Broadband at the Speed of Light: How Three Communities Built Next-Generation Networks, a report by the Institute for Local Self Reliance and the Benton Foundation, presents case studies of 3 communities; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Lafayette, Louisiana; and Bristol, Virginia, that have built their own community-owned broadband networks, and makes a case that some of the fastest networks in the nation are built by local governments.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, is well known for being the first community with citywide access to a “gig,” or the fastest residential connections to the Internet available nationally. Less known are Bristol, Virginia, and Lafayette, Louisiana – both of which now also offer a gigabit throughout the community.