Stake your Claim to Affordable Broadband

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A turf battle is brewing over on how American's will get to choose their broadband access, as homegrown efforts to provide citizens with affordable and fast internet are drawing heavy fire from a powerful telecom lobby seeking to eliminate all competition and control prices in the lucrative market for providers. Now they've bought their way into influential Washington think tanks and State Houses in an effort to push through new legislation that squashes all local efforts to provide broadband users with an cheaper alternative.

The Cato Institute is expected soon to release a report attacking municipal wireless. Cato, receives money from Verizon Communications, Time Warner, Inc, SBC Communications, Comcast Corporation and Freedom Communications -- all companies seeking to put a stake through the heart of homegrown broadband systems.

Here's what you can do to help.

Media for Democracy members are mobilizing now in partnership with several public advocacy groups in support of community internet projects. Please take a moment to learn more by visiting the following Media for Democracy coalition partners and signing on to their community internet campaigns. Here are five things to do today:
Learn more about Community Internet at Free Press <http://freepress.net/communityinternet/> and join their Action Center <http://www.freepress.net/action/> to participate in future advocacy on this issue.

Read the Consumers Union's guide to getting involved to protect affordable access to broadband.

Stay on top of the community wireless movement by visiting MuniWireless.com and subscribing to their weekly newsletter.

See a community wireless network in action. Sascha Meinrath helped build the Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network (CUWiN) <http://www.cuwireless.net/> using the same "WiFi" equipment available off-the-shelf for homes and offices, but he and his colleagues put it on rooftops to connect neighbors over several square miles.

Find out more about others who are building municipal wireless networks in your neighborhood.

Thanks for standing up for a better media.