I came across this interesting study done by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance asserting that community owned fiber networks do in fact spur economic growth. The ILSR periodically collects data on economic development and it’s relationship to community owned broadband networks, and released a fact sheet that documents a few of the many instances when publicly owned networks have successfully met commercial demands for more capacity, increased reliability, and reasonable affordability.

This resource documents jobs created in Chanute, Kansas; Chattanooga and Tullahoma, Tennessee; Lafayette, Louisiana; Bristol, Martinsville, and Danville, Virginia; and Springfield, Missouri.

Download the Fact Sheet