Many people find themselves constantly on the go, traveling to and from different areas of their city on any given day. With the occasional foot traffic slowing them down, they’ll want their internet connection to stay on pace with their day-to-day lifestyles. Local governments have made an effort to provide just that to their residents, offering municipal broadband via Wi-Fi hotspots, recreational spaces, and other areas where internet is needed. While not widely known, several cities across the nation are home to some of the largest municipal broadband internet providers available.
NextLight
Longmont’s NextLight is a popular fiber internet provider that delivers fast speeds for its residents. Its gigabit service comes with no data caps, contracts, or hidden fees, and the brand is community-based and community-owned. In 2022, NextLight added supercharged offerings for residential and commercial customers. Speeds now go up to 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps. If you live in Longmont, NextLight just might be available in your neighborhood.
San Bruno CityNet Services
Delivering fiber internet and Wi-Fi services for people living in select households, San Bruno CityNet Services provides different options for connecting people to the internet. Customers have the option of purchasing internet on its own or as part of a package with TV. Users can expect gigabit speeds for fiber internet. There’s also a low-income internet option.
LusFiber
LusFiber provides both residential and business internet services to its residents in Lafayette, Louisiana. It prides itself on delivering a secure 100 percent fiber network, meaning users will experience symmetrical internet speeds equipped with TechShield Security Suite free of charge. While it does offer internet and TV packages, there’s also an option for “a la carte” internet packages with the ability to add Fiber-Fast Wi-Fi for an additional charge. Internet speeds can go up to 10 Gbps.
Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant (TMLP)
Fiber internet is usually limited in availability for many households across the country. However, this fast internet type is available for the majority of residents in Taunton, Massachusetts, thanks to Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant (TMLP). It provides residential internet with symmetrical speeds and includes installation and equipment leasing. Businesses can also use this municipal broadband service and experience internet speeds up to 10 Gbps.
SandyNet
A non-profit utility, SandyNet connects local customers to the internet via fiber internet, but also offers Wi-Fi for households that may not qualify for its fiber service. There are no contracts or data caps, but residents will need to use their own routers. For fiber internet, SandyNet will provide a router free of charge. Residents in Sandy will experience symmetrical internet speeds up to 1 Gbps with SandyNet’s fiber service.
Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC)
No shared bandwidth, no data restrictions, and free installation — all of these features are part of Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC) for Texas Hill Country. Compared to other municipal broadband providers, BEC has a free mobile app that allows customers to manage their Wi-Fi from their phones. In addition, residents have access to local customer service and are provided with free installation and unlimited data.