I have to give a quick nod to Minnesota’s own Christopher Mitchell for his Op-Ed in Ars Technica today. Chris is a researcher for the Institute for Local Self Reliance. He knows the field of municipal fiber networks, especially in the US, better than anyone I can name.

He unabashedly supports municipal networks, which obviously fits in well with the mission of the Institute for Local Self Reliance and he can back up his support with research and facts. Here is a quote from his editorial:

We need FDR to remind us that we are discussing the basic right of a community to invest in its future. Communities must not be held hostage by an absentee company that knows it can overcharge and under-invest without consequence.

His article includes a map of the United States showing which states that have enacted barriers to community networks. He also tells the story of Lafayette, Louisiana and our own Monticello to make his point that a community needs to be able to invest in its future.