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1 March 2012Grantee Named a Top Public Sector Innovator
Community broadband expert Christopher Mitchell is included on Government Technology’s annual list of “25 people who cut through the public sector’s infamous barriers to innovation...to reshape government operations for the better.” Mitchell serves as director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a grantee of our Advancing Media Rights and Access initiative. The institute is working to educate the public about the advantages of publicly owned broadband and promote the creation of new community networks.
More Information
- Learn more about the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
- Read more about Government Technology’s other 2012 honorees
- Explore our Advancing Media Rights and Access initiative
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Government Technology’s Top 25: Christopher Mitchell
February 29, 2012 By Brian HeatonIn 2011, the battle for the right of local governments to build their own broadband networks raged on, and at the heart of the firestorm was Christopher Mitchell, director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
A national expert on community broadband, Mitchell has worked to educate legislators and rally supporters against the efforts of large telecommunications and cable companies that make it more difficult for cities and counties to build high-speed networks.
Since Mitchell began working on community broadband issues, he said the private sector has made it clear it won’t build broadband networks everywhere they’re needed. So efforts are being redoubled to protect the ability of local governments build a municipality-owned high-speed networks.