A self-described coalition of public and private entities...

A self-described coalition of public and private entities announced the creation Monday of the Coalition for Local Internet Choice. The group described its mission in a blog post (http://bit.ly/1kYqCOx) as seeking “to protect the rights of local communities to determine their economic futures by having the right and opportunity to choose for themselves the best broadband internet infrastructure for their businesses, institutions and residents.” Identified as members were Joanne Hovis, a NATOA board member and consultant who specializes in planning public and nonprofit broadband projects; Jim Baller of Baller Herbst, which has done work on behalf of municipal broadband projects; Chris Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and Catharine Rice, president of the SouthEast Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, an NATOA chapter.