Category Archives: Uncategorized

We have great news!  Based on conversations with Arlington County Board members this summer, the Board and County Manager decided this fall to use leftover ARPA funds​ to increase the amount of funding for the broadband study​ (that was initially included in the 2022 budget) by $150,000​ [pdf – p. 10], bringing the total allotment to $200,000. The scope and goals of the study have likewise been refined toContinue reading “County Board adds 150K to Study + Civic Federation Panel”

On Monday, October 4, 2021 we had an amazing panel discussion on the benefits of community broadband. As the Arlington County Board takes tentative steps toward exploring the creation of a public option for broadband for all its residents, we thought it would benefit our Arlington friends and neighbors to hear how other communities areContinue reading “Benefits of Community Broadband Panel Discussion (10/4/2021)”

As we noted in our last post, County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti allocated $50K of the 2022 County Budget to study the feasibility of creating a broadband authority to provide internet service to low-income residents here in Arlington. After having met with several Board members after the fact, we learned that the agreed goalContinue reading “Proposal on broadband feasibility study”

After almost a year of tireless advocacy, ArlFiber has finally netted a tangible win in its campaign for community broadband for Arlington. Yesterday (Tuesday, April 20), the Arlington County Board passed their budget for 2022, which includes $50,000 for a feasibility study on forming a broadband authority: The backstory to this achievement is that membersContinue reading “County Board Allocates Money for Feasibility Study in 2022 Budget”

The Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association (VCTA) is one of the staunchest opponents of public broadband in the state. They are a top donor to politicians like Kathy Byron, who famously tried to kill broadband authorities in the state with her 2017 Virginia Broadband Deployment Act. Moreover, in 2020, members of ArlFiber got to witness VCTA’sContinue reading “FOIA Gem: Helpful Advice from VA Cable Lobby”

Two of our esteemed members of ArlFiber published a great op-ed in ArlNow’s Progressive Voice column this week. Check it out:

TLDR Version (Update below): State Senator Jennifer Boysko has introduced a bill (SB 1225) in the 2021 session of the Virginia General Assembly that will establish new rules for local schools on partnering with an internet service provider to connect households with disadvantaged students. These rules would exclude public broadband providers by virtue of onlyContinue reading “Amend SB 1225”

In December, ArlFiber cosponsored a panel discussion on saving small business during the pandemic, and arranged for Christopher Mitchell, director of Community Networks project at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, to speak on the topic of broadband, small business, and economic development. See his presentation at 1:23:12:

Back in November, George Mason University held a panel discussion on the digital divide that featured Aneesh Chopra, an Arlington resident who will be Chief Technology Officer for the incoming Biden administration. During his remarks, Chopra advised the assembled public servants, including Arlington County Board member and now Vice Chair Katie Cristol, to consider formingContinue reading “Chief Technology Officer for Biden Administration: Form a Broadband Authority”

At its Recessed Meeting last night, the Arlington County Board may have taken a tiny step forward toward community broadband. Background: Before we dive into that, though, first some background. ArlFiber has been advocating for and exploring the implementation of community broadband in Arlington and Virginia for about the last year and half. While weContinue reading “A small step toward community broadband for Arlington?”