Broadband Grants News

Sep 14, 2023

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Sep 14, 2023

Through a series of acquisitions and mergers over three decades, prison technology companies like JPay and Global Tel Link (GTL) have dominated the prison telecommunications space, effectively becoming virtual monopolies. Anticompetitive practices have allowed corporations to gouge families with high prices and ancillary fees for prison phone calls, a practice that reportedly left one in three inmate families in debt. Surrounded by a “digital moat,” incarcerated people are disadvantaged by a lack of access to training opportunities in digital skills otherwise available to the general public. The result is a returning prison population ill prepared for the challenges of reentering free society. Although internet access is expanding in some corrections facilities, it is often still limited or prohibited by law. And even when internet access is available, the costs of internet use can be prohibitive. Researchers Paolo Arguelles and Isabelle Ortiz-Luis find that inmates have little opportunity to engage with technology while behind bars.

Sep 13, 2023

A wide range of telecommunication companies and trade associations in the US oppose a new Federal Communications Commission proposal that would require regular reassessments of a foreign carrier's authorization to provide service in the US. Among the opposition, Verizon states that the FCC is proposing, "sweeping, one-size-fits-all reporting and disclosure mandates by which the [FCC] would regularly demand proprietary and confidential details...from all authorization holders, regardless of whether they pose any articulable risk." The FCC estimates that there are around 1,500 active international Section 214 authorization holders in the US today. The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA)—a trade association that primarily represents small wireless network operators—states, "This would suggest approximately 1,125 carriers raising little or no policy concern would be subjected to an ongoing renewal requirement. These carriers would be burdened by new regulatory requirements." Further, the CTIA—the main trade association for big US wireless network operators—warned that aggressive rules in the area could stifle investment. 

Sep 13, 2023

The Washington State Department of Commerce committed $14.5 million in grants to continue expanding access to the internet through digital navigator services. These grants were awarded to three organizations:

Sep 13, 2023

Charter Communications has frequently talked up the pace of its rural deployments, reaching 68,000 subsidized rural passings in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023. CFO Jessica Fischer said the Charter has a “tremendous opportunity” to expand its footprint to rural areas. Charter was one of the largest winners in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction, and Fischer noted progress in those builds “has been going quite well” in terms of pace and penetration. The company just scored around $116 million in grants to expand broadband in Kentucky, and it’s won funding in states like Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Sep 13, 2023

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) will not seek another term in the Senate in 2024. In a video posted to Twitter, Sen. Romney said he was stepping aside for new leadership and noted that those new leaders will face enormous challenges in the coming years, something the current leadership for the Republican and Democratic parties are not equipped to handle. Sen. Romney still has more than a year left in his term, and he hopes to focus on three primary issues before he leaves office in January 2025—immigration, the ballooning national debt, and climate change. 

Sep 13, 2023

A Q&A with the New York City (NYC) Office of Technology & Innovation’s Brett Sikoff centered on increasing broadband accessibility via the city's Big Apple Connect program. The program has delivered free high-speed internet to 220 public housing developments across the city: that’s over 300,000 New Yorkers who now have access to the internet for free. Additionally, Big Apple Connect simplified the way people get connected: there’s no application, no approval or lengthy review required, and if you’re a resident in one of the more than 150,000 households eligible (in the NYCHA system), you automatically qualify. However, challenges include ensuring that residents outside of the public housing system have access and getting residents comfortable with an alternative provider. An overarching concern is the program's long-term funding; though funding is guaranteed for the initial three years with options for renewal for two more years, it's NYC's goal to ultimately have the Big Apple Connect program in place for as long as possible to ensure that people have the connectivity they need.

Sep 13, 2023

State Senator Scott Wiener (D-CA) will introduce a new artificial intelligence (AI) bill to the California legislature that targets “frontier” AI systems at the threshold of capability. The bill proposes:However, the so-called "intent bill" is light on details, containing less than three pages, and only gives broad brush-strokes of what a piece of California AI legislation would look like.

Sep 13, 2023

On August 30, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) wrote Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about Leader Schumer's SAFE Innovation Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI). Sen. Bennet suggested that several critical elements be considered when developing the framework:

Sep 13, 2023

The Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) is launching an open process for internet service providers (ISPs) to compete for $374 million in America Rescue Plan Act (APRA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLFR) Funds to expand access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet service in Oklahoma. The OBO released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the program. Starting September 18, competitive proposals can be submitted by ISPs through a portal on the office’s website. The portal will close on October 9. After the proposal submission window closes, an Overbuild Prevention Contest Process will be launched to allow ISPs to review the proposals and help ensure no funding is awarded to provide service to homes and businesses that already have high-speed internet access.

Sep 13, 2023

SpaceX’s satellite-internet division has outpaced rivals and generated surging revenue, but it hasn't lived up to Elon Musk’s ambitions. Starlink reported $1.4 billion in revenue for 2022—up from $222 million in 2021. However, the company had predicted the business would be bigger by now: a 2015 presentation SpaceX used to raise money from investors projected that Starlink would generate almost $12 billion in revenue and $7 billion in operating profit in 2022. Starlink is key for Musk's plans to send humans to Mars. Global spending on high-speed internet is orders of magnitude bigger than outlays on rocket launches, and he needs a cash cow to help pay for technology that could make interplanetary missions possible. Starlink hasn’t signed up customers as quickly as SpaceX had hoped.

Sep 13, 2023

Several years ago, Comcast acquired wireless spectrum in the CBRS and 600 MHz bands as a key building block to host even more data traffic on its own wireless networks. Beginning Sept 2023, after successful employee tests of the CBRS spectrum, Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business Mobile customers in Philadelphia will start connecting to the company's new 5G network for the first time. This strong CBRS spectrum performance has made Comcast realize that it is unlikely to need the 600 MHz spectrum licenses that it currently holds to support wireless customers. As a result, Comcast recently entered into an agreement with T-Mobile in which T-Mobile will lease and eventually purchase Comcast's licenses in the 600 MHz band. Comcast will receive quarterly lease payments followed by a final payment of roughly $3.3 billion for the license purchase, expected in 2028.

Sep 13, 2023

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Sep 13, 2023

According to a report in February from the policy research firm Public Policy Associates, 2.1 million more children had broadband access in 2021 than 2019, following efforts at the local, state and federal levels to narrow the digital divide for online education during COVID-19 school closures. While there’s still progress to be made to connect underserved communities across the US, policy experts say it’s important to build upon the success of public-private partnerships and programs that have worked to expand K-12 Internet access. “For students [without reliable Internet], they’re back to what school was like before the pandemic for them, that they are back in school and learning in school but maybe don’t have the tools to be able to do assignments like other kids do at home that demand a computer and demand you’re connected to the Internet to access resources either from the school or the greater World Wide Web,” said Kevin Taglang, executive editor at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society. “We have to make sure broadband networks reach everybody where they live. That’s certainly a huge problem for sure in many rural areas, but it can be a problem in urban areas as well. The service that’s provided needs to be affordable.” Taglang said it’s encouraging to know that policymakers on the federal level have started to see the need to get involved in efforts to close the digital divide, noting that the Emergency Connectivity Fund helped push much-needed resources to school districts still grappling with the need to connect more families for online learning. He also made note of work in Chattanooga, where initiatives like HCS EdConnect and Tech Goes Home have helped to provide free Internet access, Chromebooks, tablets and training on digital skills to low-income families and community members, as a model for a comprehensive community approach to closing the digital divide. He added that nonprofits like the Pew Charitable Trusts have also worked successfully with states to help expand broadband access. Taglang said a defining feature of programs that have had success is encouraging community planning geared toward connecting underserved families from low-income rural and urban communities most in need of Internet access. “I think that, if it’s not 100 percent of homes and businesses that get access to broadband, we’re going to come pretty close,” he said. “If we get to the point where we can start assuming everybody has access to Internet at home, it’s amazing to think about what the possibilities are for more personalized learning, never having a snow day for kids again, everybody being able to do telehealth visits … A lot of these things are why the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society likes to think about what the possibilities are, and it really is an exciting time if we keep our focus and [take advantage of] legislation from Congress.”

Sep 13, 2023

Google is launching new anti-censorship technology, Outline VPN, to increase access for internet users living under authoritarian regimes. During 2022's pro-democracy protests across Iran, the regime used sophisticated tactics, not only intermittently blocking all internet access but targeting virtual private networks (VPN) like Outline. Jigsaw, a unit of Google that operates sort of like an internet freedom think tank, offers a suite of anti-censorship tools including Outline to provide free, open, and encrypted access to the internet through a VPN. Outline uses a protocol that makes it hard to detect, so users can surf the web largely out of sight from authorities who might want to block internet access. Jigsaw is releasing Outline’s code in the form of a software developer kit (SDK) so that other applications can build censorship resistance directly into their products.

Sep 13, 2023

Several years ago, I participated in a conference on rural poverty that was hosted by a federal agency. It was a good meeting, filled with substantive discussions on the societal, cultural and educational inputs that can affect community wellbeing. This was a PC (pre-COVID) event, so the notion of remote learning was but a glimmer in educators’ eyes. Even then, however, there was significant conversation surrounding the need to overcome the stigma students felt when trekking into “shop” instead of college-oriented classes. More confounding was the task of illuminating that skilled trades jobs pay well, offer sound career paths and demand increasing fluency with technology (for a larger discussion, please see this Smart Rural Community paper on evolving job markets).Last week, NTCA hosted a web consultation session aimed at eliciting best practices undertaken by our members as they work with local schools. The program was an outgrowth of BOLD: Broadband Opportunities and Leadership Development, a toolkit created by NTCA in partnership with the National Rural Education Association (NREA) that aims to increase awareness among K-12 students of careers in the broadband and tech industry. NREA Executive Director Allen Pratt introduced the session by urging participants to “avoid not knocking on the door.” Pratt then highlighted the need to “let kids know that there are livable wages in their communities.”In virtual breakout rooms, Smart Rural Community providers shared strategies and programs. These included:Overall, the approaches reflect several core strategies that can be invoked by rural broadband providers across the country:Current broadband funding opportunities are increasing demand for industry workers at all levels and can be expected to result in long-term demand for skilled workers to manage networks, oversee cybersecurity and assist a growing customer base. Potentially challenging, yes. But in this race, rural telecom has a head start.© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Sep 13, 2023

Educators and education-technology professionals worry that artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom could further widen digital inequities. The US Department of Education Office of Educational Technology's May 2023 "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning" report warned that “algorithmic bias could diminish equity at scale with unintended discrimination." Further, it stated, "Bias is intrinsic to how AI algorithms are developed...and the department holds that biases in AI algorithms must be addressed when they introduce or sustain unjust discriminatory practices in education.” However, Julianne Robar, the Director of Meta Data and Product Interoperability for Ed-Tech company Renaissance, says there's competition to develop AI tools that can help close the gap. Renaissance developed an AI-powered speech recognition software, Lalilo, to teach reading to younger students. Tools like this can free up teachers to spend more time with students who need extra help.

Sep 13, 2023

As a full-time law student, I spend much of my day online doing schoolwork and sometimes taking classes. Many of my finals are take-home exams that require an internet connection. If not for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), I would have to take these classes and exams at the library or a coffee shop, where the environment could be very disruptive. In some cases, such as when prospective students take the LSAT or GRE, the proctors don’t allow you to take the exam in a public place because of the risk of cheating. Additionally, affordable internet access has facilitated all three of my remote legal internships I’ve completed while in law school. Beyond school and work, affordable internet access at home is vital for ensuring privacy during telehealth appointments—especially ones that involve highly sensitive information. The ACP benefit is crucial for me, my studies, and my valuable contributions to society as a future public interest lawyer. Congress must extend the program to promote equity and opportunity for all students and families.[Brandee McGee was a summer 2023 legal intern at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.]

Sep 12, 2023

There is reason for optimism about the federal government stepping up to create a policy framework for artificial intelligence (AI) that will keep us safe while enabling innovations that will improve all our lives. But, beneath the surface, there is a shark in the water, ready to obstruct any congressional or administrative action. That shark is the Supreme Court’s “major questions doctrine.” Although Members of Congress have proposed to establish a new federal commission to protect consumers. However, would the commission’s important actions under the law survive a major questions challenge? The truth is we don’t know. The more important truth is nobody knows.[Blair Levin is a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings Metro. Levin serves as a policy analyst with New Street Research, an equity research firm focused on telecommunications and technology. Tom Wheeler is a visiting fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution. Wheeler is a businessman, author, and was Chairman of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) from 2013 to 2017.]

Sep 12, 2023

With the common aim of ensuring that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy, each of the 50 states is currently drafting a digital equity plan through what one official called “the largest demonstration of participatory democracy that our country has ever seen." The states are tasked with developing long-term objectives for closing the digital divide by addressing the needs of eight "covered populations"—including low-income households. Several states have released their draft digital equity plans and one tool they all rely heavily on for connecting—and keeping connected—low-income households is the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). However, estimates from the Federal Communications Commission project that funding for the ACP could run out within the next year. Also see:

Sep 12, 2023

altafiber's gigabit broadband service is available to most single-family homes and business addresses in the Kentucky counties of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton. The projects were made possible through altafiber (formerly known as Cincinnati Bell) public-private partnerships that were announced in 2021: altafiber will continue to build fiber to multiple dwelling units and remaining single-family and business addresses that could not yet be completed due to issues involving railroad and construction permits.

Sep 12, 2023

Since 2020, AT&T's network has seen an annual 30% increase in traffic. This is the direct result of our progress enabling standalone 5G. Many of the newest mobile devices use the 5G standalone network that we are moving thousands of customers to every day. Advancements like network slicing will bring 5G to its full potential by delivering services designed to fit a specific need, and to address use cases with functionalities that require critical network access. Our mid-band 5G spectrum (including C-Band) now covers more than 175 million people, making AT&T the largest wireless network in North America.

Sep 12, 2023

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a huge factor in the prepaid ecosystem. In the coming years, the two top sources of funding for this ecosystem will be the Total by Verizon store rollout and the ACP. A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) told me their company had plans to push free services via the ACP, while providing refurbished devices to these customers either for free or at very affordable prices. Another example of the developing ACP ecosystem was the presence of CompuGroup Medical (CGM), which provides an ACP enrollment platform and a “suite of support services" intended to “expedite an ACP carrier’s time to market, optimize their subscriber retention, and drive end-to-end program compliance.” The ACP is heavily pitched via prepaid retail, too, as signs market “talk, text & fast 5G for as low as $0/mo," at Cricket Wireless stores and “free mobile service" at Boost Mobile dealers.[Jeff Moore is Principal of Wave 7 Research, a wireless research firm that covers U.S. postpaid, prepaid and smartphone competition.]

Sep 12, 2023

On August 7, Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) wrote Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel with concerns about the security risks posed by cellular connectivity modules provided by companies subject to the jurisdiction, direction, or control of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On September 5, the Chairwoman wrote back saying that the s approach is to “deter, defend, and develop”: deter bad actors, defend against untrusted vendors, and develop a market for trustworthy innovation. Consistent with this strategy, the FCC revoked the operating authorities of four Chinese state-owned carriers that were providing service in the US under Section 214 of the Communications Act. The FCC also adopted policies to regularly review foreign companies’ authorizations to provide telecommunications services in the US, ensuring that any authorization reflects up-to-date national security interests and is not frozen in time when Section 214 approval is granted. Additionally, the FCC has worked with our national security counterparts to publish and update the first-ever list of communications equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to national security. Under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, the FCC can update this list only at the direction of national security authorities—specifically the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Acquisition Security Council. In other words, the agency cannot update this list on its own. Finally, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Congress provided $1.9 billion to support the removal of this equipment in our networks. However, this amount falls short of what is required. As I have previously noted to Congress, an additional $3.08 billion is needed to fully fund this program and support the many small and rural carriers that have deployed this equipment and need to replace it in their networks.

Sep 12, 2023

If Congress doesn’t act to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), millions of households that currently have broadband internet access could lose it before the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Students could fall into the “homework gap," meaning they won't be able to complete schoolwork at home and keep up with their classmates. Congress and the Biden Administration must work together to approve additional ACP funding to ensure that students aren’t left without internet in the middle of this school year, and that the program is funded for years to come.[Olivia Wein is a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center focusing on policies and programs that protect low-income consumers’ access to essential utility services, including energy, water, and broadband service. Cheryl A. Leanza serves as policy advisor to the United Church of Christ’s historic media advocacy arm and as the Co-Chair of the Leadership Conference of Civil Rights Media & Telecommunications Task Force.]

Sep 11, 2023

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 46 million U.S. residents living in rural areas make up 14 percent of the U.S. population. Historically, internet providers have underserved rural areas due to a myriad of factors, including smaller rural populations providing fewer customers, decreased rural adoption rates, and more difficult rural terrain in comparison to urban areas. Even when internet is available in rural areas, less competition among limited providers may result in higher prices and limited speed options for residents. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, rural adults remain less likely than suburban adults to have home broadband and less likely than urban adults to own a smartphone, tablet computer, or traditional computer. Roughly seven in ten rural Americans (72 percent) say they have a broadband internet connection at home. Rural residents go online less frequently than their urban counterparts: Eight in ten adults who live in rural communities say they use the internet on at least a daily basis, compared with roughly nine in ten of those in urban areas (88 percent). In addition, three in ten or more urban (37 percent) and suburban (30 percent) residents say they are online almost constantly, while about a quarter of rural residents (23 percent) say the same.

Sep 11, 2023

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is convening the first AI Insight Forum on Sept 13, bringing together some of the top people in AI to discuss the risks and opportunities posed by advances in this technology and how Congress might write legislation to address them. Sen. Schumer said he’s planning for “an open discussion about how Congress can act on AI: where to start, what questions to ask, and how to build a foundation for SAFE AI innovation.” The SAFE framework is not a legislative proposal but rather a set of priorities. Those priorities include promoting innovation, supporting the American tech industry, understanding the labor ramifications of AI, and mitigating security risks.

Sep 11, 2023

The National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC), formerly known as the National Cable Television Cooperative, has completed the build of its Connectivity Exchange platform, which allows NCTC broadband provider members to compete for and win bids to provide services to commercial customers through a single unified network. Initially focused on negotiating video-related deals for smaller broadband and pay TV provider members, the NCTC's focus has expanded to include offerings such as a mobile virtual network operator offering through AT&T. The unified network established through the platform has the potential to reach approximately one third of connected buildings in the US.

Sep 11, 2023

The Fifth Circuit ruled that the administration overstepped in coercing social media platforms to take down misinformation.

Sep 11, 2023

Midco is a midwestern service provider that offers broadband via hybrid fiber coax (HFC), fiber-to-the-home, and fixed wireless access (FWA). The company serves 490,000 homes and businesses in 400 communities in Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Midco is doing greenfield fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) builds in new communities and to large multi-dwelling units. But in brownfields, it’s doing a mix, adding fiber deeper into neighborhoods, but also upgrading its cable plant. “The good thing is DOCSIS 3.1 has a long runway to continue to improve speeds,” said Midco COO Ben Dold. “Right now, our near term is to continue to bring fiber deeper and push DOCSIS 3.1 further as we evaluate.”

Sep 11, 2023

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Sep 11, 2023

The three states showcased efforts at growing the semiconductor industry.

Sep 11, 2023

President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Basil Ivanhoe Gooden for Under Secretary of Rural Development in the Department of Agriculture. Gooden currently serves as the Director of State Operations for the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Rural Development. Appointed to this position in July 2021, he is responsible for providing leadership, support, and supervision to the 47 State Directors in USDA Rural Development. Gooden has led the efforts in planning and establishing the newly created State Operations Office in Rural Development. Before this, he served as the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2016 to 2018. As Secretary, he provided strategic vision and leadership to two of Virginia’s largest private industries, agriculture and forestry, with an annual economic impact of $91 billion on the Commonwealth. 

Sep 10, 2023

The US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the Biden White House, top government health officials, and the FBI likely violated the First Amendment by improperly influencing social media companies’ decisions to remove or suppress posts on the coronavirus and elections. The decision, written unanimously by three judges nominated by Republican presidents, was likely to be seen as victory for conservatives who have long argued that social media platforms’ content moderation efforts restrict their free speech rights. But some advocates also said the ruling was an improvement over a temporary injunction US District Judge Terry A. Doughty issued July 4. Doughty’s decision had affected a wide range of government departments and agencies, and imposed 10 specific prohibitions on government officials. The appeals court threw out nine of those and modified the 10th to limit it to efforts to “coerce or significantly encourage social-media companies to remove, delete, suppress, or reduce, including through altering their algorithms, posted social-media content containing protected free speech.” The 5th Circuit panel also limited the government institutions affected by its ruling to the White House, the surgeon general’s office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FBI.

Sep 08, 2023

There are pragmatic steps within reach to ensure connectivity for all, trust for all, and opportunity for all:[Jim Kohlenberger is a technology and innovation policy strategist—and a member of the board of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. He has served in both the Clinton and Obama White House and in the US Senate.]

Sep 08, 2023

The Leadership Conference Education Fund launched an unprecedented initiative to create a fair, just, opportunity-rich, and rights-advancing future for all in the face of artificial intelligence with the creation of "The Center for Civil Rights and Technology." The Center will serve as a convener, collaborator, and communicator on policy issues, ideas, and potential innovations that can advance, as well as protect, equity in society. It will be a pioneering hub for the civil rights community and other civil society organizations, academics, researchers, technologists, and the private sector to help shape the future we envision and demand. The Center will build on The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ advocacy on tech and AI. Dr. Alondra Nelson — who served as deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy—will serve as a senior advisor on Civil Rights and Technology to the Leadership Conference President and CEO Maya Wiley.

Sep 08, 2023

Charter Communications CEO Chris Winfrey believes fixed wireless access (FWA) won't meet speed and bandwidth demands. In fact, Winfrey likens it to DSL – a product that had its moment but saw many customers flee to cable's higher-quality connections. The initial success of FWA "shows there's a nice, niche market for limited-bandwidth, limited-capacity, and limited-reliability product," Winfrey said. However, "As consumer bandwidth needs increase over time and as the network capacity of these mobile networks shrinks as a result of the utilization, I think [FWA] turns into really just another form of DSL, particularly when you take a look at the capabilities of our network and where we're going with high-split DOCSIS 4.0." Winfrey also said he doesn't buy the notion that FWA holds a clear price advantage in the market, believing that Charter has the upper hand when home broadband and mobile are bundled.

Sep 08, 2023

Comcast and the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) launched a Digital Navigator program that will utilize trained students to get more Baltimore-area residents and CCBC students connected to the internet at home, while also teaching digital literacy skills and how to use devices. The program is supported by a $150,000 grant from Comcast that will be used to hire and train nearly a dozen CCBC students. The CCBC Digital Navigators will focus on addressing barriers households face to getting online, namely affordability, access to devices, and digital skills.

Sep 08, 2023

Fallout continues from the Wall Street Journal’s investigative journalism exposé that showed telecommunications companies in the US have left behind a massive network of copper cables covered in toxic lead. AT&T CEO John Stankey said “there is no public health crisis” to worry about, citing the release of lead test results by AT&T, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the state of New York. However, the EPA has said it is still taking the lead issue “very seriously.” The EPA did not comment on whether the latest lead test results—which do suggest that risk to public health could be low—should affect the urgency of remediation plans, but emphasized “the science is clear: there is no known safe blood lead level, especially for our children.”

Sep 08, 2023

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) sees reshaping USF as a key potential strategy for achieving digital equity. Five key recommendations for Congress as it considers the future of USF are:

Sep 08, 2023

The Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) partnered with the Indiana University Center for Survey Research (IU-CSR) to gather data on Indiana residents on several digital equity indicators. A surprising finding was that the difference between Whites and racial/ethnic minorities was not statistically significant but more importantly, they were “reversed” to what was expected. In other words, White non-Hispanics in Indiana lag racial/ethnic minorities when it comes to paying for home internet for all previous 12 months. There are two possible explanations for this unexpected finding: (1) survey results may be capturing the effectiveness of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), as the program has a higher share of African American households enrolled compared to White non-Hispanic households; (2) may be due to a higher share of Indiana rural residents—more likely to lack home internet access, be less educated, and/or have lower incomes—being White non-Hispanic.

Sep 08, 2023

Frontier Communications CEO Nick Jeffery said the company's fiber securitization will give it funding through the end of its target year of 2025, and a “very clear path” to hit 10 million fiber passings. In August, Frontier closed its fiber securitization notes offering as part of a $2.1 billion financing, a significant jump from its initial goal of raising $1.05 billion. Frontier is the first publicly traded company in the US to secure funds backed by fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) assets. The securitization gives Frontier “a very attractive pool of financing into the future to complete our 10 million build,” said Jeffery.

Sep 08, 2023

Despite the cable mobile virtual network operators' (MVNO's) success with bundled offerings and heavily discounted wireless service plans, don’t expect Verizon to follow suit. Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg dismissed the cable MVNO's strategy of offering free or discounted wireless service plans when bundled with broadband. “Lowballing and discounting won’t help us,” he said, adding that the company recently ended its $25/month discounted pricing for its 5G Home fixed wireless access offering. Vestberg said that any MVNO partnership will be beneficial to Verizon’s revenue and added that he expects any of Verizon’s partners to realize that as the network improves “they will have to pay for it.”

Sep 08, 2023

The Department of the Treasury approved $167.7 million for high-speed internet projects in Oklahoma under the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF), which the state estimates will connect approximately 20,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet. Oklahoma is approved to receive funds for broadband infrastructure projects. The state’s allocation will fund the Oklahoma Broadband Infrastructure Grants (OBIG) Program, a competitive grant program designed to reduce the financial barriers for internet service providers to build out broadband infrastructure in areas of the state where infrastructure investment has historically been cost-prohibitive due to population density and geographic constraints. As reported by Oklahoma, estimates show that investments made using the CPF will serve approximately 13% of locations still lacking high-speed internet access in the state. The plan approved by the Treasury Department represents 100% of the state’s total allocation under the CPF program. 

Sep 08, 2023

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Sep 08, 2023

The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), a membership cooperative of rural electric and telecom providers, has acquired Pivot Group, a marketing and customer experience (CX) agency that serves rural broadband providers. NRTC traditionally has focused on technology, helping members plan, deploy and manage technology investments. Pivot’s in-house capabilities include market research, branding, web development, marketing strategy, creative services/advertising, digital/social marketing, CX consulting and employee development/training. 

Sep 08, 2023

The role of data in broadband planning has undergone a transformative change, and it’s important to understand the cost drivers, location density, and other key metrics affecting the broadband economic landscape. Cost determinants such as cost of labor, materials, build complexity, and location density are some of the top drivers in cost that allow organizations to model the economic landscape of unserved and underserved areas. To close the digital divide for all, not just in the attractive areas, states are strategically consolidating geographic areas to enhance commercial viability and optimize bidding efficiency. Additionally, a well-defined broadband map acts as a compass. It helps in understanding the geography, the challenges associated with different terrains, and the areas that are in dire need of connectivity, thus helping drive well-informed decisions.

Sep 07, 2023

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information on behalf of the US Department of Commerce and the US Government to support the development of an implementation plan for the US Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET). The USG NSSCET is intended to support and complement existing private sector-led activities and plans, including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) United States Standards Strategy (USSS), with a focus on critical and emerging technology(ies) (CET). To inform the USG NSSCET implementation, including how to best partner with relevant stakeholders, NIST is requesting information that will support the identification and prioritization of key activities that will optimize the USG NSSCET implementation and further enhance the US Government’s ability to support a private sector-led, open, consensus-based international standards system, to which the US Government is an active stakeholder and participant. CET includes Communication and Networking Technologies; Semiconductors and Microelectronics; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Digital Identity Infrastructure; Automated and Connected Infrastructure; Automated, Connected, and Electrified Transportation; and Cybersecurity and Privacy.

Sep 07, 2023

T-Mobile won thousands of 2.5GHz spectrum licenses around the US in a Federal Communications Commission auction that ended in 2022. But the FCC would face "criminal penalties" if it gave T-Mobile its 2.5GHz license winnings. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel explained that the FCC's "auction authority" expired in March and so far has not been renewed by Congress, which means the agency no longer has the regulatory authority to issue spectrum licenses. Additionally, T-Mobile is enmeshed in an increasingly litigious fight with investment company WCO, and it's battling Dish Network over the fate of some of its 800MHz licenses. Further, looming over the entire situation is a highly anticipated report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that could have a massive impact on the future of spectrum sharing in the 3100-3450MHz spectrum band.

Sep 07, 2023

Comcast is getting ready to activate Philadelphia (PA) as a trial market for cellular offload (i.e. using complementary network technologies for delivering data originally targeted for cellular networks). The company is exploring if a combination of its existing mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) relationship with Verizon and its own cellular Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) network can provide the right coverage and cost. Comcast has 13 times more devices attached to Wi-Fi than in 2018 and now serves a billion in-home connected devices. In addition, Comcast’s investments in DOCSIS 4.0 will get the company to a place of bidirectional 10 Gbps network speeds. Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast, says convergence is both a product and network strategy, as Comcast approaches a “vastly lower” and “capital light” cost structure because so much of its customers’ usage is in the home via Wi-Fi, combined with Comcast’s MVNO relationship with Verizon for mobility.

Sep 07, 2023

Some Louisiana communities have never had high-speed, affordable internet access, but thanks to REV Business and the GUMBO grant program, these areas are finally getting connected. REV was established in 2020 as a combination of former telecommunications companies RTC, EATEL, and Vision Communications. With 2,790 miles of fiber and more than 60,000 customers, REV serves multiple parishes in south Louisiana including parts of Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Ascension, Livingston, and East Baton Rouge. REV is just one of the many companies throughout Louisiana taking the initiative to connect unserved communities with high-speed internet. The company's project in Lafourche Parish is complete, and soon many other projects throughout the state will bring drastic internet improvements.

Sep 07, 2023

Car buyers must now decide which connected services they want to add. Automakers are embracing a new business model that requires paid subscriptions to unlock everything from entertainment options to enhanced navigation and hands-free driving. Car buyers are open to subscription add-ons — if they get to try the services first, according to a recent S&P Global Mobility survey. Automakers savor the prospect of collecting recurring revenue from car owners by transforming their vehicles into connected tech platforms. However, consumers only have so much room in their budgets for subscriptions, and typically won't pay for features that are already available on their smartphone and can be "mirrored" on the dashboard.

Sep 07, 2023

One out of four urban households do not have a wireline subscription or the infrastructure to support one, making the challenge of closing the digital divide no small matter. Achieving digital equity is going to take time, and efforts will be ongoing as technology evolves and household circumstances change. “Digital skills are one issue that will never go away,” said Angela Siefer, Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). “We are always going to be addressing a digital divide because the technology is going to keep changing and how we use it is going to keep changing,” Siefer said. Connecting the pieces for digital equity of physical access, affordability, and education will require investment in local solutions for digital navigators and other tools and programs so the most at-risk populations get the assistance they need in the communities they are most comfortable in.

Sep 07, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission released the funding structure for its Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program. With the new offer, existing A-CAM program carriers and carriers that are still receiving legacy support will be funded for the deployment of voice and broadband-capable networks in their operating regions. NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association's Executive Vice President, Mike Romano, said that as a result of the FCC’s new offers, NTCA members have more options to deliver on a mission of universal connectivity. Meanwhile, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association has taken a staunch position against extending the A-CAM program. NCTA, Comcast, Charter, and Cox argued that operators “have made significant investments” in rural expansions and that “expanding the ACAM programs by awarding incumbent local exchange carriers a sole-source contract, with no competitive bidding process, would be a poor policy choice.”

Sep 07, 2023

Mobile operators are spending less on their 5G buildouts, but that doesn’t mean that the 5G deployment phase is over. Executives at the big-three tower companies —American Tower, Crown Castle, and SBA Communications — said that the tower leasing business is still thriving because mobile operators are still expanding their 5G networks, particularly in their mid-band spectrum, where much of the 5G traffic will be carried. Along with that mid-band expansion, operators are starting to densify their networks with small cells, particularly in urban areas while filling in coverage gaps throughout the network. Jay Brown, President and CEO of Crown Castle, said that, unlike previous upgrade cycles, all big-three operators started deploying 5G simultaneously, which is why 2022's tower leasing activity was much larger than normal. However, American Tower CFO Rod Smith and Jay Brown noted that they are anticipating 5G data traffic to surge in the coming years, leading both to expect demand for tower space to accelerate.

Sep 07, 2023

Key findings on mobile coverage and fixed broadband availability across the UK as of April and May 2023: 

Sep 07, 2023

In early 2020, as the coronavirus spread, schools around the world abruptly halted in-person education. To many governments and parents, moving classes online seemed the obvious stopgap solution. In the United States, school districts scrambled to secure digital devices for students. Almost overnight, videoconferencing software like Zoom became the main platform teachers used to deliver real-time instruction to students at home. Now a report from UNESCO, the United Nations’ educational and cultural organization, says that overreliance on remote learning technology during the pandemic led to “staggering” education inequality around the world. It was a worldwide “ed-tech tragedy.” The UNESCO researchers argued in the report that “unprecedented” dependence on technology — intended to ensure that children could continue their schooling — worsened disparities and learning loss for hundreds of millions of students around the world, including in Kenya, Brazil, Britain and the United States. The promotion of remote online learning as the primary solution for pandemic schooling also hindered public discussion of more equitable, lower-tech alternatives, such as regularly providing schoolwork packets for every student, delivering school lessons by radio or television — and reopening schools sooner for in-person classes, the researchers said.

Sep 07, 2023

After being granted waivers from the Federal Communications Commission, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) will integrate cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology across the state. C-V2X technology enables data sharing between vehicles, transportation infrastructure, pedestrians, and mobile networks to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and increase road safety.

Sep 07, 2023

The Democrat-held Senate voted 55-43 in favor of Biden's second nominee for the spot, after Gigi Sohn withdrew.

Sep 07, 2023

Nearly $50 million will go to middle mile projects in four states.

Sep 07, 2023

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Sep 07, 2023

According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, Black and Hispanic adults in the United States remain less likely than White adults to say they own a traditional computer or have high-speed internet at home. Eighty percent of White adults report owning a desktop or laptop computer, compared with 69 percent of Black adults and 67 percent of Hispanic adults. Eighty percent of White adults also report having a broadband connection at home, while smaller shares of Black and Hispanic adults say the same—71 percent and 65 percent, respectively. When it comes to accessing the internet, mobile devices play a larger role for Hispanic adults compared with White adults. A quarter of Hispanics are “smartphone-only” internet users—meaning they own a smartphone but lack traditional home broadband services. By comparison, 12 percent of White adults and 17 percent of Black adults fall into this category. Bias by internet service providers further exacerbates the impact of poverty: Internet providers prefer to serve areas that have higher incomes, so lower-income neighborhoods are often at a disadvantage in terms of accessing internet services even if individuals can afford them. Research has even shown that communities of color are more likely to pay higher rates for the same level of internet access in the same city, often only blocks away from where lower rates are charged. A 2022 investigation by The Markup found that AT&T, Verizon, EarthLink, and CenturyLink disproportionately offered slow internet service to lower-income and least-White neighborhoods for the same price they offered speedier connections in other parts of town.

Sep 07, 2023

A coalition of 22 donors will infuse more than half a billion dollars over the next five years into Press Forward, a national initiative to strengthen communities and democracy by supporting local news and information. Press Forward will enhance local journalism at an unprecedented level to re-center local news as a force for community cohesion; support new models and solutions that are ready to scale; and close longstanding inequities in journalism coverage and practice. Press Forward seeks to reverse the dramatic decline in local news that has coincided with an increasingly divided America and weakening trust in institutions.

Sep 07, 2023

The Senate confirmed Anna Gomez to the Federal Communications Commission, breaking the deadlock at the agency that has lasted the entirety of the Biden presidency. The vote in favor was 55-43. Gomez’s confirmation comes after a protracted battle to confirm Biden’s initial pick for the commissioner seat, Gigi Sohn. As senators remained split on Sohn's confirmation, the FCC was left in a 2-2 deadlock of Republican and Democratic commissioners, limiting its agenda to items that both sides could agree on. With the arrival of Gomez, an attorney who’s previously worked in several positions at the FCC and in the private sector, the agency has the opportunity to pursue actions without the support of the Republican commissioners. That could include a push to return to net neutrality rules, which seek to prevent internet service providers from slowing or blocking service for select websites, for which President Joe Biden has voiced his support for. Still, the late confirmation and fast-approaching 2024 elections could complicate such efforts.

Sep 06, 2023

Vodafone’s announcement that it has formed a partnership with Project Kuiper, Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite (LEO) communications initiative, joins a growing list of operator tie-ups with satellite service providers to solve backhaul and rural connectivity challenges. Vodafone and its African Vodacom group plan to use Project Kuiper’s network to extend the reach of 4G and 5G services to more of their customers in Europe and Africa, serving areas that “may otherwise be challenging and prohibitively expensive to serve via traditional fiber or microwave solutions.” Amazon has yet to launch any satellites, so delivering access for Vodafone on the ground is still some way off.

Sep 06, 2023

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Sep 06, 2023

Following nearly a year of sustained pressure on brands from the #StopToxicTwitter coalition, showing the dangers of advertising on Twitter (now “X”), Elon Musk is now singling out coalition members to blame for the company’s extensive revenue losses. Musk threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for these losses, continuing his penchant for using lawyers to silence his critics. Musk’s acknowledgment of these significant losses comes as X is also claiming — without evidence — that many major brands have returned to advertise on the platform. #StopToxicTwitter member ADL is among Musk’s chief critics, repeatedly calling out his amplification of antisemitic voices and memes. 

Sep 06, 2023

The Senate working group tasked with assessing the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund (USF) collected comments on what it should focus on when considering potential reforms for the program. The USF funding mechanism was developed at a time when home phone service was the predominant method of communication. As a result, voice service revenues were and continue to be the primary means by which USF’s programs are funded. With this outdated funding framework, a handful of companies and their customers provide nearly all of the funding for the USF. The most efficient and equitable way to reform USF funding and ensure that broadband benefits continue to be available to all is through direct congressional appropriations. Rather than relying on a contribution system that is patently outdated and no longer fits the fund’s original scope and relies on a quickly vanishing revenue stream, Congress should secure annual appropriations that will support the USF programs in a fair, straightforward, and reliable way. However, if ongoing direct appropriations are not possible, then Congress should provide the FCC with the authority to expand the base of contributors to the USF fund to include the types of companies and services that most benefit from expanding broadband availability. Contributions from large technology companies, edge service providers, and others that directly benefit from the nation’s universal service goals will ensure the fund is big enough to continue to support American connectivity needs and the USF’s objectives.

Sep 06, 2023

The Congressional directive in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure that there be specific, predictable, and sufficient Federal and State mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service. The dilemma is that the source of Universal Service Fund (USF) programs is end user (i.e. retail) revenues from international and interstate wireline and mobile services, as well as revenue from providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. The reduction of long-distance (inter-state) voice minutes, the transition to non-interconnected services, and cord cord-cutting of wireline phone services have reduced the contribution base—the revenues used to calculate USF contributions—by more than 60 percent over the last two decades. As a consequence, the contribution factor, i.e., the percentage surcharge added to remaining telecommunications service bills, has increased by significant amounts. There is little dispute that the contribution base for USF must be broadened. There are a number of proposals to accomplish that goal, some of which the FCC may be able to employ using its existing powers, and others that would require legislation. The Benton Institute takes no position at this time as to which mechanism would be best.However, Benton does emphasize that proposals to finance the USF via the Congressional appropriations process are ill advised and, indeed, extremely dangerous. Even with multiyear appropriations (something which is very difficult to accomplish legislatively for both political and technical reasons), leaving USF to the vagaries of the appropriations process would unquestionably conflict with the established—and essential—objective of maintaining a specific and predictable funding mechanism, and would likely endanger sufficient funding as well.

Sep 06, 2023

Dish Network defended its request for more time to buy 800 MHz spectrum from T-Mobile, telling a Washington (DC) court that it boils down to the final judgment the court approved in 2020. Dish originally was supposed to exercise its option to purchase the spectrum by June 30, 2023, but received an extension. It’s now seeking a 10-month extension because it doesn’t have $3.6 billion on hand to buy the licenses. T-Mobile responded with its opposition, arguing that Dish can’t claim hardship or difficulty as grounds for modifying the final judgment and that rising interest rates, whatever their cause, have always been a known risk of financing. Dish seized on that, telling the court: “T-Mobile’s cavalier attitude toward unprecedented interest rate hikes notwithstanding, the global financial turbulence resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and a war in Europe was certainly not foreseeable by Dish when the Division commenced this action in mid-2019. But those events have seriously impaired Dish’s ability to close the purchase of the 800 MHz spectrum licenses in the near term.”

Sep 06, 2023

US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona made stops in Kansas and Missouri as part of a multi-state tour, labeling internet access “the new pencil” as he discussed the government’s efforts to expand broadband connectivity. While speaking to superintendents and education leaders in Kansas, he declared lack of access the “equity issue of our moment.” Secretary Cardona was joined by Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to discuss the “digital divide,” with school superintendents and education leaders from corporate and nonprofit companies. Chairwoman Rosenworcel hopes that communication from community partners will help form trust around the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to reach those who may not otherwise sign up for the federal program. 

Sep 06, 2023

The Capital Projects Fund money will go to infrastructure and community centers.

Sep 06, 2023

The Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) developed a vision for digital equity in Washington state: Everyone in Washington has affordable broadband internet technology as well as the tools and skills needed to participate in our digital society before 2028. The WSBO has established three goals designed to achieve the stated vision:

Sep 06, 2023

Google has reached a tentative settlement with more than 30 US states and 21 million customers -- but not app developers -- who sued the company for allegedly violating antitrust laws by overcharging for apps in the Google Play Store. The settlement comes after a court revoked the lawsuit's class-action status. At one point, plaintiffs estimated that Google might owe them $4.7 billion in damages; however, it was previously reported that losing the class-action status would significantly reduce damages for states and customers suing. Nothing will be finalized until the settlement is approved by the State Attorneys General and Google owner Alphabet Inc’s board of directors. The court filing said that the long-form settlement agreement will likely be submitted to the court for approval within the next 30 days. Both parties agreed to appear at a status conference on October 12, to provide an update on the settlement and outline a plan to secure court approval.

Sep 06, 2023

Comcast has continued to shed broadband subscribers, despite domestic broadband revenue being a bright spot in its second quarter (Q2) earnings. CEO Brain Roberts noted average revenue per user (ARPU) for broadband grew “four and a half percent” in the first half of 2023. As to what’s driving Comcast’s broadband growth, Roberts pointed to an influx of broadband usage, which “almost doubled” in the last couple of years. The average non-linear video customer uses 700 gigabits of data per month, he said. And in the last four years, the company has seen "13 times more attached devices to Wi-Fi than we did in 2018…and we’ve got a billion devices attached in our homes.”

Sep 06, 2023

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) commited nearly $50 million to four organizations to expand middle-mile high-speed Internet infrastructure in the following states:

Sep 06, 2023

Kentucky is investing a record $386 million to expand access in 46 counties, bringing high-speed internet access to more than 42,600 homes and businesses for the first time. The funding will allow providers to run fiber to each location. More than 25,000 locations are considered to have no service and more than 17,000 are considered unserved. Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) awarded 56 grants totaling more than $196 million from the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund, part of his Better Internet program. Internet service providers that received grant funding will also contribute more than $190 million in matching funds. The awards were allocated from the $300 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund.

Sep 06, 2023

Internet consumers benefitting from the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) are experiencing significant improvement in education and employment opportunities, according to the results of a survey of Bluepeak Internet customers conducted in August 2023. The survey results indicate subscribers in ACP households were able to find jobs, apply for financial aid or college, do homework, and participate in distance learning. In addition, some reported having home internet helped a member of their household become a first-generation college graduate, according to the Bluepeak survey findings.

Sep 06, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission committed nearly $7 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program, which provides digital tools and services to support students in communities across the country. The funding commitment supports applications from the third application window, benefitting approximately 50,000 students nationwide, including students in California, Colorado, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Sep 06, 2023

LICT completed its spinoff of Michigan Broadband on August 31, 2023. The spinoff company is now known as MachTen. LICT, a rural broadband consolidator with operations in several states, withdrew from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program due to “substantial cost increases and other significant changes within the organization since we first participated and won in the RDOF public auction.”

Sep 06, 2023

The Department of the Treasury approved $158 million in federal funds for broadband infrastructure and multi-purpose community facility projects in Puerto Rico under the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF). Puerto Rico is approved to receive $85.7 million to improve the resiliency, reliability, and speed of the island’s high-speed internet access. This funding will specifically promote the Puerto Rico Submarine Cable Resiliency (PRSCR) Program, which will construct a new submarine fiber route to the island of Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic and the US Virgin Islands and create three new cable landing stations on the island’s coastlines. Puerto Rico will invest an additional $64.7 million of CPF funding in the Puerto Rico Multi-Purpose Community Technology Center Program, which seeks to create multi-purpose community technology centers / “Centros Tecnológicos” in areas across Puerto Rico where the public can access high-speed internet, use on-site devices, borrow devices for at-home use, have access to educational opportunities in technology, digital learning, work remotely, and access healthcare services. Together with their administrative funding, these projects represent 100 percent of the territory's total allocation under the CPF program. The remainder of the funds (approximately $8 million) will be used by Puerto Rico to administer the programs.

Sep 06, 2023

AT&T’s CEO John Stankey said, “There’s a fallacy to say there’s fixed networks and wireless networks. There are only fiber networks with different access technologies on the end of them. That’s where this is all going.” He said the most important thing is having “robust fiber infrastructure with the right capillaries in the right places.” Those “capillaries” can end with different types of access technologies, whether that’s a broadband router or a cell site or a managed router at a business location. He continued, saying, "The first version of convergence typically ends up being some kind of bundle, but ultimately it morphs into product evolution. The product is the network.”

Sep 06, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission made final funding allocations for the Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program (ACP Outreach Grant Program), and Tribal Competitive Outreach Program (TCOP) Round 2. The total amount of final funds announced for TCOP Round 2 is over $1.2 million. The extensive demand for ACP outreach funding so far underscores the need for these funds and the importance of reaching the eligible households that have not yet enrolled in the ACP. This new funding opportunity for ACP outreach is intended to provide funding to five additional Tribal organizations, beyond the 20 TCOP grant recipients that were announced as part of the FCC's March 10, 2023 funding announcement. The awardees are as follows:

Sep 06, 2023

The Capital Projects Fund money will go to infrastructure and community centers.

Sep 06, 2023

Highline completed the construction of “The Thumb” service area, now offering fiber broadband to over 8,000 households in Sanilac, Tuscola, Lapeer, and St. Clair (MI) counties. Highline’s 823-mile fiber optic network was built with a combination of private investment backed by ITC Capital Partners and the Federal Communications Commission's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) grant program. While representing 14% of Highline’s total RDOF location commitment, Highline was able to complete this geographic portion of the network in two years rather than by the end of 2027.

Sep 06, 2023

The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) Project Office unveils the ARA, a new testbed in Central Iowa dedicated to research on rural wireless systems and applications. The ARA combines both commercial and programmable network systems. The multi-modal platform is based on the Iowa State University (ISU) campus with coverage extending to local crop and livestock farms and parts of the City of Ames (IA). The ARA platform uniquely combines several types of technologies in both the backhaul and radio access portions of the network from Aviat, Skylark Wireless, NI, and Ericsson. For backhaul connectivity, ARA uses Aviat radios operating in the 11 GHz and 80 GHz bands. The testbed also maintains fiber connections as a backup. In the radio access network, the ARA team has partnered with Skylark Wireless in developing and deploying production-grade, many-antenna MIMO systems with research APIs for communications using TV White Space (TVWS) spectrum, and it has deployed software-defined radios from NI using mid-band connectivity.

Sep 05, 2023

The debate over how internet platforms moderate content has reached a fever pitch. To get around First Amendment concerns, some proponents of content moderation regulation argue that internet platforms should be regulated as “common carriers”—that is, internet platforms should be legally obligated to serve all comers without discrimination. As these proponents regularly point to communications law as an analytical template, it appears that the term “common carrier” has become a euphemism for full-blown public utility regulation complete with a dedicated regulator. However, proponents of common carrier regulation provide no details about how this regime would work. Rather than regulate, perhaps there is a far cheaper and less intrusive solution for complaints about undue content moderation than massive government regulation: consumers can simply choose not to use social media platforms.

Sep 05, 2023

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Sep 05, 2023

Nearly 20% of the top 1000 websites in the world are blocking crawler bots that gather web data for artificial intelligence (AI) services, according to new data from Originality.AI, an AI content detector. In the absence of clear legal or regulatory rules governing AI's use of copyrighted material, websites big and small are taking matters into their own hands. OpenAI introduced its GPTBot crawler early in August, declaring that the data gathered "may potentially be used to improve future models," promising that paywalled content would be excluded and instructing websites on how to bar the crawler. Of the 1000 most visited websites in the world, the number of sites blocking OpenAI's ChatGPT bot has increased from 9.1% on Aug 22, 2023, to 12% on Aug 29, 2023, per Originality.AI's data. Google and other web firms see their data crawlers' work as fair use, but many publishers and intellectual property holders have long objected, and the company has faced multiple lawsuits over the practice.

Sep 05, 2023

Missouri-based Gateway Fiber is stretching its legs outside of the state to break ground on fresh fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) projects in Minnesota. In February 2023, Gateway Fiber was acquired by CBRE Investment Management in part to help finance FTTH build-outs as the team prepares for national expansion. John Meyer, Chief Marketing Officer at Gateway, said that the team found that the Minnesota specifically markets around Minneapolis, fit into its internal formula. Meyer said that the decision to enter Minnesota next was unrelated to the state’s federal grant monies. Right now, the new projects getting ready to launch in early September 2023 are in Blaine and Coon Rapids (MN).

Sep 05, 2023

The hurricane waiver relieves providers from Universal Service Fund rules.

Sep 05, 2023

North Carolina’s first Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program. It will connect 6,012 households and 164 businesses in 14 counties to high-speed internet. The CAB program, administered by the NC Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), complements the state’s Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grant program to reach additional unserved areas. Like GREAT grant awardees, all CAB program grantees must participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible low-income households a $30 per month discount on high-speed internet service, or provide access to a comparable low-cost program. CAB program applicants must also agree to provide high-speed service, defined as a minimum of 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload, scalable to 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload on or before Dec. 31, 2026. Awardees include:

Sep 05, 2023

The cost of connecting Nebraska’s Winnebago Tribe reservation with fiber-optic cable could average $53,000 for each household and workplace connected. That amount exceeds the assessed value of some of the homes getting hookups, property records show. While most connections will cost far less, the expense to reach some remote communities has triggered concerns over the ultimate price tag for ensuring every rural home, business, school, and workplace in America has the same internet that city dwellers enjoy. “The problem is, money is not infinite,” said Blair Levin, a senior communications policy official in the Clinton and Obama administrations who is now an equity research analyst. “If you’re spending $50,000 to connect a very remote location, you have to ask yourself, would we be better off spending that same amount of money to connect [more] families?” Providing fiber-optic cable is the industry standard, but alternative options -- such as satellite service -- are cheaper, if less reliable. Congress has left it up to state and federal officials implementing the program to decide how much is too much in hard-to-reach areas. Defenders of the federal broadband infrastructure programs say a simple per-location cost doesn’t capture their benefits. Once built, rural fiber lines can be used to upgrade cell service or to add more connections to nearby towns. For the Winnebago Tribe, the introduction of high-speed internet is seen as a means to spur economic development and to give young people a reason to stay on the reservation, instead of leaving for a city. 

Sep 05, 2023

California is expected to significantly scale down a multibillion-dollar plan to expand high-speed broadband networks soon. And the data the state is using to make the amendments is inaccurate, experts and advocates say, meaning lower-income areas with some of the lowest rates of internet access, like East Oakland, could lose out the most. In pockets of Alameda County, which includes East Oakland, up to 38% of residents don’t have internet access, nearly triple the 13% statewide average. That adds up to nearly 94,000 Oakland residents who lack internet access. Parts of South Central Los Angeles have similar proportions of residents without broadband services, amounting to about 416,000 Los Angeles County residents. Yet, it’s internet deserts in East Oakland and South Central Los Angeles, as well as those in Wasco (Kern County) and Stockton (San Joaquin County), that will be left behind if the state forgoes development of internet infrastructure. Proposed spending cuts for middle-mile infrastructure in East Oakland and South Central Los Angeles will save the state about $28 million. In total, the state is expected to save about $765 million by scaling down middle-mile development.

Sep 05, 2023

Strategic rethinking of the policies that promote 5G development and deployment in Europe is needed, as they are crucial in determining the future impact of 5G and later 6G on the digital economy. Considering the current state of 5G deployment and insights that have emerged from the debate on 5G technological leadership, there is a need for a more effective and proactive policy from the European Union (EU) in this field. Research suggests the development of industrial policy that contrasts fragmentation in the telecommunications sector by taking the whole EU as the scale of action, instead of just the individual member states. To remain globally relevant and competitive in this race, the EU may need to start treating the development and deployment of 5G, and in the future of 6G, as a true Single Market issue.

Sep 05, 2023

On August 14, Sens Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Thune (R-SD) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel with concerns about the FCC’s failure to grant approximately 90% of licenses won in the 2496-2690 MHz (“2.5 GHz”) auction. On August 28 she wrote back saying that section 309(j)(11) of the Communications Act explicitly states that the FCC's authority to “grant a license or permit” for any spectrum that is auctioned “shall expire March 9, 2023.” This provision is straightforward. Furthermore, any effort to license these airwaves with temporary authority is conditioned on the agency’s having relevant authority. To this end, the Communications Act states that special temporary authority pursuant to Section 309(f) may be granted only “if the grant of such application is otherwise authorized by law.” Here, that authorization expired on March 9, 2023. If the FCC were to expend funds to continue to process the licenses won in Auction 108 notwithstanding the sunsetting of our authority to do so, it would put the agency staff at risk of criminal penalties for violating the Antideficiency Act. In light of these statutory restraints, it is imperative that Congress renew the FCC's spectrum auction authority as soon as possible.

Sep 05, 2023

Northeast broadband provider Archtop Fiber has completed its acquisition of GTel, which will allow Archtop to expand its network in more than five townships across New York’s Columbia County. GTel currently has more than 2,500 customers on a 300-mile fiber network. Archtop indicated GTel won three grants from the New NY Broadband Program to expand to over 5,000 individual locations, “almost tripling” its legacy footprint. GTel states Archtop’s acquisition will bring “new tech-focused jobs and business opportunities” to the region and GTel will have more access to capital for network expansion. Archtop is targeting 500,000 XGS-PON passings in New York’s Hudson Valley region over the next several years. The broadband provider currently serves markets in New York and Pennsylvania but has also expressed interest in expanding to Massachusetts.

Sep 05, 2023

As the US sets out to get everyone connected to broadband, it’s about more than just making sure broadband is available everywhere. As Angela Thi Bennett, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) first director of digital equity put it, “We’re not just focused on the technical aspects of building out the network but ensuring that people are at the epicenter.” That, Bennett said, will require a “whole of nation” approach that will involve federal and state partners, philanthropy organizations, and the private sector. According to Bennett, “The states are approaching this not as a check-the-box but approaching it as a meaningful way to incorporate [digital equity] into their plans.” Bennett came to NTIA from the non-profit DigitalC in Cleveland (OH), where she was director of advocacy, a job that entailed “helping to develop a strategy to connect with the community and educating leadership at the local state and national level on the importance of access, not only to high-speed internet but also to resources and skills to improve people’s lives,” she said. The move to NTIA is enabling her to take the work she was doing at the local level to the national level. As Bennett noted, the digital equity plans outlined in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) require “robust local engagement” and bring “the voices of all the people to the table.” Ultimately, it’s “the largest demonstration of participatory democracy that our country has ever seen,” she said.

Sep 05, 2023

In 2019, more than 44.9 million immigrants lived in the United States. One-third (14.8 million) were low income, meaning that their family’s income was below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. These immigrants face challenges including language barriers and lack of access to information. In 2019, approximately 46 percent of immigrants ages five and older (approximately 20 million people) were Limited English Proficient (LEP). Immigrants accounted for 81 percent of the country’s 25.5 million LEP individuals. In 2019, 15 percent of low-income immigrants lived in an unbanked household—that is, one in which no household member had a checking or savings account—in which the process of paying for monthly service can be more difficult. According to the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC; also known as the Survey of Adult Skills), as of 2015, 36 percent of native-born, native-language adults reached higher levels of proficiency solving problems in digital environments or using digital tools compared to just 12 percent of U.S. residents who are foreign-born and speak a language other than English. Immigrants who speak a language other than English in the home were also four times as likely as English speakers to have no experience with computers.

Sep 04, 2023

Collaboration and a not-for-profit model allow rural providers to serve the most sparsely populated areas.