B4DE Reprise: Following the Money on Digital Equity and AI Data Centers
On Tax Day, the Institute for Local Self‑Reliance and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance hosted the Building for Digital Equity livestream to examine how public funding intersects with the rapid expansion of AI hyperscale data centers. Speakers highlighted that promised tax revenues often fall short, citing a $6 million annual return in Prince George’s County, Maryland, as a typical example. The event introduced a modular Community Benefit Agreement template to help municipalities negotiate water usage, local hiring, and long‑term investment commitments. Meanwhile, over $22 billion in BEAD broadband funds remain unallocated, prompting calls for state‑level digital equity legislation.
Pennsylvania’s Claverack Cooperative Passes 100 Mile Fiber Milestone
Pennsylvania’s Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative has completed a 100‑mile fiber‑optic rollout, bringing high‑speed broadband to roughly 1,300 previously unserved homes and businesses in Bradford and Wyoming counties. The project was financed by a $4.7 million grant from the American Rescue Plan...
Lafayette’s LFT Fiber Steadily Expands, Offers Even Faster Speeds
LFT Fiber, the community‑owned broadband provider in Lafayette, Louisiana, has expanded its network to reach roughly 95,000 households and businesses. The firm has introduced residential symmetric 2 Gbps and 5 Gbps tiers, joining its existing 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1 Gbps plans. Expansion has...
Los Alamos County Signs Partner ISPs For Open Access Fiber Network
Los Alamos County, New Mexico, has signed contracts with four partner ISPs—XMission, Anthem Broadband, Intellipop and LANet—to launch the county‑wide “Atomic Fiber” open‑access network. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2026, with initial residential connections expected by fall 2026...
Fort Bragg Fiber Deployment Sees Delays, Higher Costs
Fort Bragg, California’s municipal fiber project has encountered significant setbacks after the city dismissed its original construction‑management partner, GHD. The budget has ballooned from an initial $14.7 million to $18.9 million, driven by added fiber‑flower‑pot enclosures and street‑restoration costs. Direct city oversight...
Updated Resource: Community Networks Continue to Win Big in California's Infrastructure Grant Program
California’s Last‑Mile Federal Funding Account has awarded a total of $1.23 billion, with community networks capturing half of the $110 million granted in the latest round. The Hoopa Valley Utility Authority secured a nearly $40 million Hoopa TRAIL project to deliver gigabit service to...
Bergen County, New Jersey Quickly Expanding Municipal Fiber Footprint
Bergen County, New Jersey is rapidly expanding its municipal fiber Institutional Network (I‑Net), with recent launches in Little Ferry, Hillsdale and Lodi. The wholesale‑only network supplies fiber to municipalities, schools and libraries, allowing participating towns to cut broadband expenses by as...
Chittenden County CUD Continues Affordable Fiber Expansion In Vermont
Chittenden County Communication Union District (CCCUD) completed a fiber‑optic expansion into six rural towns—Essex Town, Essex Junction, Jericho, Shelburne, Westford, and Williston—bringing high‑speed internet to more than 1,900 homes and businesses. The project, executed with Fidium Fiber, was financed by...
Our Community Network Map Now Shows Tribal Networks Across the United States
The Institute for Local Self‑Reliance unveiled an upgraded Community Network Map that now includes Tribal broadband providers. The interactive tool identifies 82 active Tribal Internet Service Providers across the United States, displaying population size, business model, network links, and whether...