Do Not Pass Go

Do Not Pass Go follows a small rural community that builds its own ultra-fast municipal broadband to provide reliable internet where the existing provider has neglected service. The film records the local leaders, technicians, and residents who push the network into operation, then face legal challenges, political pressure, and corporate resistance as opponents try to halt or roll back municipal efforts. The filmmaker documents public meetings, court filings, and regulatory hearings, along with everyday moments that show how connectivity changes life in a town. The narrative focuses on process and people, showing the stakes around access and control of infrastructure without revealing sensitive outcomes. It frames the conflict as local initiative confronting wider policy and corporate consolidation in telecommunications today.

Released in 2017, Do Not Pass Go was directed by Cullen Hoback. The investigative documentary includes appearances by federal and state officials such as Ajit Pai, Mignon Clyburn, and state representative Marilyn Avila, alongside local activists and technicians, community members.

The film screened at several film festivals and had a targeted theatrical and digital rollout, typical for issue-driven documentaries. Detailed box office totals and overall revenue are limited or not widely reported, reflecting its niche distribution and political subject matter.

By chronicling one town's attempt to run its own network, the documentary helped bring attention to national debates about net neutrality, municipal broadband, and corporate influence over telecom policy. It offered activists and local officials a concrete example used in advocacy and policy discussions around expanding affordable high-speed access nationwide.

Do Not Pass Go emphasizes themes of local governance, regulatory capture, corporate monopoly, and the digital divide, showing how policy decisions affect everyday lives. Its investigative style uses interviews, public records, and observational footage, so viewers interested in telecommunications policy, grassroots organizing, or local political fights will find useful material.