Next Century Cities Monthly Newsletter
December 2019
NCC News 
Next Century Cities and the Colorado Broadband Office hosted a Lunch and Learn session on November 26. We discussed our Becoming Broadband Ready toolkit and other resources for local leaders working on broadband initiatives. Watch the webinar here .

Senior Program Manager Cat Blake wrote a series of blog posts documenting her time in Hawaii for the Indigenous Connectivity Summit. Part one details some of the resources and stories shared at the conference, and part two focuses on the two-day technical training that followed.  

Executive Director Francella Ochillo led a workshop at the New York Library Association’s annual conference on how librarians can help expand broadband access for easily forgotten communities. Francella also participated in a digital inclusion webinar hosted by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. 
Next Century Cities submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the Commission to increase minimum broadband standards and consider affordability of service when determining broadband availability. We also submitted comments in conjunction with Common Cause and Public Knowledge, which you can find here .  

Next Century Cities members met with FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks over the phone on November 25th. Our members had the opportunity to ask questions and share stories about how federal policies impact communities. It’s invaluable for policymakers to hear from local leaders that are on the front lines of developing connectivity solutions. Read the ex parte here . 
What does Next Century Cities mean to you? We’re making some changes to improve how we convey our vision and the work that we do to support communities. Help us refine our messaging by filling out this very brief survey by December 13.
NCC Connection Opportunities
Next Century Cities’ second annual Opportunities for Bipartisan Tech Policy event will take place January 23rd, 2020 , in Washington, DC. Registration is available here and agenda details will be shared next week. Click here if you’re interested in sponsorship details. 
NCC Member News
Chattanooga, Tenn. is using smart city data to understand how pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit interact in order to improve safety. ( CIO Review , The Enterprise Center ) 

Alexandria, Va. has completed their design for a municipal fiber network , and is now inviting companies to bid on the construction. ( Alexandria Now )

UTOPIA Fiber is working to connect residents in Layton City, Utah by the end of this year. ( Institute for Local Self-Reliance )   

Los Angeles, Calif. Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced the creation of Urban Movement Labs , a partnership between the city and several public and private entities. ( Smart Cities Dive )

Seattle, Wash. is working to streamline its permitting process for pole attachments in an effort to accelerate 5G deployment, but digital equity concerns remain. San Jose, Calif. is one example of how permitting fees can be structured to incentivize equitable deployment. ( Geekwire )  

Eugene, Ore.’s fiber network, EUGNet , has been a proven boost for downtown businesses. The city council is now investigating how to expand broadband access to residents and businesses throughout the city. ( Register-Guard ) 

Wilson, N.C.’s Greenlight Community Network opened the door to many innovations and benefits for local residents and businesses. Now, the city is helping to prepare residents for new job opportunities by partnering with a local community college to offer a fiber training course. ( Institute for Local Self-Reliance )

Lakeland, Fla. City Commissioner Justin Toller is encouraging residents to support a public vote on the creation of a broadband utility in the city. ( Institute for Local Self-Reliance ) 

Longmont, Colo. is conducting a community survey about internet service options. ( City of Longmont ) 
Request for Proposals (RFPs)
Sign up at our website to receive an alert whenever a new RFP from one of our member communities is announced. You can also visit this page to read current and past RFPs from other communities. 
Want to know more about our work? Follow Next Century Cities on Twitter , like us on Facebook , and watch our videos on YouTube . And be sure to visit NextCenturyCities.org for news, blog posts, RFP alerts, toolkits, and information on new members!

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