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Who is Community Broadband Networks?
Community Broadband Networks is an initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance that researches, documents, and advocates for locally owned broadband infrastructure models, including municipal, cooperative, and public-private networks, for use by communities and institutions.
- Research and analysis on community-owned broadband network models and policies
- Case studies and mapping of municipal, cooperative, and open-access broadband deployments
- Policy guidance and resources for local governments and public institutions considering broadband projects
- Educational media, including articles, reports, and podcasts, on broadband infrastructure and digital equity
- Supportive materials for communities engaging with ISPs, utilities, and regional partners on broadband planning
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More About Community Broadband Networks
Community Broadband Networks focuses on broadband infrastructure developed and governed at the local level, including municipal fiber networks, rural cooperatives, regional authorities, and other public or community-aligned ownership structures. Its content and resources are used by enterprise and institutional stakeholders such as city and county IT departments, public utility districts, higher education institutions, hospital systems, and school districts that require reliable, scalable connectivity for internal operations and public service delivery.
The organization’s work addresses architectural models across fiber-to-the-premises deployments, hybrid fiber-coaxial systems, fixed wireless networks, and open-access network designs in which a publicly controlled wholesale network supports multiple retail Internet Service Providers (ISP). It documents common technical approaches such as Passive Optical Network (PON) architectures, backbone and middle-mile fiber routes, last-mile access strategies, and integration with regional Internet Exchange Points (IXP). These materials help technical teams understand how locally owned networks can interoperate with existing enterprise Wide Area Network (WAN), Virtual Private Network (VPN), and security architectures.
Through reports, mapping resources, and data-driven case studies, Community Broadband Networks catalogs how public entities and cooperatives structure governance, financing, and operations of broadband networks. This includes coverage of utility-based broadband models, joint ventures with private ISPs, and consortia that connect schools, libraries, public safety agencies, and government offices. For enterprise architects and CIOs in the public sector, this information supports planning for resilient connectivity, network redundancy, service-level expectations, and long-term upgrade paths.
The initiative also produces educational content on broadband policy and regulation, including issues such as state-level restrictions on municipal networks, federal broadband funding programs, and digital inclusion strategies. While it does not function as a network operator or equipment vendor, its work aligns with marketplace categories such as broadband infrastructure planning, community and municipal networking, broadband policy advisory content, and digital equity program design. Technical and business stakeholders use the organization’s outputs as reference material when evaluating public fiber projects, negotiating with ISPs, designing regional middle-mile networks, or assessing open-access and wholesale-only models for institutional connectivity.
In directories and taxonomies, Community Broadband Networks fits within solution areas related to broadband infrastructure research, municipal and cooperative networking, and public-sector connectivity strategy. Its focus on real-world deployments, documented case studies, and policy context provides enterprise and institutional teams with structured information about technical configurations, ownership models, and governance frameworks that align broadband networks with local service requirements and long-range infrastructure planning.
Our description of Community Broadband Networks. Updated December 2025.
