge City Hall. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons user Daderot) Recently, I worked with a City Councilor in Cambridge, Massachusetts to try and help the Council overcome a severe case of community broadband sticker shock.  It seems that the town had hired a consultant who had submitted a […]

Should Congress Act on Anti-Municipal Broadband Legislation?

By Trevor Jones, OTELCO This week Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) signed on to cosponsor H.R 4814, a bill that would prohibit states from passing laws impeding the construction of municipal broadband networks (anti-municipal broadband laws). Such laws currently exist in 20 states, and can make it significantly harder, if not impossible, for local governments to make […]

The Net Neutrality Seesaw is Tilting the Other Way

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is in the news again over Net Neutrality.  What now? By Trevor Jones, OTT Communications What’s the history of Net Neutrality? FCC Chairman Ajit Pai favors removal of net neutrality regulations. During the Obama Presidency in 2015, under the chairmanship of Thomas Wheeler, the FCC established under Title II of […]

Creating a Broadband Policy without Doughnut Holes

By Trevor Jones, OTT Communications People are working to get broadband access to rural areas in companies like OTT Communications and at town halls, state houses and Federal agencies across the country.  The latter two groups are focused on two different vehicles for promoting broadband.  First, they set policies to promote broadband expansion and the […]

Broadband in Maine: A Compelling Case Study of Its Benefits

By Tracy Scheckel, OTT Communications Dirigo:  Broadband in Maine, We SHOULD lead Last week we discussed a couple of the many bills regarding broadband in Maine that are floating around the Legislature.  We also hosted “Breakfast and Broadband” in Augusta with a dozen or so legislators joining us. Our presentation focused on OTT’s company history, […]

Regional Broadband Approaches: Achieving Scale with Community Networks

By Trevor Jones, OTT Communications More and more, communities are considering the possibility of building publicly-owned broadband infrastructure.  In the process, some are finding that regional broadband approaches offer economies of scale and other benefits. It can be difficult for multiple communities to work together while competing for resources and economic opportunity, but a handful of […]

What We Can Expect: Federal Support for Rural Broadband Deployment

By Trevor Jones  – OTT Communications As discussion continues about Rural Broadband Deployment in New England and Nationwide, it’s useful to keep up with opportunities that exist to fund expansion from existing revenue sources.  Recently, an effort has been underway to realign support mechanisms that have to date been employed to support rural landline telephone service, deploying […]

The Discussion Continues: Rural Broadband in Maine

Post By Trevor Jones, OTT Communications    This Monday, we attended a forum entitled “Bringing Broadband to Maine’s Rural Communities: Insights for Maine from National Success Stories” in Hallowell, Maine.  The event was sponsored by the Maine Broadband Coalition, CEI and Island Institute and featured regional and national speakers who outlined a variety of regional and national approaches […]

Broadband is now officially a utility!

Post by Fletcher Kittredge Earlier last month, there was a Federal Appeals Court ruling that has a significant impact on the way the internet is regulated in the US. The court said the internet may be treated as a “telecommunications service” – as a public utility, rather than as a lightly regulated competitive “information service”. […]