On the day that FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced his resignation from the Commission, the Coalition for Local Internet Choice thanks him for his unwavering support for local Internet choice and for his efforts to remove barriers that prevent rural, urban, and tribal communities from enabling new broadband deployment. As FCC Chairman, Mr. Wheeler gave voice and support to the principle that all c…
Category: Connections Blog
Blair Levin Keynote in Wilson, NC “Make America Great — with Great Broadband”
CLIC is delighted to share this guest blog posting from Blair Levin, one of the members of CLIC’s board of advisors, which is based on a speech he delivered on November 4, 2016, in Wilson, NC, for Wilson's first GigEast event: "Growing the Gigabit Ecosystem." In his keynote, Mr. Levin notes North Carolina's urban/rural broadband divide and the need for everyone to have "faster, better, cheaper b…
read moreTo Supporters of Local Internet Choice
Dear Supporters of Local Internet Choice: In the wake of the election, our friend Mark Erickson of RS Fiber in Minnesota shared with us some of his thoughts about how, even in a partisan community in a partisan time, the issue of local broadband transcends partisanship. This is exactly what CLIC has been stressing for a long time – that communities have a huge stake in obtaining affordable ac…
read moreCLIC Day: Gigi Sohn on The Future of Local Internet Choice
Yesterday in Minneapolis, CLIC awarded Gigi Sohn, Counselor to FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, the 2016 Local Internet Choice National Champion award. What follows are Ms. Sohn's keynote luncheon remarks following that award, on the topic of the Future of Local Internet Choice: Thank you, Jim and Joanne. It’s great to be here with all of you today. Just for the record, even though we’re …
read moreSenator Amy Klobuchar to Speak at CLIC Day in Minneapolis
CLIC is proud to announce that Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will be speaking at our CLIC Day event on October 18, 2016, in Minneapolis. Senator Klobuchar has been deeply involved in efforts to improve the broadband status of citizens throughout the country for years, and is well-known for her efforts to connect the rural areas of Minnesota. She is credited with facilitating the federal gove…
read moreJoin CLIC in Minneapolis Next Week
Please join us in Minneapolis next week for a day-long seminar on An Action Plan for Local Internet Choice in 2017 and Beyond. This one-of-a-kind event will bring together a broad coalition of public and private sector representatives who believe that the best interests of the United States are served when localities can work on broadband projects without artificial barriers. Our October 18 e…
read moreCLIC Announces Gigi Sohn, Counselor to FCC Chairman Wheeler, as Recipient of 2016 National Champion for Local Internet Choice Award
The Coalition for Local Internet Choice (CLIC) today announced Gigi Sohn, Counselor to FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, as the recipient of CLIC’s 2016 National Champion for Local Internet Choice award. Ms. Sohn is receiving this award for her outstanding and tireless work in multiple FCC proceedings to advance local Internet choice for the benefit of local communities, businesses, institutions,…
read moreNC Anti-Competitive Broadband Law to Disconnect Rural Pinetops from its Gigabit Internet by Halloween
Listen to this great interview by the Institute for Local Self Reliance of one of Pinetops’ Town Commissioners, Suzanne Coker-Craig, who is forced to watch her rural Gigabit town be disconnected from Wilson Greenlight internet service because of North Carolina’s anti-competitive state law (commonly known as H129). Said Coker-Craig: “This is a situation where Pinetops and other rural areas…
read moreCLIC Announces Recipients of 2016 Local Internet Choice Awards
The Coalition for Local Internet Choice (CLIC) today announced the recipients of CLIC’s 2016 Local Internet Choice Awards. CLIC established its national awards to honor individuals and organizations for their extraordinary contributions to the preservation and protection of local decision-making in critical broadband infrastructure matters. These awardees will be honored during CLIC’s lunche…
read moreWilson Greenlight Forced to Disconnect Rural Gigabit Town Due to NC Anti-Competitive Law
In what is being described as a backwards step for North Carolina, a state law commonly known as H129 (S.L. 2011-84), now will have the effect of turning off 21st century Gigabit Internet service to a small, rural town called Pinetops. Last night, members of the Wilson City Council expressed their deep regrets as they voted to approve the city attorney’s recommendation to disconnect Wilson Green…
read more