Then there's Fredericton, N.B., twice named one of the after it installed its own fibre optic network early this decade. Why? Because Internet rates from incumbent carriers were too high for businesses and consumers.

How did it do it? The new network was paid for by the city. Within a year it had paid back the money and the city had an international reputation as a leading edge place for business.

Mayor Brad Woodside gave an enthusiastic presentation to the conference, saying the smartest thing a municipality can do is invest in infrastructure.

"Believe in yourself, believe in your community and make that dream come true," he said.

A number of rural broadband case studies were presented, all of which required federal and/or provincial funding to get off the ground. Yet the future of this funding is up in the air. Ottawa's current $225 million rural broadband fund closed this year. The recent federal budget said a new infrastructure fund will be created, but no money has been announced. It may be part of the soon-to-be announced federal digital economy strategy. Meanwhile the current version of Ontario's Rural Connections program ends in September.