There's still work to go before this becomes a reality. The burgs have only racked up about $34.5 million of the necessary $79 million in funding, and town councils have to approve the costs. Another 10 towns have yet to formally join. If the effort succeeds, though, it'll go a long way toward not just improving small-town internet speeds, but legitimizing the very notion of city-run broadband. Telecom giants have spent years trying to outlaw municipal broadband in an attempt to stifle competition, even in areas they have no intention of serving -- if successful, this would show that the concept works.

[Image credit: Barta IV, Flickr]