Communities should fund their own broadband networks, says new campaign

VANCOUVER – Local governments' investments in community broadband are key to delivering cheaper, faster broadband that meets the CRTC’s #TalkBroadband objectives, says a new campaign spearheaded by consumer group OpenMedia.ca.The group’s Community Broadband platform, which launched Monday, highlights various municipalities in urban and rural communities that have successfully rolled out affordable, high-speed Internet, most often through the deployment of fibre networks. According to the site, local government typically invests in a community broadband network and the Internet services are then sold by either the municipalities themselves, non-profits, small ISPs, co-operatives, public utilities, public-private partnerships, and other community organizations.Municipally-run broadband can help to close the...