Gigi Sohn Discusses Defeat of Public Broadband Initiative in Massachusetts
Gigi Sohn, executive director of the American Association for Public Broadband, recently discussed the defeat of a public broadband initiative in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The town had planned to construct a community-owned fiber network, but the proposal was rejected in a town vote. According to Sohn, the defeat was influenced by a misinformation campaign led by Mass Priorities, a group with suspected ties to Comcast. This campaign is described as 'dark money' efforts aimed at opposing municipal broadband projects. Despite the setback in Longmeadow, similar initiatives have succeeded in other towns, such as Bountiful, Utah, where grassroots support played a crucial role. Sohn emphasized the importance of community buy-in from the outset to counteract opposition from well-funded groups. 
