MOORESVILLE – Mooresville’s Town Board on Monday voted 4-2 in favor of revising the way Mooresville and Davidson share ownership and expenses from MI-Connection Communications System, the local high-speed communications network they jointly own. Davidson’s Town Board is expected to vote on the proposed revisions Tuesday night. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The town boards of Mooresville and Davidson this week will take up critical revisions to the agreement that governs their jointly owned communications network, MI-Connection. Mooresville’s board on Monday and Davidson’s board on Tuesday will vote on changes that would adjust the towns’ ownership shares and limit Davidson’s financial pain while the system keeps losing money. The new agreement also would limit Davidson’s gains later, if the system turns profitable, and give Mooresville a chance at bigger payoffs. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Chief executive David Auger says there’s a paradox in all the numbers coming out this week about the MI-Connection Communications System. The company owned by Davidson and Mooresville is in a growth spurt – adding customers and expanding revenues. But it’s restating this year’s budget and revenues downward and now needs another $1.1 million from the towns by June 30 to meet a shortfall.

“We’re seeing unprecedented growth, more than anything we’ve seen since MI-Connection came about,” Mr. Auger said Thursday. But, with the company now asking for more money, he said, “there’s a paradox.”

He offered several major reasons for the shortfall: Read the full story

Chart shows MI-Connection budget trends. The 2012 budget is to be restated lower at Thursday's board meeting, resulting in an increase in the towns' subsidies. Click to download a copy of the proposed 2013 budget. (SOURCE: MI-Connection financial statements, interviews with company officials)

MI-Connection Communications System plans to re-state its budget for the fiscal year ending June 30 to account for lower-than-expected income that company officials are blaming on delays in the takeover of key business functions from an outside operator. The system’s chief executive said Tuesday the shortfall means MI-Connection will have to ask its owners, the towns of Davidson and Mooresville, for an additional $1.1 million to balance its budget this fiscal year. Read the full story

MI-Connection CEO David Auger gave a quarterly operations update Thursday.

MI-Connection Communications System completed its takeover of all the key technical and business operations of the local cable TV and internet network as scheduled Jan. 15, the system’s CEO said Thursday.

Chief executive David Auger told the MI-Connection board of directors at a Davidson Town Hall meeting that MI-Connection has set up a Network Operations Center (NOC) at its Mooresville headquarters – the final step in taking over day-to-day operations from Bristol Virginia Utilities. Read the full story

Chart shows growth in internet usage from different uses. VoIP, which is not really visible, refers to "voice over IP," or telephone service delivered over an internet connection. (SOURCE: Cicsco Systems Visual Networking Index)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Internet traffic is exploding in the U.S. and around the world, thanks to growth in video, gaming and other data-heavy online uses. That’s a positive trend for anyone in the internet business. But it also means internet providers have to keep up with the ever-growing demand for capacity.

That trend is behind MI-Connection Communications System’s recent decision to upgrade technology for about 63 percent of its Internet and data customers, executives told the system board last week. The upgrade quadruples the capacity of network connections for 6,400 customers in Davidson and Cornelius and eventually could allow the company to offer cheaper high-speed connections for businesses and residential customers, the system’s CEO said. Read the full story

The Davidson Town Board’s meets Tuesday to say farewell to Commissioners Margo Williams and Tim Dreffer, who did not seek re-election, and to welcome the two men elected to fill their seats: Rodney Graham and Jim Fuller. Meanwhile, other public meetings this week include a Red Line rail line “summit” Tuesday in Mooresville, a MI-Connection board of directors meeting Thursday, and a public information session Thursday on the proposed Red Line commuter rail station off Jackson Street. Read the full story

Rodney Graham responds to Robert Maier’s Dec. 6, 2011, commentary (“Towns’ network purchase was a pro-consumer deal”):

“While I agree with the gist of Robert Maier’s commentary, specifically that broadband internet access should be used as both a tool for economic and personal development, I would caution against making comparisons between speed and access in the United States versus other countries, and specifically against drawing conclusions that the differences are attributable to whether the internet is delivered by private or public entities.” Mr. Graham adds: “What is needed is a push to make sure that no one in Davidson is educationally disadvantaged due to a lack of internet access.” Read his full comment here.