Event Related Broadband Grants News

Nov 28, 2022

The FCC’s order prevents future authorizations of equipment on the commission’s “Covered List” of national security threats.

Dec 01, 2022

China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration, instructed tech companies to expand censorship of protests and moved to curb access to virtual private networks, as a government clampdown succeeds in keeping most protesters off the streets after nationwide demonstrations erupted against the country’s strict Covid policies. The Cyberspace Administration of China issued guidance to companies on Nov 29, including Tencent Holdings and ByteDance, the Chinese owner of short video apps TikTok and Douyin, asking them to add more staff to internet censorship teams. The companies were also asked to pay more attention to content related to the protests, particularly any information being shared about demonstrations at Chinese universities and a fire in the western Xinjiang region that triggered the nationwide backlash over Covid policies. The directives were issued following an internal meeting at the internet regulator, where officials were also told to ask Chinese search engines, e-commerce companies and internet content platforms to conduct a fresh sweep to remove sales postings and information about how to use virtual private networks, also known as VPNs. The regulator also asked officials to get companies to prevent searches related to VPNs, which were used by protesters and their supporters to circulate videos of the recent demonstrations.

Dec 01, 2022

The December meeting includes digital discrimination prevention, phone service accessibility, and satellite application processes.

Dec 01, 2022

The December meeting includes digital discrimination prevention, phone service accessibility, and satellite application processes.

Dec 05, 2022

Each year, the Indigenous Connectivity Summit (ICS) brings together Indigenous leaders, network operators, and policymakers to nurture a continent-wide community dedicated to enhancing the capacity of Indigenous communities to connect to affordable, sustainable internet on their terms. As part of this effort, each year since the first ICS in 2017, delegates have developed and endorsed a set of recommendations that, if adopted by governments and other stakeholders, will help advance connectivity in Indigenous communities in Canada and the US. The 2022 Indigenous Summit Calls to Action are as follows:Digital inequity is the product of colonialism. Therefore, we call on the governments of Canada and the United States to decolonize their respective telecommunications policy processes by creating an indigenous task force on telecommunications.Governments should require that projects that use government funds take a First Mile First approach, meaning the project must be designed and implemented with the community end user as the starting point, not the end point.We call on the governments of Canada and the United States to strengthen and enforce their existing regulatory mechanisms to hold companies accountable in the event they misuse government funds for telecommunications projects affecting Indigenous territories, or when they are deemed to be not acting in the best interest of the community as determined by local leadershipWe call on the Governments of Canada and the U.S. to acknowledge that Indigenous Peoples have myriad needs for the natural resource called electromagnetic spectrum (“spectrum”), including but not limited to climate change monitoring and modeling, food sovereignty and security, health and safety, especially pertaining to missing and murdered Indigenous people, mental health and wellness, emergency management, education, economic development, revenue, and other priorities.We need a multi-faceted workforce development effort to strengthen capacity within communities to achieve digital equity. To that end, we call upon Indigenous/Tribal colleges and community colleges to work with communities and relevant technical organizations to codesign and implement appropriate educational programming that develops the technical capacity of Indigenous people of all ages.

Dec 05, 2022

The jokes and memes about Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase as proof of a massive midlife crisis are at least partly on point. The internet, for one, is having its own midlife crisis. And as with any midlife crisis, the internet can spiral into the abyss, continuing its own self-destructive pathway, or we can seize the moment to build a better internet founded on the essential principle that the internet belongs to all of us. Twitter isn’t just a platform. It’s how some of us live, work, and survive. Many have long argued that Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms are public utilities—they provide an essential service to the public by enabling the flow of communication that supports communities, commerce, and access to critical information. The fact that one of the world’s wealthiest men can buy Twitter and screw it up has prompted an epiphany for many of its most loyal devotees: activists, journalists, politicians, and yes, trolls. We need to reshape the internet to support this public spirit—or at least refashion a small slice of it. But that requires grappling with questions that have vexed decades of internet policy thinkers; namely, who foots the bill and who sets the rules of engagement? The government needs to provide regulatory guidance to prevent the worst excesses of capitalist egress and abuse, serving as a steward for the public. “New Twitter” could be a global communication platform owned and operated by a coalition of public service–minded stakeholders. But to keep Twitter, well, Twitter, it needs to retain some core properties and features of the platform that people have valued. Namely, the platform needs to be free, it needs to have scale, and for better or worse, it needs to be a place for free expression. Twitter would need to have a long leash, much like well-supported public broadcast providers in democracies across the globe that have remained at arm’s length from government censorship.[Nikki Usher is an associate professor in communication at the University of San Diego and a senior fellow at the Open Markets Institute.]

Dec 09, 2022

The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is calling on all Vermonters to check their addresses on the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map and file a challenge if the information is incorrect. Correcting addresses that are incorrectly listed as served at speeds of 25/3 Mbps or greater by a wired or licensed wireless provider could mean millions of additional federal dollars to build out 100/100 Mbps fiber broadband across the state. The map shows service at addresses as reported by providers. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said, "We all should be concerned the FCC’s new National Broadband Map inaccurately represents our state’s ability to connect with the global economy, which will prevent Vermont from receiving the Federal funds we need to build out affordable broadband networks." 

Dec 14, 2022

Back in 1996, Congress amended the Communications Act to include antidiscrimination as part of American telecommunications policy. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act reinforced this initiative, directing the Federal Communications Commission to adopt rules “to facilitate equal access to broadband,” including by “preventing digital discrimination of access.” To fulfill this mandate, the FCC has placed a notice of proposed rulemaking on the agenda for its December 21 open meeting. But a key question is how one defines “discrimination.” The breadth of the agency’s proposed definition could have unintended consequences, for the telecommunications industry and for antidiscrimination law generally. The FCC has proposed adopting the broader “disparate impact” theory as part of its definition of digital discrimination. But the potential breadth of disparate impact liability is concerning, because so many innocuous (or even important) decisions can have different consequences for different populations. [Daniel Lyons is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on telecommunications and internet regulation. He is also the associate dean of academic affairs and a professor of law at Boston College Law School, where he teaches telecommunications, administrative, and cyber law, among other courses.]

Dec 20, 2022

A passionate and bipartisan legislative effort to rein in the country’s largest technology companies collapsed this week, the victim of an epic lobbying campaign by Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. The internet titans spent hundreds of millions of dollars, sent their chief executives to Washington, and deployed trade groups and sympathetic scholars to quash two antitrust bills co-sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley, an Iowa Republican. The companies treated the bills like an existential threat. The years-long legislative effort, which harnessed outrage over tech companies’ power and dominance, would have cracked down on the practices of Alphabets Google, Amazon.com, Meta Platforms, and Apple for the first time in the nearly three decades since the internet was unveiled to the public. The closely watched bills advanced farther than any other antitrust overhaul in decades and emerged from an 18-month House investigation led by Rhode Island Democrat Rep. David Cicilline. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act would have prevented the tech giants from using their platforms to disadvantage competitors, while the Open App Markets Act would have pared back Apple’s and Google’s control over app stores. Despite an aggressive eleventh-hour push, the bills were not included in the end-of-year spending package, the final shot this year. 

Dec 20, 2022

The omnibus spending bill unveiled by lawmakers expands a ban on Chinese-owned TikTok on federal smartphones, but tough new measures targeting the tech industry didn’t make the cut. The inclusion of the proposal to ban TikTok comes after the Senate, led by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), passed the governmentwide ban measure separately. It is expected to be approved again by both chambers as part of the omnibus. The Pentagon, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration have already imposed similar bans on TikTok being downloaded on government-issued smartphones and other devices, on grounds that data collected on users could be shared with the Chinese government. The Biden administration is under fire for delays in negotiating an agreement with TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance, aimed at preventing data on Americans from being shared with China’s authoritarian government. TikTok has repeatedly said that it safeguards the data of its users and wouldn’t share it with the Chinese government.

Dec 21, 2022

"Today we move forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking," said Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. "This document builds on our earlier efforts. That means we now seek more targeted comment on how to define digital discrimination. We also propose reforms to our consumer complaint system to create a dedicated pathway for digital discrimination complaints. And we propose to adopt the model policies and best practices for states and localities that our Communications Equity and Diversity Council recently adopted. Getting to final rules next year will require more engagement, more collaboration, and more work. The input we have received thus far from stakeholders is an awfully good start. But to get this right, we still need more input and ideas because we can’t reach our goal of connecting everyone, everywhere unless we eliminate digital discrimination. So let’s get to it.""Much of what we do here at the FCC will last years, decades even," said Federal Communication Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. "But some of what we do will impact generations of Americans. This is such a proceeding. Eradicating digital discrimination is not just a promise for today—it’s also a guarantee for a more just and equitable future tomorrow. That’s why I’m thrilled to see us work together in support of this important goal. With this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, we move one step closer to completing not only our statutory obligation—but our moral obligation—to facilitate equal access to broadband and prevent digital discrimination. [P]rogress is important. Past claims that there was no business case to deploy services in certain communities are just that—stuck in the past—thanks to the Affordable Connectivity Program and the proven evidence that consumers will sign up for broadband if you make a quality service available and put in the effort to reach them. I look forward to the digital future we all deserve: the one where no community struggles to find basic connectivity while others pass them by with constant service upgrades.”“We applaud the FCC’s effort to meet the congressionally mandated deadline to create rules preventing and eliminating digital discrimination, although we’ll still need to fill the fifth Commissioner seat to achieve this goal," said Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge. "The Commission’s forthcoming rules around digital discrimination, if implemented correctly, could prove one of the most effective mechanisms available to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, reliable internet service. In order to fulfill its congressional intent to end the disproportionate impact of the digital divide on low-income and marginalized communities, we hope that the Commission’s forthcoming rules will hold broadband providers liable for acts that lead to a discriminatory impact, whether. Moreover, we urge the Commission to take a holistic view of comparable service that reflects all components of the customer experience and to interpret its mandate to ‘take into account issues of technological and economic feasibility’ narrowly by adopting a rebuttable presumption that service is technically and economically feasible."“There is no disagreement that there should be equal access to broadband for all the people of the United States and that digital discrimination should be prevented," says Free State Foundation President Randolph May and Director of Policy Studies Seth Cooper. "But it is unnecessary, and likely to be counterproductive to the achievement of that worthy objective, for the Commission to adopt a rule which allows discrimination to be proved based on a showing of unintentional 'disparate impact' rather than on a showing of intentional discrimination. And it is likely that a rule adopting a ‘disparate impact’ test wouldn’t survive a judicial challenge because the text and structure of the Infrastructure Act, along with relevant judicial precedents, require an intent-based definitional standard to prove digital discrimination.”

Dec 29, 2022

The CRS report references a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event held in October.

Jan 03, 2023

In one of the provisions of the massive Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Congress articulates the policy of the United State that 1) subscribers should benefit from equal access to broadband internet access service within the service area of a provider of such service, 2) "equal access" means the equal opportunity to subscribe to an offered service that provides comparable speeds, capacities, latency, and other quality of service metrics in a given area, for comparable terms and conditions; and 3) the Federal Communications Commission should take steps to ensure that all people of the United States benefit from equal access to broadband internet access service. Congress gave the FCC two years to adopt rules to facilitate equal access to broadband internet access service including 1) preventing digital discrimination of access based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin and 2) identifying necessary steps to eliminate discrimination. In its new proceeding, the FCC is asking for input on five issues: I) Defining "Digital Discrimination of Access," II) Revising its Informal Consumer Complaint Process, III) Rules Prohibiting Digital Discrimination of Access, IV) State and Local Model Policies and Best Practices, and V) Additional Efforts to Promote Digital Equity and Inclusion. Public comments will be due at the FCC during the first quarter of 2023. By law, the FCC must adopt rules to facilitate equal access to broadband internet access service by November 15, 2023. 

Jan 03, 2023

It’s never too early to start the year with good news, so here is some to share as I head out to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES): An artificial intelligence (AI) program designed to automate the creation of new drugs was tweaked to generate toxic compounds. It created 40,000 chemical warfare agents in about six hours.On second thought, maybe that’s not the best AI story to kick off the year. How about this: ChatGPT, an AI model that can create conversational dialogue, recently negotiated a $120 discount from Comcast on behalf of an engineer. CES launches this week with the usual fanfare. Smart transportation, digital healthcare, and personal security are headlining the event alongside an increasing presence from the ag industry. It will be the first “full” show since 2020. The 2021 expo was virtual, and last year was, well, a shell, with wide open spaces where in previous years exhibitors and attendees jostled for space. But in just two years, so much has changed. Telework, telehealth, and distance learning are no longer novelties. Nor are they perceived as “alternatives.” Rather, they are in many instances first choice options, either by themselves or when used in conjunction with more traditional “in person” experiences. Surveys indicate that for many people, price-points are a determinative factor in the decision to engage telehealth. But price-points include more than co-pays or service fees for physician-patient interactions. The American College of Emergency Physicians is scheduled to share developments in remote diagnostics and treatment. These can help address an elusive challenge in health care: Patients defer diagnosis due to high costs and affordability, leading ultimately to increased health care costs that could have been lowered through earlier intervention. More than 500 AI and machine learning medical devices have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These include devices designed to identify cancer, hidden heart diseases, and diabetic retinopathy. Deploying these devices strategically in health care shortage provider areas, or enabling remote use of these tools, could facilitate cost-effective intervention at earlier stages of illness.Other CES highlights include smart transportation, including self-driving cars and electric vehicles. In 2015, I walked by a Tesla on the show floor; it was one of a small automotive segment at CES. In the past several years, however, mainstream automakers including Toyota, Lincoln, Jeep, and Ford are occupying increasing amounts of floor space. And they’re not the only vehicles on-site: John Deere is growing an increasing presence, this year sponsoring the opening keynote address. Again, this is simply indicative of the growing interplay of tech and ag, including broadband-enabled functionalities. And it’s not just the private sector: The FCC is in year three of its Precision Ag Task Force. I’ve been lucky enough to serve on workgroups addressing adoption, jobs, and security, and can attest first-hand that the role of broadband in ag production and supply is receiving coordinated priority attention.But let’s get back to AI and chemical warfare and ChatGPT. Without a doubt, every tech endeavor invokes risk. It’s just that the risks seem a little more personal now in an ultra-connected environment. The labs whose AI models proposed 40,000 chemical agents simply reversed the process they had designed to identify compounds that could be used as drugs. And while ChatGPT can generate an original essay that will earn a passing college grade, developers of a public version acknowledge that they need to temper “the tendency of the bot to lie.” For the purposes of negotiating discounts or arguing a way out of parking tickets, the intended outer limits are “aggressive” and “emotional” – but not outright fabrication. The challenge seems to be more about algorithms and less about morality. Indeed, one advantage humans have over AI (for now, at least) is moral reasoning.And perhaps that brings us to a lens through which we might expect so much of this year’s CES to be viewed: The challenge to apply technology safely, securely, and meaningfully. CES will still boast displays of enormous 4K TVs. But it is also to devices that are aimed at keeping seniors safe at home. Virtual Reality headsets will be found in gaming areas; but they’ll also be highlighted for their use in therapeutic settings. And there’s some good news to kick off the new year.© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Jan 05, 2023

The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission grants a request filed by seventeen groups and individuals for an extension of the time in which to file comments in response to the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency docket. As determined by the date of publication in the Federal Register, comments and reply comments were originally due on January 17, 2023 and February 14, 2023, respectively. The FCC extends the comment date 30 days to February 16, 2023. Reply comments are now due March 16, 2023. [CG Docket No. 22-2]

Jan 04, 2023

Canada’s competition tribunal approved Rogers Communications’ CAD 20 billion ($14.77 billion) bid for rival operator Shaw Communications. The ruling, which dismissed the Commissioner of Competition’s petition to oppose the proposed merger, also stated the Rogers-Shaw merger after the sale of Freedom Mobile may not prevent or lessen competition or lead to higher prices or a decline in the quality of service. In a joint statement, Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications welcomed the decision by the competition tribunal allowing the proposed acquisition of Freedom Mobile by Videotron a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quebecor, and the subsequent combination of Rogers and Shaw. 

Jan 05, 2023

Several years ago, NTCA’s Smart Rural Community initiative published a paper that explored changing job market trends and how broadband deployment in rural areas can help schools and students align educational processes to meet those changes. The paper explored the increasing role of technology in manufacturing as well as the pivot from “vocational education” to “career and technical education.” Fast forward several years and those discussions have expanded to include the need to cultivate a skilled workforce who can design, deploy, and maintain advanced communications networks. While the scope of the challenge faced by the broadband industry may be eye-opening, the root cause of increased demand should not surprise anyone.In 2022, 38 percent of all video viewing was via streaming. This represented a significant increase from the prior year in which 28 percent of video consumption was through streaming services. A NASDAQ representative commented today that overall tech transformations that usually enjoy a four-to-six-year cycle in regular markets started and finished in just 18 months since the COVID pandemic. This of course leads to greater demand for broadband, as well as greater demand for the workers who enable those networks. The outcomes do not simply reflect a digital transformation, but an overall behavioral change. And whatever it is, or was, or will become, will require connectivity.And that connectivity is measured not merely in the speed and capability that is wired into a house but can be viewed from perspective of all the devices and applications that are connected. Nielsen, the data analytics and ratings powerhouse, notes the need to measure user habits across all of their screens. Ratings no longer reflect what’s playing on the console TV; it’s your phone, your tablet, and your desktop.Of course, and as we alluded to yesterday, the benefits of technology come with risks. Connectivity is rightfully supporting more than video viewing habits. Online banking and telehealth and dating apps are fabulous but each invite privacy concerns. Cloud computing enables more efficient business operations, but they must be secured to prevent malicious hacks. Technology can be a pathway toward solving problems but can also be a breeding ground for new ones if not managed properly.None of this, however, should be taken to delay advancement. If anything, it compels broader advancement that includes more attention to security at every step. As the scope of applications increase, more measurement is needed to determine long-term strategies and how brands will fit into the long-term environment. This focus may seem easier for broadband providers because their product is precisely the one that will underlie so many others, but the broadband industry, as well, will gain from their ongoing review of tech developments – both those that are consumer driven and those that emerge to drive consumer trends.Increases in bandwidth and computing power will power market inclinations. Those will inform the need to adapt, imagine, and envision everything from how broadband-enabled tech will affect so many aspects of daily living to who will be the workforce to not only deploy the underlying networks but to develop the applications and hardware that run atop them.Tomorrow: CES dives into ag tech, gaming, and senior healthcare. Stay tuned as the conference expands from panel discussions to tech demos.© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Jan 09, 2023

House Republicans plan to launch a new investigative panel that will demand copies of White House emails, memos, and other communications with Big Tech companies. The new panel, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, is partly a response to revelations from Elon Musk in the internal documents he branded the "Twitter Files." The subcommittee will be chaired by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) — a close ally of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and a favorite of the hard right. The probe into communications between tech giants and President Biden's aides will look for government pressure that could have resulted in censorship or harassment of conservatives — or squelching of debate on polarizing policies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID.

Jan 09, 2023

The Justice Department reached a key milestone in its settlement agreement with Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, requiring Meta to change its advertisement delivery system to prevent discriminatory advertising in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). As required by the settlement entered on June 27, 2022, resolving a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Meta has now built a new system to address algorithmic discrimination. The parties informed the court that they have reached agreement on the system’s compliance targets. This development ensures that Meta will be subject to court oversight and regular review of its compliance with the settlement through June 27, 2026. Meta developed the Variance Reduction System (VRS) to reduce the variances between the eligible audiences and the actual audiences. The United States has concluded that the new system will substantially reduce the variances between the eligible and actual audiences along sex and estimated race/ethnicity in the delivery of housing advertisements. The VRS will operate on all housing advertisements across Meta platforms, and the agreement requires Meta to meet certain compliance metrics in stages. For example, by Dec. 31, for the vast majority of housing advertisements on Meta platforms, Meta will reduce variances to less than or equal to 10% for 91.7% of those advertisements for sex and less than or equal to 10% for 81.0% of those advertisements for estimated race/ethnicity. For more information on the operation of the VRS, read Meta’s technical paper. The Justice Department and Meta have also selected an independent, third-party reviewer, Guidehouse, to investigate and verify on an ongoing basis whether the VRS is meeting the compliance metrics agreed to by the parties. Under the agreement, Meta must provide Guidehouse and the United States with regular compliance reports and make available any information necessary to verify compliance with the agreed-upon metrics. The court will have ultimate authority to resolve any disputes over the information that Meta must provide. Finally, as also required by the settlement agreement, Meta has ceased delivering housing advertisements using the Special Ad Audience tool (which delivered advertisements to users who “look like” other users), and Meta will not provide any targeting options for housing advertisers that directly describe or relate to FHA-protected characteristics.

Jan 12, 2023

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced that $23.1 million will be awarded to six service providers that will bring high-speed broadband service to nearly 4,200 homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and other institutions in unserved and rural areas of the state. This is the second of three rounds of awards from the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Grant Program. The goal of this funding is to solve the “last mile” of broadband need in critical areas. The targeted counties have as few as five locations per square mile, which until now has prevented companies from investing the resources to deliver a quality broadband option. The CPF Grant Program provides the funding needed to implement high-speed broadband in these areas of the state. The grant program results from the US Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan. Kansas was one of the first eight states in the country approved for funding under this program and was allocated $83.5 million. The CPF program opportunity resulted in 141 applications from providers requesting $693 million in funding support to build out broadband infrastructure across Kansas. Once matching funds from the service providers are included, the total broadband investment in Phase 2 surpasses $30 million. [more at the link below][Dec 15, 2022]

Jan 12, 2023

It’s the same drill every year: I return from CES and the first question everyone asks is, “What was the best thing you saw?” Or “The most exciting thing.” Or “The most incredible thing.” Sometimes, the answer is obvious: One year, it was a smart cane that not only has fall detection and alert capabilities, but which also tracks the user’s gait over time. Last year, it was the use of VR for telehealth. But this year was different. It was less about the algorithms and more about the impact; less about the peak of development and more about the drilling down to solve essential human issues. So, for this year’s annual CES Wrap-Up, we’ll focus on three topics: farming, healthcare, and protecting victims of domestic violence. All were on display at CES last week, each addressed by connected tech.Let’s start with ag. Earlier in this series, I shared how John Deere has combined cloud computing, imaging, AI, and autonomous systems to create “see and spray” functions that enable equipment to image a plant, determine whether it is friend or foe, and then spray a precise amount of herbicide or fertilizer from the back end of the same vehicle. The tolerances are down to precision metrics with applications coming in at about 0.2 ml, and the sum of it is that instead of blanketing a field with chemicals, use is reduced by about 60%. Those figures would be impressive by themselves, but the potential impact on commodities pricing is compelling: According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (a longtime friend of NTCA’s Smart Rural Community initiative), chemicals, fertilizer, and seeds account for 17.5% of total on-farm expenditures. In real dollars, that was a forecasted $32 billion in 2022. Penn State University reports that nitrogen prices doubled from 2020 to 2021; potash (used as fertilizer to activate enzymes) increased 133%; and monoammonium phosphate (MAP), a phosphorus and nitrogen blend, increased 100% in the same period. Accordingly, using nearly 2/3 less chemicals can have tremendous impacts on on-farm production costs that are sizeable inputs to ultimate food costs.Let’s move over to healthcare. For example, Xander smart glasses that display captions in real-time for hearing impaired users. And, while we have discussed artificial intelligence, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, immediate past chair of the American Medical Association, described augmented intelligence with a hypothetical: A patient presents with an ear infection. The charts might reveal that the patient visited five years earlier with a similar infection but offer little guidance to diagnose the current ailment. Left unnoticed is that the patient lives near a lake. And that lake has elevated levels of a bacteria that cause infection. But if the examining physician had that information at the ready, initial questions might include, “Do you frequently swim in the lake?” In an office aided by augmented intelligence, analytics would assess the patient address and zip code and associate it not only with the lake but also the conditions in the water, including the elevated risk of infection. Augmented intelligence does not replace the doctor, but rather enables the doctor to work more efficiently and facilitate better outcomes. This, too, is technology is in the service of better outcomes.And finally, NightWatch. Conceived by start-up Nexion Solutions, NightWatch is a GPS-enabled smartwatch designed to protect victims of domestic abuse and vulnerable witnesses in criminal cases. The system uses a Samsung smartwatch that has been stripped of all apps except emergency call capabilities, fall detection, a heart rate monitor, and audio recording. In the event a user feels threatened, s/he can trigger an emergency call to dedicated law enforcement without routing through the regular 911 call center. Additionally, the case file is uploaded automatically so that first responders have access to all relevant information as emergency services are dispatched. If the user is pushed or tackled, the fall detection sounds the same alarm. And, if the user’s heart rate falls beneath a pre-set threshold, emergency responders are dispatched, as well. In all instances, the device automatically creates an audio recording of the surrounding event, which can be used as evidence in subsequent prosecutorial proceedings. Poverty plays a critical role in intimate partner violence (IPV): victims with sufficient resources to establish safer living arrangements tend to leave abusive situations. Those with little or no income, particularly when children are in the household, tend to stay in dangerous situations. To note a specific rural context, women in small rural areas report IPV at rates of 22.5%, as compared to 15.5% for urban peers.NightWatch won an 2023 CES Innovation award and is being trialed by the Milwaukee Police Department. To be sure, there are software specs that are unique to NightWatch. But overall, the story is less about the fundamental technology (Samsung released its first smartwatch in 2013) and more about the identification of a problem and the thoughtful adjustment and application of technology to improve that human condition. And maybe that’s where CES 2023 leaves me. Maybe technology develops in a series of peaks and plateaus. The first-generation iPhone was released in 2007. Successive iterations feature faster processing, better cameras, and other improvements, and maybe a next major development will be as groundbreaking as the first. And to answer, “Why does NTCA go to CES,” yes, there is a component of finding the technology that can be particularly useful in rural spaces, but overall, technology is in many respects universal. I don’t think we need to expend a ton of energy placing particular apps or devices into rural or urban silos. If we start with the perspective articulated in the universal service provisions of Telecommunications Act of 1996, that people in rural and insular areas should have access to communications services that are reasonably comparable to those that are available in more densely populated urban areas, then we arrive at a similar conclusion for technology: There is no reason to differentiate between rural and urban physicians and their ability to render more accurate diagnoses. Improved monitoring, management of chronic conditions, increased patient compliance, lower costs, and better outcomes are good for all patients no matter where they live. It’s just that we find particularly compelling use cases in rural spaces that correspond to health care provider shortage areas.In similar vein, victims of domestic abuse and at-risk witnesses can unfortunately be found throughout the country. So NightWatch is not a particularly rural solution, per se. But where IPV rates are 45% higher in rural areas than urban areas, then that type of device does present, unfortunately, particular usefulness.Cameras, imaging, AI, augmented intelligence, and smart monitoring. Conceptually, nothing we haven’t seen before. But as applied to ag, health care, and domestic abuse, CES showcased examples of ingenuity and vision to adapt, envision, and execute. I’d say that, evidenced in so many new applications and products, was the best thing I saw this year.© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Jan 17, 2023

The Winter 2023 Grant Cycle Applications were due on January 15. The comment period was scheduled to begin on January 16, however we experienced technical issues that prevented us from publishing all applications for the opening of the comment period. All applications are now posted to our website

Jan 17, 2023

The Winter 2023 Grant Cycle Applications were due on January 15. The comment period was scheduled to begin on January 16, however we experienced technical issues that prevented us from publishing all applications for the opening of the comment period. All applications are now posted to our website

Jan 17, 2023

There are almost 15.6 million households using the broadband subsidy from the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The program started with a little over 9 million households at the start of 2022 and added over 500,000 new enrollees per month. Several folks who track funding say that ACP is going to run out of money sometime in the summer of 2024. The obvious solution to keep ACP operating is for Congress to refill the ACP funding bucket. The ACP was not created through a normal budget appropriations bill but was funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a one-time funding event, and that means specific legislation will be needed to keep the program running. Anybody who understands the implications of having a Congress divided between the two parties knows that this will be a major challenge in 2023 or 2024, which means that it’s time to think about what happens when the ACP fund runs dry. What I find most distressing is the idea of bringing affordable broadband to homes, knowing that the discounts will likely disappear 18 months from now.

Jan 13, 2023

If a determined CEO not beholden to Elon Musk were named, it’s still possible to turn this ship around.

Jan 13, 2023

If a determined CEO not beholden to Elon Musk were named, it’s still possible to turn this ship around.

Jan 18, 2023

Please indulge my sharing of a more personal matter rather than a broadband update with this posting.Last year was the year my husband celebrated his milestone birthday of 65-years young. Given some of the serious health issues he had nearly two decades ago, we look to find many reasons to celebrate in style. Frankly, it never takes much for me to find a cause to celebrate, but for this particular birthday, I wanted to get a bit more proactive on his bucket list. Maybe it was losing so many friends way too soon during the year or maybe it was realizing that great adventures are best enjoyed while we are more mobile. Whatever it was, I plucked his desire to visit Antarctica off the list and started planning the trip. Given that our trip was on the ship Endeavor (look up Edward Shackleton and his Endeavor misadventure), I had my fingers crossed for smooth sailing.Antarctica can only be accessed by environmentally responsible tours during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, so I moved quickly this past summer (in the Northern Hemisphere!) to pull an adventure together. And what an adventure it was.Here were my thoughts as we made our way to the bottom of the world/the end of the Earth:Getting Ready: Traveling anywhere in this age of pre/post/never-ending COVID-19 is a challenge.Testing, vaccinations, and new variants have complicated travel that can already be quite complicated.Add to that the petrifying fear that comes every time your throat feels scratchy, or that locations have quarantining requirements in place (and how those requirements seem to change weekly), and you have a lot to think about. For that and other reasons, I invested in travel insurance for this trip. The cost of the insurance alone could have been a nice vacation, but I was taking no chances with this trip of a lifetime.We decided to travel with a company that we have traveled with before, as familiarity felt good with so much unknown. SilverSea cruises have been one of the few expedition lines that have access to the seventh continent, but the deal for making this trip became more palatable when they started offering a “Bridge to Antarctica” tour which allowed travelers with a little bit less time and a lot less interest in crossing the sometimes violent and unpredictable Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica where the currents of the oceans collide without any land to mitigate rough waters.The trip entailed flying from Washington, D.C., to Miami and then overnight to Santiago, Chile, where you rest for a night and get to shower and replace your contact lenses. The journey then continues to Punte Arenas, Chile, at the edge of the Straits of Magellan with one more night to prepare, clean your gear of any invasive species, and get fitted for polar-worthy parkas and knee-high boots that allow you to get in and out of the Southern Ocean. The last of four flights prior to arriving at the ship for this journey involves a chartered plane that lands on a gravel landing strip on King George Island utilized by international researchers and the Chilean Air Forceto make their way to research camps on the western side of Antarctica. Interestingly enough, this continent has agreements with 54 countries who have signed a treaty to share it and some research on wildlife and climate change. It might be the most peaceful part of our planet these days!The Journey Begins: After a ride to Reagan National Airport, a last-minute discovery that special forms were needed to make it through Chilean customs, a delayed first flight, and a long layover in Miami, we were on our way. Whew!The delay and (what seemed like) a 5-mile hike though the Miami airport reminded me of why I loved international travel before everything was shut down a few years ago. The sounds, the voices, the dress, and the different family units of people from all over the world are all thrown into one big mixing bowl. It is exhilarating. A cacophony in the terminal and energy from people on the move or traveling home is always a wonderful reminder that the world is huge and, even as Americans, we are simply a small part of the whole. At this point of the trip, I was hoping to hold on to that sense of wonder and appreciation for the next 11 days.Now in Chile: This is my first visit to South America, amazing enough given how truly close it is to us on the North American side of things. The land is lush, with a lot of agriculture (wine production!), mining, and other things common in an agrarian society. A great deal of Chile is rural, and I was very appreciative of the challenges they must have in bringing connectivity to the people across the country. Since Chile is one long, skinny country running down the coastline, it politically aligns itself with other island nations like New Zealand when it comes to policies, given that with the oceans on two sides and the intimidating Andes Mountains on the other, they are pretty isolated. As a side note, Chile is VERY competitive with Argentina about many things, including who has the best wine! But given that we had to fly the length of Chile to get to our Antarctica jumping off point, it is clear that while there are pockets of populations, like the major city of Santiago, there are more areas of isolation and rugged topography.Landing in Punta Arenas gave me a throwback vibe and I realized that it was because landing there and driving in reminded me of being in Alaska again, just on the other side of the world. It’s the sense of a remote location that has a population base that knows how to survive off the water and rugged environment regardless of what weather extremes may bring. From the docks to the warehouses to the old fishing boats to the colorful storefronts, the similarities were apparent. We were visiting at the height of their summer, which, at the time of writing this, was 48 degrees. As the closest city to Antarctica, I am certain that temperature means it’s a wonderful summer day for these folks. Apparently, also during this time, the winds tend to settle in the gusts of 30-40 mph range.As we were getting ready to leave, we had to stay near the hotel for internet access in case there was a quick change in plans. The weather shifts, which occur hourly, had the flight to King George Island on Antarctica on constant watch given that we would be flying with the support of the Chilean Air Force onto a gravel runway utilized by research teams. I had absolutely no interest in taking an extra four days and double doses of Dramamine to cross the Drake Passage. No way! While some accounts say the two-day journey can be peaceful, more often than not, the ride is about as rough as it gets given that it’s between Cape Horn in South America, Chile, and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet. That means a major convergence of waves, winds, and currents. It’s also a transitional zone between the cooler, more humid, and sub-polar conditions and the frigid air of Antarctica, hence the dynamic and subjectivity to cyclones and heavy winds. Again, nope! Just being in our hotel room that last night and listening to the wind howling around a 10-story building and through the air vents was enough for me to turn up my sound machine app and be grateful to be inside. But in the spirit of normalcy, I was waiting for our airport transfer notice while watching a police officer issuing parking tickets in front of our hotel. I guess it doesn’t matter where in the world you are, does it? Speaking of Internet Access: I was trying to figure out how communications connectivity happens down there and found my phone suddenly connected to the Movistar network. A search showed a special service established by expats that allowed those not speaking Spanish to connect and negotiate services. It is also the main national provider of communications services in Spain. While there are other providers, they all operate off the Movistar network, as they are the only company in Spain allowed to install landlines and have a new emphasis, not unlike the United States, on investing in fiber technology.However, while every continent on Earth is now connected to the internet by a series of undersea fiber optic cables, Antarctica is the one continent unreachable by fiber. And no, it’s not about price.Americans and Argentinians have both proposed connecting the continent to the fiber grid (what’s better to allow the numerous researchers on the continent to upload and share their data and research in real time), but the infrastructure would have to be able to withstand temperatures beyond 58-degrees below zero and deal with the constant shifting of Antarctica’s icy surface. Because of this, researchers use a series of satellite systems (some only available a few hours a day), latency is high, bandwidth is mediocre, and there is a need to schedule network access in advance to upload data to the outside world. No Netflix binging here. The fascinating thing is that while fiber cannot connect Antarctica to the rest of the world, many of the bases on the continent are connected by fiber. Researchers are even using fiber as a sensor to measure ice melt. Living up to our creed that “#FiberDelivers!”, internet on the boat itself was pretty spotty. I could typically receive text messages and even emails but it became clear two days in that while I was responding to emails, none of them were actually being received by anyone. The cruise line, SilverSea, recently announced a deal with StarLink to provide internet access starting in the near future. For those who know I am not a fan of Starlink as a sufficient solution for rural Americans, a boat with 150 people on it at the end of the Earth is actually the perfect application for this technology.A Super Quick Recap: As I sat in what felt like a tourist holding pen back in Chile with 100 of my fellow travelers with our first chance for relatively decent internet access for the first time in a week, I was able to log back into word on my iPad and complete some thoughts on what has been an amazing journey and what Don described as an 11-day journey for a six day cruise. Truly, just getting to Antarctica was half of the adventure.As we flew our Antarctic Air flight into the gravel runway on King George Island, it was hard to believe that a jet could actually manage the runway. But now having made the journey both ways, I have deep appreciation for the former Chilean Air Force pilots who maneuver those planes over the windiest parts of the Earth to a direct runway with no navigation capabilities at the airport. Sight only. That was the reason we were all up at 4 a.m. given the forecast for heavy fog rolling in for two days that would have prevented the planes from landing and hence, our ability to leave. That could’ve been a problem, and no one really discussed Options B and C, so we were up bright and early to ensure we didn’t miss our wet landing in the zodiac to the shore. We would have no problem jumping in a zodiac raft at that hour given that the sun never fully sets in Antarctica this time of year.The journey itself was fluid given that weather conditions, as well as the density of wildlife conditions, dictated nearly every day of the itinerary, including landing sites that were simply too tricky with 50-plus mph winds and where sheltered coves were sought out. One morning when we were leaving, the boat was not an option given the gale force winds, so we learned more about the history, science, and data surrounding climate change and all you ever wanted to know about whales. Not unlike other expedition-oriented trips we have done, the mornings started early with a mid-day break and a mid-afternoon outing again. And of course, a lot of hurrying and waiting. It’s the nature of the adventure.We journeyed to Neko Harbour, one of my favorites, with a hike through a penguin colony up the side of a mountain with spectacular view of the whales and wildlife below. We also saw Telefonic Crater (I loved the name the most but the slick hike up the side of an active volcanic crater the least.) We took trekking poles after that hike for the remainder of the trip, especially to Charlotte Bay, where we encountered seals, whales, and the most beautiful floating icebergs and some fleeting sunshine. Yankee Harbor and Hannah Point were our last stops with one of the largest penguin colonies – gentoo and chinstrap – and a slew of baby penguin chicks. It was the reason to book this trip for a January visit given the breeding season in full bloom. Seals also lined the shore and we literally had to pick our way carefully to avoid running into penguins at every turn. As a visitor to a place where preservation and elimination of any invasive species is so important, the precautions were plentiful, and I was delighted that everyone was so willing to comply. That included wearing our wading/hiking boots for all our adventures and ensuring they were cleaned prior to hitting the ground and certainly afterwards to avoid the penguin poop or guano, more scientifically, which has a particularly pungent odor and I swear you could start smelling long before you came ashore. We also needed to obey the penguin “highways” that the birds have carved out of snow for their path from their nests to the water. Penguins always have the right of way. Nothing you have is to touch the ground, so my mittens spent a fair amount of time in my mouth as I fumbled for my camera, but I worried more about my bottom touching the ground while sliding down some of the steeper climbs in wet conditions. There was a special recognition that being there was a treat and an honor, and everyone respected the sanctity of being on the seventh continent and the coldest and the windiest, composed of 98% ice.A Few Final Thoughts:© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Jan 19, 2023

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced that $44.5 million will be awarded to nine service providers to extend high-speed internet to 18,468 locations in 15 underserved counties across the state. This is the third and final award phase of the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Broadband Infrastructure Program. The CPF program provides funding to make broadband connections in critical areas of the state that lack access to high-speed internet. The $83.5 million total CPF investment, combined with almost $42 million in matching funds, will result in more than 24,500 homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and other public institutions being connected to fast, reliable internet for the first time. The targeted counties have as few as five locations per square mile, which until now has prevented providers from investing the resources needed to deliver a quality broadband option. The CPF Grant Program provides the funding needed to implement high-speed broadband in these areas of the state.[more at the link below]

Jan 23, 2023

A little over a year ago, Smart Rural Community (SRC) published a report addressing Rural Imperatives in Broadband Adoption and Digital Inclusion (that was, in fact, the title of the report – hence the title-case lettering there). The report relied chiefly on data produced by Pew Research and other organizations, including industry, academic, and governmental sources. The paper focused on home and “all broadband” adoption (the latter including mobile devices) and examined four demographic categories bounded by age, household income, educational attainment, and race. The good news: Adoption is growing in all categories, and gaps between different segments of the individual categories are narrowing. The bad news: Affordability remains the largest barrier to adoption. Household income and educational attainment (the latter is linked to earning potential) remain categories in which the broadest gaps exist. Nevertheless, I was bullish on the narrowing adoption rates in age-related categories. I read the narrowing gaps among users of different ages (18-29, 30-49, 50-64, and 65+) as predictive and concluded in the report that usage rates among seniors and young people will eventually be roughly equal. The optimist in me predicted that I won’t give up my broadband when my AARP membership comes due. But, as Paul Harvey might have said, there’s always “the rest of the story.”Last week, McKinsey & Company released a report on Closing the Digital Divide in Black America. Echoing data presented in the SRC report, McKinsey notes the need to address affordability, stating, “the majority of Black households directly impacted by the digital divide live in areas with available infrastructure but simply can’t afford broadband service.” This finding underscores the need for federal programs such as the Universal Service Fund, which supports (pursuant to Congressional directives articulated in the Communications Act) not only the deployment in rural areas of broadband that as “reasonably comparable” to that which is available in urban areas, but also that those services be available at “reasonably comparable” rates. And where the general constructs do not extend far enough, there are programs that offer additional support to low-income users, including Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).The SRC report mentioned above addresses many of the use cases for broadband, particularly rural broadband. These include applications to support economic development, education, and healthcare. And, even while expressing optimism over U.S. adoption and usage trends, NTCA followed the report with the creation of a digital inclusion toolkit aimed at helping rural broadband providers develop and deliver even greater digital inclusion initiatives. The McKinsey report provides yet another perspective on strategies to avoid the hazards (and opportunity costs) of low adoption and usage rates.Now, back to aging. The trends do not suggest that there will be large-scale broadband disconnections as people round the bend toward the proverbial 16th hole. But, and borrowing from both my recent experiences at CES as well as insight offered by the McKinsey team, neither does that mean that digital literacy efforts for seniors should wind down over the next 20 years. To the contrary, there is an imperative for communities (however those communities are defined, whether by place or cultural affiliation) to evolve their elder-oriented digital literacy efforts over time.As the McKinsey experts observed, technology is dynamic, and its applications evolve and expand over time. So, the mastery of the tablet and online banking that a grandparent achieved several years ago might not be sufficient to navigate newly forming telemedicine resources – for example, the use of virtual reality for telehealth. Or to avoid ever emerging cyber and privacy threats.And there are the positive aspects, as well. We often talk about broadband as enabling opportunities. Last week’s Daily Yonder provided a salient example: the use of online, remote fitness classes for rural seniors. And, as the article explains, the new classes are not COVID-driven substitutes but rather COVID-inspired offerings that did not enjoy widespread use before the pandemic. The Daily Yonder also reports that the National Council on Aging convenes monthly conference calls to explore virtual offerings for seniors. To be sure, and as we have discussed previously, virtual interactions are not a substitute for in-person interactions. But positive impacts of virtual interactions to relieve senior loneliness and isolation have been identified. (“Loneliness” refers to the subject’s experience of unfulfilled social and intimate needs. By contrast, “isolation” is a lack of social connections. A person can be isolated, yet not feel lonely, while a person with social contacts can yet feel lonely.) The sum of it that as applications evolve, the need for education and literacy coaching will continue as we age. I’m still optimistic on adoption and usage rates for the elderly – just more broadly now.© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Jan 20, 2023

We’re now marking two years without a fully functional Federal Communications Commission. Never before has the American public had to wait so long for an FCC confirmation. This senseless delay has been driven by a bigoted, vicious and fact-free smear campaign coordinated by telephone, cable and broadcast industry lobbyists and right-wing operatives. The Senate must end this senseless charade and confirm Sohn. She’s an incredibly well-qualified candidate with a proven track record supported by civil-rights groups, competitive businesses, and public-interest organizations around the country and across the political spectrum.Senators must reject these corrupt and dishonest attacks and fulfill their commitment to seat Sohn as soon as possible. The ongoing delay at the FCC is undermining the Biden administration’s ambitious agenda, and it’s rewarding the corporations trying to derail the president’s priorities. But it’s hurting everyday people the most. Not having a fully functional FCC prevents the agency from adopting policies that would ensure that broadband access is affordable, open and reliable for all. It prevents the agency from fulfilling its commitment to diverse and local media ownership at a time of runaway consolidation across the industry. The lack of a fully functioning FCC also means that consumers are subject to the whims of big corporations that care only about maximizing their profits. 

Jan 23, 2023

How can a small internet service provider (ISP) compete against the big cable companies? Comcast and Charter together have roughly 55% of all broadband customers in the country, so they are formidable competitors. But the two big cable companies have one obvious weakness – their prices are significantly higher than everybody else in their markets. Every marketing push by these companies involves giving temporary low special prices to lure customers – but those prices eventually revert to much higher list prices. Fixed wireless access (FWA) is clearly competing in price. FWA broadband is not as fast or robust as cable company broadband, but the prices are attractive to a lot of consumers.

Jan 12, 2023

The CHIPS and Science Act, while a good step, should not preclude developing a secure supply chain with other countries.

Jan 24, 2023

Karl Bode recently wrote an excellent article highlighting the overhyping of wireless technologies. No wireless technology has been a bigger flop than 5G when comparing the hype to the eventual reality. The wireless carriers and vendors blitzed the country in a coordinated effort to paint 5G as the solution that would bring broadband everywhere. Along with the public, the cellular carriers did a non-stop blitz on federal officials, getting them to buy into the amazing wireless future. The main problem with all of this hype is that the rhetoric didn’t match the specifications for 5G that were adopted by international standards bodies. The 5G specifications included a few key goals: get cellular speeds over 100 Mbps, allow for more simultaneous users at a given cell site, allow a cellphone to use two different spectrum bands at the same time, and allow a user to connect to more than one cell site if the demand needed it. The primary purpose of the 5G spec was to eliminate cell site congestion in places where there are a lot of people trying to simultaneously use the cellular network. Nothing in the 5G specification is earth-shattering. The specification, as a whole, seemed like the natural evolution of cellular to better accommodate a world where everybody has a cell phone. I have no doubt that the public will buy into the hype and want 6G phones when they hit the market, but I also know that none of them will see any difference in performance.

Jan 25, 2023

The Federal Communication Commission's Task Force to Prevent Digital Discrimination is offering consumers an opportunity to share their stories and experiences in obtaining broadband internet access. In furtherance of the goals to create a framework for addressing digital discrimination and the FCC’s ongoing efforts to identify and address harms experienced by historically excluded and marginalized communities, this new form provides a way for consumers to share their broadband access experiences. Stories shared by consumers will help to inform the work of the Task Force.

Jan 30, 2023

Citing a smear campaign to continue to prevent Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] from being seated as the fifth Federal Communications Commissioner, former Fox and ABC/Disney executive Preston Padden has written the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee to call out those tactics and advocate for Sohn, with whom he is not aligned politically. Padden also said he had been in contact with Fox’s Rupert Murdoch, an opponent of the Democratic nominee. He said he was able to assuage Murdoch’s “misgivings” about Sohn’s nomination by pointing out that she was helpful in Padden’s efforts as a top Fox exec to secure the FCC waivers needed to start the Fox network and “fend off” fierce lobbying from ABC, CBS, and NBC in the process. Padden called Sohn a “superbly qualified” nominee who should get confirmed ASAP. He also asked that the letter be read into the record of a potential third nomination hearing on Sohn, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to fill the vacant third Democratic seat more than two years ago. Padden said he was afraid Sohn was ”in danger of falling victim to the worst, and most cynical and baseless smear campaign ever waged against a nominee to serve on the FCC."

Feb 03, 2023

Supervisor Holly Mitchell released a map of priority locations where Los Angeles County will build low-cost internet for households in the Second District. Supervisor Mitchell made the announcement in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department (ISD), which is Los Angeles County’s lead on digital equity, during a free laptop giveaway event at the Willowbrook Library. ISD handed out 700 laptops across Los Angeles, all of which are enabled with a full year of IT support. The Community Broadband Network (CBN) pilot will deliver free broadband services to low-income County residents. ISD will work with a pool of pre-qualified service providers to deploy and operate broadband networks in communities impacted by the digital divide. The pilot area in the Second District which includes neighborhoods along the 110 corridor south of the 10 freeway, including Willowbrook, Westmont, West Athens, Florence Firestone, and South Los Angeles. In September 2022, the LA County Board of Supervisors approved a total of $56 million to help connect families to fast and reliable internet. Construction for the Community Broadband Network will begin in early 2023. The pilot area covers areas where more than 20 percent of households lack home internet. The goal of the program is to provide internet at low- and no-cost that is fast and reliable, where multiple members of a household can be streaming at the same time. Service providers are also required to provide multi-lingual community engagement programs and advertising.

Feb 06, 2023

Around the country, there are now elaborate alert systems in areas subject to tornados and other dangerous weather events. These alerts have been shown to save lives since they give folks enough time to seek shelter or get out of the path of a storm. But in a recent case, a family was killed by a storm because they didn’t see the alerts, and other people could not reach them to tell them about the alerts. There are some potential solutions being considered to help solve this problem, but like everything the Federal Communications Commission gets involved in, it’s complicated. The FCC announced a $9 billion 5G fund at the end of 2020 that is aimed at improving rural cellular coverage. The idea of using federal funds to improve rural cellular coverage is further complicated by the huge amounts of federal funding that are aimed at improving rural broadband. It would be extremely wasteful to give the cellular carriers money to extend fiber networks to rural cell sites when other funding should be building the same fiber routes. The big funding for rural broadband seems likely to eliminate the need to fund fiber for most rural cell sites. It still makes great sense to provide subsidies to build towers and open rural cell sites because it’s nearly impossible to make a business case for a rural cell tower that only reaches a small number of households. None of these solutions are going to be fast, so there is no quick fix in the immediate future.

Feb 09, 2023

Matthew Hillier can't get Comcast service at his home in Arvada, CO. But that didn't stop Comcast from claiming it serves his house when it submitted data for the Federal Communications Commission's new broadband map. Comcast eventually admitted to the FCC that it doesn't serve the address—but only after Ars got involved. Comcast will have to correct its submission for Hillier's house, and a bigger correction might be needed because it appears Comcast doesn't serve dozens of other nearby homes that it claimed as part of its coverage area. When Hillier looked up his address on the FCC map, it showed Comcast claims to offer 1.2Gbps download and 35Mbps upload speeds at the house. In reality, he makes do with CenturyLink Internet which tops out at 60Mbps downloads and 5Mbps uploads. Just as Hillier told the FCC, Comcast's online availability checker says it's an "invalid address"—even though Comcast not only told the FCC it serves the home but also disputed Hillier's challenge when he pointed out the error. 

Feb 17, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating whether broadband-service providers exaggerated their level of coverage to authorities preparing to distribute billions of dollars in subsidies. At issue are claims by carriers that they already provide high-speed internet service to rural and other underserved areas where it’s not actually available. The Biden administration is awarding $42.5 billion to increase access in these locations. Areas served and unserved are being marked on a map compiled by the FCC. State and local officials, consultants and federal lawmakers have accused wireless providers of overstating the breadth and quality of their service in their reports to regulators. Broad claims of coverage could block potential rivals from obtaining subsidies that would let them more aggressively compete with the established providers. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel revealed that there was an investigation in a Feb. 3 letter to members of Congress concerned about progress in the program. “We have taken several steps to prevent systematic overreporting of coverage by broadband service providers,” Chairwoman Rosenworcel said. “Efforts to intentionally misstate service may be subject to enforcement action. In fact, we already have an investigation underway.” Since then the agency has moved to multiple probes.

Feb 17, 2023

Technology is increasingly at the center of our lives. And as our dependence on the internet and digital communications increases, our workforce must keep up with the evolving skill demand. Despite the high demand for digital skills and the desire for skill-building opportunities among workers, many have not had the opportunity to fully develop such skills. The digital skill divide is the space between those who have the robust access and support needed to engage in skill-building opportunities and those who do not. As technology evolves, the digital skill divide prevents equal participation and opportunity in all parts of life—including people’s ability to get good jobs and advance in their careers. The National Skills Coalition and the Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta shared research on how rapidly evolving technology is impacting the workforce. Looking at 43 million job postings in 2021, the researchers found that the overwhelming majority of jobs in the U.S. labor market now require technology skills. This demand for technology skills stretches across every industry in the U.S., and nearly every occupation, including entry-level and frontline workers. Understanding this digital transformation—and the digital skill divide that is disproportionately affecting workers of color and small businesses—highlights the importance of workers having a baseline of foundational digital skills to succeed in the 21st century. Here's a quick recap of the findings and recommendations from Closing the Digital Skill Divide: The Payoff for Workers, Business, and the Economy.

Apr 06, 2023

I have just arrived home after a great few days in Tampa with our telecom executives at our annual Telecom Executive Forum (TEF) event, one of my very favorite meetings given the ability to really focus on what leaders in our industry are seeing. These insights give us previews into where the industry is heading and where NTCA needs to be moving to ensure that we are meeting “the puck” where it is going and not where it has been. Certainly, the beautiful weather in Florida didn’t hurt either while our brethren across the country were enduring some pretty crummy weather. Nothing showcased that weather differential more than our gathering in the outdoor courtyard for our welcome reception on Monday, which saw many of us squinting against the strong sun and our Dakota members turning a nice shade of pink while standing outside and sipping a cocktail.The program kicked off on Monday morning with a robust discussion on community leadership and what it means. We had the head of the Maine Development Foundation share his thoughts on what it takes to partner with state and private business stakeholders to create world class opportunities, which was followed in a timely manner by a great presentation on how to make your local community a destination location. Lots of notes were taken by all in the room.Of course, a number of other key topics made their way through the day and a half agenda: cybersecurity, company legal liabilities, broadband mapping, how to use metrics to increase team productivity and a great exercise with our friends at Corning on how to optimize network operation through some real case studies. But as always, the power of this meeting is not always what is happening in the meeting room but rather the conversations out by the coffee pot in the hallway.It’s no surprise that this industry has been undergoing a number of transformations with executive turnover and new key leaders stepping into their roles.I also loved seeing the number of executives who brought along some of their own key leaders to bring home as a team some new thinking and best practice ideas. Maybe one of my favorite lines of the meeting was someone sharing how excited they were to walk into the ballroom for the opening session and see so many “fluffy” heads from the back of the room. Although I would say my hair with Floridian humidity is more “mad mess” than fluffy, I loved the sentiment and appreciation for the nearly one-third of women executives who attended TEF. The diversity of demographics is exciting and bodes well for the future of the industry. We also hosted a closing workshop for our Women in Telecom executives and had a full room with our workshop leader sharing how to use energy and tools for leadership development and ensuring effective messaging among numerous audiences.Good things happen when our industry can gather and compare notes, share experiences and best practices and frankly just catch our collective breaths with one another.I am already looking forward to 2024 in beautiful Hill Country.© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Mar 31, 2023

Blocking the entire compromised originating or terminating ranges of voice traffic leads to unnecessary losses.

Apr 19, 2023

More than a decade after Netflix blew up television's model with "House of Cards," streaming services more closely resemble the business they disrupted. This matters because streaming rose to prominence by providing a refuge from all the things consumers hated about the cable TV bundle. But as streaming matures, consumers are feeling the same pains they sought to avoid. Streaming is an industry that's caught between two worlds: The still-profitable-but-fading legacy TV model and a streaming future that has yet to be fully realized. Slowing subscriber growth has led streamers and the Wall Street analysts that follow them to shift their focus to profitability, and that's forced streamers to introduce features like live events and tiered pricing, creating a less consumer-friendly environment. "With [subscriber] growth stalling, the most established platforms have raced to raise prices, introduce ad tiers and cut costs to prove that streaming can in fact be a decent business," MoffettNathanson analysts wrote. Overall, the cable bundle didn't die. It evolved.

Apr 13, 2023

The event will examine how domestic procurement requirements will impact a historic wave of federal funding for infrastructure.

Apr 20, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to deter arbitrage of the access charge system that is designed to compensate carriers for use of their networks by other carriers. The rules are aimed at ending harmful arbitrage practices that raise costs for long-distance carriers and their customers. The rules apply to access-stimulation traffic that terminates throughInternet Protocol Enabled Service (IPES) Providers, and would establish a bright-line methodology for determining the relevant traffic ratios for bothlocal exchange carriers (LECs) and IPES Providers, thereby avoiding any confusion about whether a LEC or IPES Provider should be considered to be engaged in Access Stimulation.

Apr 24, 2023

Many Americans lack access to high-speed broadband which has allowed communities to get what they need without having to leave their homes. And so, just as the oceans commission developed the facts necessary to create solutions, Pew convened experts and conducted research to gather the data that policymakers need to make a difference and to expand access to this critical broadband infrastructure. Pew has been working at both the state and federal levels on broadband issues. Far from just a rural issue, broadband access is a concern all around us, in unserved city blocks and neighborhoods, with cost and other obstacles preventing many people from having a service that so many others now take for granted. We approach this as an issue not only of technology but of equity.

Apr 25, 2023

This report examines 10 counties in rural Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi to explore how the costs of achieving true digital equity—by extending robust broadband infrastructure into areas missing it—can be offset by utilizing the potential of telehealth to improve healthcare delivery. To do so, this report first identifies the most common health issues affecting residents in these 10 counties and draws on an academic scholarship to demonstrate the benefits that could come from effective telehealth interventions for each. It models the cost savings that can be gained from telehealth interventions in reducing the cost of services that are driving the highest costs today. These include preventable hospital admissions, preventable hospital readmissions, and preventable emergency department visits. The results are striking by themselves, but even more so together. By the most reasonable conservative estimates, we show that preventable emergency department visits, preventable hospital admissions and readmissions, and lost economic productivity offer huge savings opportunities for these ten counties, totaling almost $43 million each year. 

Apr 25, 2023

I totally get it: there are so many events going on in the rural broadband field that itcan truly be hard to keep track of everything. But the one summit that is different from so many of the others is Smart Rural Community Live, which is taking place for the second time this June in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As is typical in the trade association world, we gather and talk to ourselves (or have someone else come talk to us). What I found so energizing about last year’s Smart Rural Community Live was the other critical rural voices in the room and around the table. From community leaders to state broadband offices to economic development specialists to rural policy leaders to smart ag app developers, the buzz was real. You could feel the energy in the room.This year, we will be building on that energy and focusing on partnerships, collaborations and learning from one another. The meeting comes just as state broadband offices are setting a priority on the public private partnerships that providers are creating and will show how to help move this historic broadband funding program forward.With this heavy focus on funding and rural communities, attendees who are eager to grow their networks or amplify how their communities are utilizing their already robust networks will find this gathering to be an ideal opportunity to exchange ideas with others.I am already thrilled by the folks who have agreed to come and share thoughts and ideas with NTCA members (and their gratis community development partners if they choose to bring them).Kathryn de Wit, project director of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Broadband Access Initiative, will help kick off a discussion about national partners with the lead rural America liaison at the White House and the head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, whose role it is to build a bridge between the agency, the state broadband offices, the governor’s offices and everyone else who falls on that spectrum. Whew, the breadth of that job gets me tired just thinking about it.Couple that with break outs on public health and safety (or as our team refers to it, “How technology is being used to address the things we don’t like to talk about”), where esports and education meet, virtual reality solutions in telehealth, smart ag, economic development, broadband funding and more and you have the recipe for a very informative conference.I get excited every week when our team gives me an update on where we are with our growing Smart Rural Community designations, all so timely as this advocacy branding tool is the best thing I can think of for sharing why you are deserving of additional funding resources. What better way to highlight your motivation and long track record of building networks to benefit your communities?And fun fact: in the spirit of who is engaged in our industry and really focused on telling their story of building broadband in rural America, 90 percent of the 500 attendees who attended our annual fly-in to Washington, D.C. are from our Smart Rural/Smart Communities program. Our next goal? Getting more NTCA members to join our platform so we can truly and effectively differentiate our community-based providers with a long, rich history of service from so many of the new entrants into the broadband space chasing dollars. We’ll never have the resources to create a brand like the electric coops have with Touchstone Energy, nor will we be sponsoring major sporting events, but we have something even better: a national network of rural broadband providers who are getting the job done for their neighbors, friends and family.If you are already a Smart Rural Community provider, come join us and share how you use its branding and tools. If you are not yet a Smart Rural Community provider, come join us and hear what all the fuss is about!© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Apr 26, 2023

Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced new legislation to help protect children from the harmful impacts of social media. The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media apps and would require parental consent for 13 through17 year-olds.The bill would also prevent social media companies from feeding content using algorithms to users under the age of 18. The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would:

May 01, 2023

Cogent Communications has completed the previously announced acquisition of T-Mobile’s Wireline Business. The price of the deal was not disclosed. The acquisition, initially announced in September 2022, calls for Cogent to buy T-Mobile’s wireline business (formerly known as Sprint GMG), which was comprised of the long-haul fiber network assets that the company acquired when it merged with Sprint. Cogent expects the T-Mobile wireline business to “complement and eventually replace Cogent’s current leased network” as well as enable Cogent to “expand its product set, including the sales of optical wave transport services to new and existing customers.”

May 02, 2023

Few people think of the Federal Communications Commission as an environmental cop. It’s known for regulating television and radio and overseeing the deployment of communications technology. But the agency also has a broad mandate to ensure that technology doesn’t damage the environment. The task includes everything from protecting wildlife and human health to preserving historic sites and even preventing aesthetic blight. This role is particularly critical now, as the FCC presides over a nationwide buildout for 5G service, which will require 800,000 new “small cell” transmitters, those perched on street poles and rooftops, often near schools, apartments and homes. But even with this massive effort underway, the FCC has refused to revise its radiation-exposure limits, which date back to the era of flip phones. In addition, the agency has cut back on the environmental reviews that it requires while also restricting local governments’ control over wireless sites. And as the satellite-fuel example reflects, the FCC’s ambit extends even into space. The agency is licensing thousands of commercial satellites at a moment when the profusion of objects circling the planet is raising concerns about collisions in space, impediments to astronomy, pollution, and debris falling back to earth.

May 01, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission proposed $8,778,527.39 in fines against 22 applicants in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I Auction (Auction 904) for apparently violating Commission requirements by defaulting on their bids between May 3, 2022, and December 16, 2022. Two applicants also failed to submit their audited financial paperwork, resulting in an additional monetary liability. The FCC provided clear guidance in its rules and notices on the monetary forfeitures associated with defaults in Auction 904. The bid defaults prevented 2,994 census block groups in 31 states and an estimated 293,128 locations from receiving new investments in broadband infrastructure. The proposed action, formally called a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, or NAL, advises parties that they apparently violation the FCC’s rules and proposes a monetary penalty for violations.

May 01, 2023

Verizon admitted that shutting down the 3G cellular networks cost it about 1.1 million retail cellular customers along with the corresponding revenues. This was long expected because there are still a lot of places where 3G technology was the only cellular signal available to rural customers living in remote areas, and a lot of people were still happy with 3G flip phones even where 4G was available. Verizon has been trying to shut down the 3G network for at least five years, but its original plans got delayed due to discussions with the Federal Communications Commission and then got further delayed because of the pandemic – it didn’t seem like a good idea to cut folks dead when cellular stores were shuttered. All of the technologies used for broadband and telecom eventually become obsolete. Most transitions to new technologies are phased in over time. But some upgrades are painful. There were folks who lost cellular coverage when 3G was cut dead since they lived in a place that might not be able to receive the 4G replacement. A 3G phone needed only a tiny amount of bandwidth to operate – at levels, newer phones would perceive to be far under one service bar.

May 02, 2023

Mounting concerns over young people’s mental health have prompted state legislatures across the country to propose a slew of age restrictions to protect minors online. Lawmakers say the rules should help shield young people from online pornography, predators and harmful social media posts. The current push for age restrictions on certain online content echoes a similar legislative drive three decades ago, when the internet was in its infancy. In 1996, Congress passed a major telecommunications bill that made it illegal to knowingly send or display “obscene or indecent” material to people under 18. That law had a longstanding precedent: federal rules dating back to the 1920s that prohibited radio and TV shows from broadcasting obscene language, to prevent a child wandering into a living room from overhearing it. The anti-pornography rules in the 1990s had strong bipartisan support. But civil liberties groups thought the prohibitions on online indecency violated the First Amendment and squelched free speech. Among other objections, they said it was too difficult and expensive for websites to verify a visitor’s age. That could have led sites to simply get rid of anything inappropriate for children, creating a Disneyfied internet. To protect Americans’ access to information that could potentially be deemed indecent under the new law — like educational material about AIDS — the American Civil Liberties Union sued the government, challenging part of the law called the Communications Decency Act.

May 02, 2023

RDOF defaults prevented an estimated 293,128 locations in 31 states from getting new investments, the FCC said.

May 03, 2023

The CBO, along with several other co-sponsors, hosted the Internet for All: Colorado Broadband Summit on April 19 & 20 in Westminster, Colorado. The day-and-a-half event was a great success and featured updates on all things broadband. We would like to thank all those who attended, both in person

May 03, 2023

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed changes to the agency’s 2020 privacy order with Facebook after alleging that the company has failed to fully comply with the order, misled parents about their ability to control with whom their children communicated through its Messenger Kids app, and misrepresented the access it provided some app developers to private user data. As part of the proposed changes, Meta, which changed its name from Facebook in October 2021, would be prohibited from profiting from data it collects, including through its virtual reality products, from users under the age of 18. It would also be subject to other expanded limitations, including in its use of facial recognition technology, and required to provide additional protections for users. This is the third time the FTC has taken action against Facebook for allegedly failing to protect users’ privacy. This action by the FTC alleges that Facebook has violated the 2020 order, as well as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA Rule). The proposed changes to the 2020 order, which would apply to Facebook and Meta’s other services such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus, include:The independent assessor, tasked with reviewing whether the company’s privacy program satisfied the 2020 order’s requirements, identified several gaps and weaknesses in Facebook’s privacy program, according to the Order to Show Cause, in which the Commission notes that the breadth and significance of these deficiencies pose substantial risks to the public. The Commission voted 3-0 to issue the Order to Show Cause.

May 03, 2023

Federal efforts to pass children’s online safety protections have languished amid disagreements between House and Senate leaders about which proposals to rally around. State officials have rushed to fill the void with a wave of their own bills, including proposals in Maryland and half a dozen other states requiring tech companies to vet their products for risks to children before rolling them out. But the push has faced broad opposition from tech trade groups representing some of the United States’ biggest digital platforms, who have blitzed statehouses around the country in an effort to stymie the bills, even as many of their member or partner companies including Amazon remain largely silent. Tech groups including NetChoice, CCIA, and the Chamber of Progress have fired off letters warning about the potentially catastrophic impact of the bills on user privacy and free speech online, deployed lobbyists to meet with key state officials, and sent their leaders to testify in opposition to the efforts in Maryland, Minnesota, and Nevada, among other states — part of a widespread campaign to neutralize the budding regulatory push. Supporters of the proposed legislation, which they say is necessary to prevent children from being exposed to addictive social media features and other harmful designs, say the tech groups’ lobbying has at times relied on misleading or deceptive tactics aimed at stoking confusion about what the proposals do.

May 05, 2023

While CEOs of the companies leading the AI wave met at the White House on May 4, the leaders of the Biden administration's antitrust campaign against tech giants were also gathering for a stock-taking a few blocks away. In each arena, the industry has so far lapped its would-be regulators — but at least with AI, the race is still young. The White House AI event marked the administration's strongest effort yet to keep up with a massive wave of technological change that's just getting started. However, the campaign to rein in Big Tech's power has little to show so far, after five years of hearings and lawsuits. Meanwhile, rising calls to regulate AI are prompting cautionary discussions earlier in the cycle of tech adoption than happened with social media — but the industry is moving a lot faster, too. Additionally, on the AI front, the Biden Administration is moving slowly on AI guardrails: urging CEOs to do better but avoiding the rules-based approach of Brussels and Beijing — where officials are finishing a second round of generative AI regulation.

May 05, 2023

Legislation aimed at regulating telecommunications operators is in the works and companies should hasten to prepare for what’s to come. A bill introduced to the Senate in March 2023 proposes to do away with “junk fees,” which are financial charges that President Joe Biden denounced in his State of the Union address. These could include early termination fees, which are widely utilized across the industry to recover up-front costs incurred for equipment, installation, and activation. A current draft of the legislation puts the onus on the Federal Communications Commission to establish the specifics. The proposed rules uniformly apply to operators offering voice, broadband, television, and wireless; whether satellite is included is unclear. If enacted, the Junk Fee Prevention Act would prohibit providers from charging a fee or imposing an “excessive or unreasonable” requirement on consumers for terminating a covered service early, but there is room for debate on how to define those terms. Industry associations need to mobilize to help influence language included in the law so that it does not prevent their members from recovering real costs and preserving the value of their investments. It may be useful to present arguments to regulators in a way that also addresses transparency in billing. The challenge for most telecom operators, however, is that early termination fees aren’t “junk.” In most cases, they represent real costs that need to be recouped in order to survive and grow.[Dan Hays is a principal with PwC and leads the firm’s enterprise strategy consulting practice for the technology, media, and telecommunications sector]

May 08, 2023

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society recently launched an ACP Enrollment Performance Tool to compare expected Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment to actual enrollment. The difference is a measure of performance. The tool displays actual ACP enrollment, predicted enrollment, as well as metrics that help users understand the drivers of good (or not-so-good) performance, such as housing costs or severe poverty. In the event ACP sunsets in 2024, the tool can also help identify places most at risk for disconnection—and help guide policymakers as they consider how to fill the ACP void should the program end. The ACP puts more low-income Americans on the same footing as everyone else regarding communications tools in the United States. Over 80% of households with incomes over $50,000 annually have both wireline and wireless internet service plans. Low-income households often must choose between a cellular data plan or a wireline one for service. Many opt for cellular data plans because it is a flexible communications tool (mobility, voice, and internet service). The ACP subsidy allows low-income households to add a service, whether it is a wireless or wireline service. One could argue that the ACP is the single most important policy intervention to advance universal service policy goals in the past quarter century.

May 04, 2023

Network operators can take steps to prevent the biggest risk to open-access networks: A race to the bottom.

May 08, 2023

Comcast and Verizon urged Maryland's highest court to strike down a 2021 law that imposes a tax on some digital ads, arguing both that the statute violates the Constitution, and that it conflicts with a 1998 federal law. The hearing centered on a 2021 Maryland law that imposes taxes on some online companies with more than $100 million in digital ad revenue. Rates vary from 2.5% to 10% of revenue attributable to Maryland, with the percentage tied to global revenue. The bill, aimed at large tech companies including Google and Facebook, was enacted over the veto of former Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD). After lawmakers overrode the veto, they amended the bill to add a provision exempting from the tax “news media entities” that sell digital ads. The measure defines news media entities as entities “engaged primarily in the business of newsgathering, reporting, or publishing articles or commentary about news, current events, culture, or other matters of public interest.” Comcast and Verizon challenged that law in state court. 

May 12, 2023

Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced the Curtailing Online Limitations that Lead Unconstitutionally to Democracy’s Erosion (COLLUDE) Act, in order to halt the collusion between Big Tech and the federal government which has led to censoring Americans’ speech. The COLLUDE Act prevents Big Tech companies from colluding with government to censor free speech, by stripping them of their Section 230 protection if they commit such actions. Specifically, the bill:

May 16, 2023

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Junk Fee Prevention Act(S.916), which takes aim at eliminating fees that are not advertised for a product but that get added on after a customer buys a product or service. These fees were attacked this year by President Biden in the State of the Union Address. Telecommunications companies, particularly cable companies, are among the worst in having hidden junk fees that are not included in advertising but are added to a customer’s first bill. But telecom companies aren’t the only industry, and the bill is aimed at airlines, online ticket companies, and other industries that routinely advertise prices that are lower than what a consumer is ultimately charged. It’s clear why companies use junk fees since the practice gives them the ability to advertise super-low rates to attract customers. Consumers hate hidden fees. Anybody who has signed with one of the giant cable companies got a big surprise when they opened their first bill. But by then, most people are locked into a contract that came along with getting the low advertised rates. Deceptively low special rates make it unfairly hard to compete against a cable company. A competitor could have prices that are lower than the cable company, but hidden fees let the cable company advertise an untruthfully lower price. 

May 22, 2023

The clock is ticking on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Current estimates show the program may run out of funding as soon as the end of the first quarter in 2024. The only solution for keeping ACP operating is for Congress to refill the ACP funding bucket somehow. Angela Siefer of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance said that reauthorizing ACP was one of the biggest broadband issues on the plate for Congress. She talked about the many gains that have been made in getting broadband to low-income homes. The ACP was not created through a normal budget appropriations bill but was funded by $14.2 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). There was also rollover funding of $2.2 billion added from the previous Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program that had been funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. That was a one-time funding event, and that means specific legislation is needed to keep the program running. There has been talk of moving the responsibility of the ACP to the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund (USF). But that would mean the agency would have to find a new way to pay for it. The current fees levied on long distance telecommunications are not nearly large enough to absorb the ACP obligations. Congress has already been considering ways to eliminate the FCC’s Lifeline fund, so the USF might not be a politically viable solution.

May 24, 2023

Frontier Communications still has hundreds of thousands of copper passings, but it doesn’t seem like that footprint will be taken offline anytime soon. CEO Nick Jeffery said the operator thinks it can get more bang for its buck deploying fiber than decommissioning copper—at least in the short term. He said Frontier has studied the process in “great detail,” with early pilots showing “it’s possible” and “an important source of savings.” But, he added, Frontier expects the majority of savings in the short term to come from fiberizing copper customers rather than decommissioning copper. Jeffery said it is making “very targeted investments” in its copper network, for instance in areas where weather events disproportionately degrade performance. He added it has started communicating with its copper customers again, “which is something the old Frontier had never done.” Frontier isn’t planning to convert all of its copper customers to fiber. Frontier’s Chief Strategy Officer Vishal Dixit previously said it will see how many additional copper customers it can reach with the help of government subsidies. The remainder will either keep or potentially divest in “some sort of asset swap.”

May 24, 2023

On December 14, 2022, Openreach notified Ofcom of a new pricing offer for its full-fiber services (Equinox 2). This offer gives lower prices to retail providers—such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone—if they agree to use mainly Openreach’s full-fiber products for new orders instead of its legacy copper products. Having carefully assessed the range of evidence available—including responses to public consultation—Ofcom has decided not to prevent Equinox 2 from being introduced. Ofcom considered the impact on:Openreach plans to make certain commitments regarding its future conduct, including not having any current plans to change its Equinox 2 rental prices and no intention to initiate further changes until at least March 31, 2026.

May 25, 2023

Comcast doesn't expect to generate much broadband subscriber growth in the near term, but the operator is holding fast to an expectation that the picture will change… eventually. Comcast grew its broadband base by a mere 3,000 broadband subscribers in Q1 2023. Comcast, like other cable operators, is weathering a mix of factors in the broadband market. Cable broadband subscriber growth accelerated greatly during the early stages of the pandemic, but has since tapered off. Meanwhile, cable operations are facing an increase in fiber and fixed wireless access (FWA) competition and record-low churn driven in part by a slow housing market. One way Comcast is trying to stoke broadband subscriber growth is through footprint expansion. Comcast expects to add 1 million passings in 2023, eclipsing the 840,000 it added in 2022. The bulk of that activity is focused on footprint fill-ins, edge-outs, and "hyper-builds" that include a combined focus on connectivity for residential and business customers, and less so (for now) on network builds aided by government subsidies. Comcast is also trying to remain competitive within its existing footprint against both fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) and FWA rivals.

May 31, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), on its own motion, grants a limited, one-time waiver to a limited number of Lifeline subscribers who received incorrect information about the deadline for recertifying their eligibility for the Lifeline program. Specifically, in letters from the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), these subscribers were informed that they had approximately 80 days in which to recertify their eligibility for the Lifeline program, rather than the 60-days provided for under the Lifeline program rules. To prevent the impacted Lifeline subscribers from experiencing the hardship of de-enrollment as a result of their reliance on the incorrect deadline set forth in the USAC letters, we waive, to the extent necessary, the 60-day recertification deadline and allow the impacted Lifeline subscribers to recertify by the deadline provided in their respective USAC recertification letters.

Jun 07, 2023

We’re in the thick of statewide travel season, a time when we go out and visit NTCA members (or at least visit a little closer to where they live and serve) and a time when I learn all kinds of new things. You can also tell it is "the season" when I keep my suitcase packed and ready in the guest bedroom but have to be mindful not to forget to restock it like I did this week with two back-to-back trips.Still, I digress, and I want to share a few examples of things I have learned this week:Aside from all of these fun facts that I picked up, my most valuable inputs came from NTCA broadband providers in Nebraska and Kentucky. They shared what they are working with on the ground and what their perspective is on all of this funding, building, need to sustain networks, congressional activity and more.NTCA Board member Tonya Mayer, CEO of Mobius Communications (Hemingford, Neb.), was a wonderful hostess, welcoming me to the state and sharing her insights as the head of the Nebraska Telecom Association. That's a lot of leadership to manage and having someone with Tonya's interest in industry unity will come at a critical time.In Kentucky, Tyler Campbell, the state executive for the Kentucky Rural Broadband Association, was also most welcoming as his spring meeting hit record levels of attendance including from the folks leading up the broadband efforts for the state.I loved seeing the focus on ensuring that stakeholder meetings across the state include community based broadband providers sharing their perspective on opportunities and challenges from the ground. I am hopeful that every state association meeting this spring, summer and fall includes these folks on their program and that the opportunity to engage and compare notes is made a priority.Lastly, I love seeing our members at these meetings. Such events mean there is more time to visit and more of their teams tend to attend events closer to home. The biggest challenge is that there are simply not enough days on a calendar to make it work everywhere or every week and still get done the work that simply needs to get done. Still, I relish each opportunity.© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Jun 12, 2023

Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] has weighed in on the political forces that prevented her from taking a seat on the Federal Communications Commission after her nomination by President Joe Biden and her decades of experience in communications, primarily as a public advocate and briefly as a top FCC adviser. Those forces included dark money groups, she said, with an assist from some inaccurate reporting in the media that she was unable to correct. As a general rule, given that elections have consequences, presidents have gotten their picks for FCC commissioners approved, even when, also as a general rule, they would not be the choice of the opposing party. Sohn said her treatment in the media was a "humongous" piece of her nomination's failure, a process she said where her hands were tied behind her back while she had the stuffing knocked out of her by dark money and "agenda-setting" groups that didn't care what the impact would be on her or her family -- which included being warned to keep her doors locked and "alert the neighbors." Other takeaways from Sohn's conversation, which included advice to activists on strategies:

Jun 13, 2023

Nearly 1.4 million kilometers (870,000 miles) of metal-encased fiber crisscrosses the world’s oceans, speeding internet traffic seamlessly around the globe. The supply and installation of these cables have been dominated by companies from France, the US and Japan. The Chinese government started successfully penetrating the global market, but consecutive US administrations have since managed to freeze China out of large swathes of it. This was ostensibly because of concerns of espionage and worries about what Beijing might do to disrupt strategic assets operated by Chinese companies in the event of a conflict. Despite being routinely blocked from international subsea cable projects involving US investment, Chinese companies have adapted by building international cables for China and many of its allied nations. This has raised fears of a dangerous division in who owns and manages the infrastructure underpinning the global web. But US efforts to exclude Chinese companies from the world’s internet backbone are mired in difficulties. Even as the US administration wages its fiber optic war against Beijing, vessels owned and manned by China are still undertaking complex repair work on US-owned fiber lines, said those with direct knowledge of such operations.

Jun 15, 2023

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society supports the FCC’s inquiry into data caps which limit the amount of access consumers have to data before they are charged surplus fees or cut off from service. There is scant evidence that such caps are necessary and their consequences can be especially disastrous for vulnerable populations. Data caps are particularly problematic for low-income individuals who may find themselves facing unexpectedly large fees at the end of the month as a result of surpassing a data cap. Data caps can create insurmountable barriers for low-income consumers trying to access life-changing services online, such as educational tools. Data caps can also be particularly debilitating for the deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers who rely on Video Relay Service (VRS) in order to communicate. Data caps can also limit access to telehealth services which otherwise reduce medical costs through video technology, support real-time treatment by first responders through the use of wireless devices, and enhance senior wellness and preventative care through telemedicine and remote in-home monitoring. In general, data caps are not popular with consumers, nor are they an effective means of managing network congestion. The Benton Institute hopes Chairwoman’s colleagues move swiftly to launch this proceeding.

Jun 15, 2023

Today kicks off the Biden-Harris Administration’s Affordable Connectivity Program Week of Action. We have more than 300 organizations from across the country committed to raising awareness about ACP. The Internet is now the essential tool for communications in our modern world. It is essential for access to work. Access to education. Access to healthcare. Access to justice. And yet, here in America, millions of people across the country lack access to an affordable high-speed Internet connection or lack the means and the skills to use it. And the ACP is at the heart of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to make the dream of Internet for All a reality...But, our goal of closing the digital divide is at risk because ACP is at risk of running out of money. We cannot allow this program, which has widespread support, to fail. And now there is a new task in front of all of us: ensuring that ACP is on firm financial footing going forward.

Jun 16, 2023

Reps. Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced legislation to protect Americans’ data from being exploited by unfriendly foreign nations, and apply tough criminal and civil penalties to prevent employees of foreign corporations like TikTok from accessing US data from abroad. This bill:

Jun 20, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund (USF) faces its third recent challenge June 14 in oral arguments before the Eleventh Circuit over Congress’ delegation authority. The lawsuits from Consumers’ Research seek to clarify limits on Congress’ authority to delegate power to executive agencies, and what powers agencies can leave to private actors. In 2022, the USF approved nearly $7.5 billion in non-COVID spending on accessible broadband service, funded by its increasing contribution factor. If it’s struck down as unconstitutional, that funding could be at risk. However, the Eleventh Circuit wrote in United States v. Ambert that “the Supreme Court has not struck down a single statute” as an improper delegation since 1935. Congress needs to reach a higher bar to delegate its revenue-raising authority, argues conservative non-profit Consumers’ Research. For it, the principles of universal service expressed in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 say nothing about how much money the FCC can raise from carriers, and giving the private non-profit Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) the ability to set rates violates the private non-delegation doctrine. But in a bipartisan amici brief, members of Congress—including Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)—said that “an evolving USF system is consistent with Congress’s explicit direction.” Supporters of the fund, like Andrew Jay Schwartzman, Senior Counselor for the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, say that while the contribution factor isn’t a tax.

Jun 20, 2023

Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)—as well as Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ)—reintroduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. This bipartisan legislation would restore competition online by establishing common sense rules of the road for dominant digital platforms to prevent them from abusing their market power to hurt competition, online businesses, and consumers. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act will:

Jun 20, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission announced an important update to its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform to incorporate maternal health data, enabling policymakers, public health experts, clinicians, researchers, innovators, and other public and private stakeholders to better explore the intersection of broadband and maternal health. This tool is the latest step in the FCC’s efforts to explore the role of broadband connectivity in improving maternal health. The US is the only developed country with increasing maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity rates, and research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that many of these deaths and complications are preventable. Furthermore, this nationwide crisis disproportionately impacts Non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant women at almost two to three times the rate of Non-Hispanic white pregnant women. Similarly, pregnant women living in rural areas without access to appropriate health care providers are 60% more likely to die than women living in non-rural areas. Through this latest broadband health data effort, the Mapping Broadband Health in America platform allows users to generate customized maps and view the intersection of broadband connectivity, maternal health outcomes, and selected risk factors in a number of ways. Specifically, the public can use this platform to:

Jun 20, 2023

The latest Broadband Insights Report is out from OpenVault providing statistics on average broadband usage at the end of the first quarter of 2023. In looking over the latest statistics I’m starting to see some interesting trends. The average household used 560.5 gigabytes of broadband per month by the end of the quarter. That is the combination of 524.8.2 gigabytes of download and 35.7 gigabytes of upload. I also looked back over past years, and I think a new trend of broadband growth is emerging. 2020 growth was crazy due to the pandemic, and that level of growth is likely never going to be seen again absent some other similar catastrophic event. Since then, growth has slowed a bit year after year. We’re settling into a pattern where the average household is using approximately 50 gigabytes more per month than the year before. Most of the software we use is now in the cloud. The devices in our house are often connected to the cloud.This is starting to feel like a new trend. We used to have a paradigm that broadband usage doubled every 3-4 years. The other trend is that people have wholeheartedly decided that they want faster broadband speeds. The percentage of homes that are subscribed to 200 Mbps or faster has skyrocketed in one year from 69% of homes to 81% of homes. Some of this increase comes from broadband providers arbitrarily increasing speeds for customers, but a lot of the growth comes from people deciding to upgrade. This is clearly now a major trend.

Jun 21, 2023

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sent a clear signal to Congress she is not looking to apply multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) regulations to streaming video services, and that she does not think the regulator has the authority to expand into that area in any event. Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA), whose state is the major player on both the creative and tech sides of streaming, posed the question to the chairwoman in his questioning. He said that one of the things that had “really changed” in video delivery was the advent of streaming services and that, as a result, “questions have arisen” about the FCC’s ability to regulate online video distributors as they do traditional MVPDs. Those include rules program access and carriage regulations. By phrasing the question as whether she intended to regulate them in “the same way,” he left Chairwoman Rosenworcel some wiggle room to regulate them in a different way. Her answer, though it was indirect, left the clear impression she was not looking to regulate online video services, though.

Jun 21, 2023

Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) announced a statewide initiative to increase awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a long-term benefit to help eligible households pay for high-speed internet. Over 348,596 Utah households are eligible for the ACP, while only 16% of those eligible have enrolled. The “ACP Act Now: Utah” initiative unites a broad coalition of 53 partner cities, community-based organizations, and trusted institutions in partnership with EducationSuperHighway, the national nonprofit with a mission to close the broadband affordability gap. The coalition of partners will have access to resources to help them overcome the complex awareness, trust, and enrollment barriers that prevent households in the nation’s most under-resourced communities from enrolling. Resources include email marketing templates, social media content, and a pre-enrollment tool, GetACP.org/Utah. Local community leaders can use these resources to promote the ACP and help eligible families enroll. Six local organizations/entities have been awarded grant funds to conduct ACP outreach.

Jun 23, 2023

Satellite internet competitors OneWeb and SpaceX are in the running to reconnect Alaskans after ice damaged a sub-sea fiber-optic cable in the Arctic Ocean. While repairs are expected to take an additional six to eight weeks, satellites could help locals weather the widespread outage. Residents in the rural towns of Utqiaġvik, Point Hope, Wainwright, Kotzebue, Nome, and other communities found themselves without internet or cellular connectivity when the 1,200-mile fiber cable owned by the Alaska-based broadband company Quintillion suffered a break. Quintillion says the cable broke as “a result of an ice scouring event.” The outage has caused disruptions throughout the region, hampering 911 calls, closing businesses, and even impacting credit card transactions. While Quintillion says it’s working to get a repair vessel to the area, it could arrive as early as August 2023, depending on weather and ice conditions. In the meantime, Quintillion is looking to satellite connectivity to hold residents over.

Jun 22, 2023

An assortment of data will be useful in all phases of the broadband planning process.

Jun 30, 2023

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a critical component of the nationwide effort to bridge the digital divide. Established on a bipartisan basis by Congress, the ACP provides subsidies that enable low-income households to get – and stay connected – with monthly broadband subscriptions. Despite its success in reaching over 35% of eligible households, the ACP faces a funding shortfall by 2024. Inadequate funding could not only jeopardize progress toward universal service goals but could also undermine the success of other federal broadband access initiatives that rely on the ACP to fill in adoption gaps. Federal, state, and local resources are critical for supporting outreach programs and building public awareness. Still, even in areas where funding has been scarce or nonexistent, local leaders are working to build capacity and digital equity ecosystems. Cuyahoga County, located in northeastern Ohio along Lake Erie, is home to the city of Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs. Community leaders have recognized the importance of closing the digital divide and made it a key priority. Approximately 1 in 8.5 households in Cuyahoga County still need an in-home internet connection. ACP is a critical component of digital equity efforts in Cuyahoga County, providing low-cost or no-cost home internet to eligible households. Leveraging existing public and private sector partnerships, the County developed a targeted outreach campaign that focuses on 13 zip codes chosen based on current ACP enrollment figures and the percentage of disconnected households. Additionally, the County will use in-person events supported by the Greater Cleveland Digital Navigators to build public awareness. Direct mail, strategic advertising, and the valuable support of digital navigators are key elements of a campaign that will connect hundreds of thousands of low-income residents with the digital resources they need.

Jul 05, 2023

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) seeks to void a Virginia bill streamlining railroad crossing requests for broadband providers, claiming it shifts permitting power from the railroad owners to broadband providers. The law, which took effect on July 1, caps railroad crossing fees at $2,000 per crossing and requires broadband providers to reimburse railroad companies no more than $5,000 for expenses the railroads may incur. Also, railroads have 35 days to review a provider’s crossing request. In a lawsuit, AAR stated the new law “treats railroads unlike any other landowner, seizing from them and giving to broadband service providers a permanent easement to access and occupy railroad lands.” AAR went on to say the law doesn’t authorize a railroad to reject a proposed crossings installation for failing to comply with railroad safety requirements. Virginia’s statute also “provides no mechanism” for how to relocate permanent crossings in case a railroad needs to upgrade its network, such as adding sidings to serve more customers. State Senator Bill Stanley (R- Glade Hill), who introduced the bill, said he isn’t surprised by AAR’s litigation, given “the railroads engaged in bullying our Virginia broadband companies that were seeking a fair and equitable solution to this problem during the 2023 legislative session.” Sen Stanley claimed Virginia railroad companies “are now doing everything that they can” to prevent economic revitalization and fiber buildouts in the Southwest and Southside regions of the state.

Jul 06, 2023

Two months after President Biden took office, his top digital adviser emailed officials at Facebook urging them to do more to limit the spread of “vaccine hesitancy” on the social media platform. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials held “weekly sync” meetings with Facebook, once emailing the company 16 “misinformation” posts. And in the summer of 2021, the surgeon general’s top aide repeatedly urged Google, Facebook and Twitter to do more to combat disinformation. The examples are among dozens of interactions described in a 155-page ruling by a federal judge in Louisiana who imposed temporary limits on how members of Biden’s administration can engage with social media companies. The case is a flashpoint in the broader effort by conservatives to document what they contend is a liberal conspiracy by Democrats and tech company executives to silence their views. It taps into fury on the right about how social media companies have treated stories about the origins of Covid, the 2020 election and Hunter Biden. The final outcome could shape the future of First Amendment law in a rapidly changing media environment and alter how far the government can go in trying to prevent the spread of potentially dangerous information, particularly in an election or during emergencies like a pandemic.

Jul 11, 2023

Microsoft can close its $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a federal judge ruled, delivering a major setback to the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to rein in big mergers. The deal would combine Microsoft’s Xbox videogaming business with the publisher of popular franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. The ruling means there is no current US obstacle to the two companies merging. The companies are still seeking UK approval, and that effort got a boost when the UK's Competition and Markets Authority said it was prepared to consider new proposals from Microsoft for addressing its competition concerns. US District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in her opinion that the FTC hadn’t shown that Microsoft’s ownership of Activision games would hurt competition in the console or cloud-gaming markets. “To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content,” she wrote. The FTC had sought an injunction to prevent the two companies from completing their mega-deal before the agency began a separate process to challenge it. The FTC can appeal the ruling, although that is uncommon for the agency. It also can continue with its challenge to block the deal. An FTC spokesman said the agency was disappointed by the decision and would announce its next steps in the coming days. 

Jul 12, 2023

The number 13 has a great deal of myth attached to it. Ever notice that? Some people refuse to stay on the thirteenth floor of a hotel while some hotels simply skip having a thirteenth floor (but then isn't the fourteenth floor really the thirteenth anyway? I digress). Friday the 13th is another omen of foreboding for some. Researchers in this space estimate that as many as 10 percent of the U.S. population has a fear of the number 13 and even estimate that the fear of Friday the 13th, known as paraskevidekatriaphobia (spell that without looking!), results in financial losses in excess of $800 million annually as people avoid traveling, getting married or even working on that day. But for me this year — and this month — the number 13 was indeed lucky as I celebrated my thirteenth anniversary back at NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association in this role leading the best association team and the most exciting industry. I spent 20 years at NTCA after working on Capitol Hill and loved everything about the membership that the organization represented. At the time I started, in the dark ages per my daughters, our mission was about bringing telephone service to rural Americans. The technology evolution was rapid and innovative in the rural communications space, and it became clear to me that NTCA members were ahead of the curve in serving their communities. I had a brief detour to work for some large national carriers, enticed in part by the once in a lifetime opportunity to manage large budgets for the Republican and Democratic national conventions in 2008. Most of the original NTCA Board of Directors who hired me in 2010 have since moved on to retirement adventures but I smile every year when LTC Connect (Auburn, Ky.) CEO Greg Hale sends me a note on July 1 congratulating me on achieving another annual milestone. It also gives me another chance to thank him for the opportunity.And what an opportunity it has been, as our team and membership have forged ahead and worked through nearly every challenge that has been thrown our way. From the National Broadband Plan to numerous resets and critical reforms of the Universal Service Fund to the creation of new deployment programs, everyone has always stepped up to bat. I honestly can’t think of a time when we have been able to say, “Whew,” and kick back for a little bit. But speaking for our entire NTCA team, we love it that way.All that said, do you know what has made this role so fun and gratifying? It’s been the opportunity to work with the best members in the world. Truly. I was recently spending time with our Tennessee broadband providers at their annual event supporting the Rural Broadband PAC when Levoy Knowles, head state policy guru, noted to the group that, “You’ve always done what you promised to do and that has earned you credibility with policymakers.” NTCA members were building fiber broadband networks and powering Smart Rural Communities long before it was cool to do so.The other thing I have always loved and valued about our work here at NTCA is our never-ending efforts to identify and eliminate pain points for our membership. This means our collaboration with Corning as supply chains for fiber and cabling ran tight, support of Northwood Technical College’s broadband training and badging program, discounts on General Motors vehicles and Cintas equipment, and recruitment of C-suite executives into our member companies. All of these items (in addition to our robust benefit plans) are designed to allow our member companies to do what they do best: deploy broadband and service their consumers with top customer service. Last but never least, I have a wonderful spouse of nearly 38 years (gulp, I had to do the math on that one!) who has been willing to hold down the fort and feed the dogs as I travel from North Dakota to Alaska to Tennessee to Maine. I’ve even been known to come back from a trip late at night only to find a note on the counter and a salad in the fridge. This job sometimes takes many partnerships to make it work.© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Jul 18, 2023

The Federal Communications Commission announced that Wavelength's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) long-form application has defaulted. Wavelength’s defaulted bids are identified here. The FCC also announced the dismissal of a waiver request by LTD Broadband that is moot as it relates to a prior default of a different applicant. As Wavelength has been unable to obtain an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation covering its winning bid areas in California, Wavelength cannot be authorized to receive RDOF support in those areas. Therefore, the FCC considers Wavelength to be in default on these bids and subject to forfeiture. The FCC will refer these defaults to the Enforcement Bureau for further consideration. Additionally, the FCC dismisses as moot LTD’s request to waive the deadline to submit documentation of its ETC designation in South Dakota. Although LTD is challenging this application denial, subsequent events in South Dakota further compel the dismissal of the waiver request.

Jul 21, 2023

As an end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) funding looms, a congressional briefing was held to discuss what an end to the program could mean and its importance for achieving digital equity. Estimates from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation predict that ACP funding will run out in 2024 if action is not taken to re-fund the program. If it does, many people will no longer be able to afford the Internet service they likely have come to rely on. Doug McCollough, Chief Information Officer for the city of Dublin (OH) underlined that while there are aspects of the program that could be improved upon, its impact cannot be ignored. The ACP allows governments to pursue other grant opportunities that supplement this program, funding which would not be obtainable in the program’s absence, he said. Further, McCollough explained that the program depends on building trust and credibility with constituents participating in it. The populations who could benefit most from a federal subsidy program like this may initially be suspicious of government programs, and as such, government agencies have worked diligently with trusted community organizations to increase awareness and enrollment. Trust building has been one of the slower pieces of enacting the program, but it is one in which agencies have invested significant time and energy. Agencies and organizations that have been encouraging households to enroll will put their credibility on the line, he said. Some challenges with the program that were brought up during the event included the limited capacity of small Internet service providers in meeting the federal reporting requirements, as well as the risk of fraudulent actors sharing misleading ACP enrollment information. However, all the speakers agreed that it is currently a critical piece of serving some of their most vulnerable constituents.

Jul 21, 2023

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society hosted an "Ask Me Anything" webinar on our Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Enrollment Performance Tool. During the webinar, Revati Prasad, Benton Institute Director of Research and Fellowships, John Horrigan, Benton Senior Fellow and developer of the ACP Tool, and Elena Saltzman, Civic Nation's Director of Campaigns, talked about program performance, how to best focus ACP outreach and enrollment efforts, and fielded questions by those in the virtual room. Essentially, the tool is a resource for any community that wants to answer the question: “How are ACP sign-ups going?” In case you missed it, here are the highlights of the event.

Jul 26, 2023

Fixed wireless access (FWA) is currently seeing big success because it is filling several market niches. In rural areas, the product delivers speeds from 50 Mbps to 200 Mbps depending on how far a customer lives from a tower. In markets where the alternatives are slower technologies like satellite, DSL, or wireless internet service provider (WISP) broadband, customers are happy to have relatively fast broadband for the first time. FWA is also the product for the price-conscious consumer, priced between $50 and $65 when most other broadband technologies cost more. In towns and cities, this product delivers a faster alternative to DSL. But I have a hard time seeing FWA dominating any market in the long run. Many of the rural markets where it will have gained significant market shares will eventually get fiber from the many rural broadband grant programs. Will households stick with FWA when there is a much faster product? I’ve already been reading online reviews that talk about the unpredictable bandwidth, which is inherent in a network that shares bandwidth with cellphone customers. Cellular bandwidth already varies throughout the day for a wide variety of reasons – something that anybody who watches the bars on their cell phone understands. FWA is not going to deliver the guaranteed speed performance as a wired technology – quality will vary according to local conditions.

Jul 28, 2023

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared with the other FCC Commissioners a draft Notice of Inquiry that would begin the process of raising the federal definition of broadband from 25/3 Mbps to 100/20 Mbps. In order for that to become the new definition, the FCC must work through the Notice of Inquiry process and eventually vote to adopt the higher speed definition. This raises a question of the purpose of having a definition of broadband. That requirement comes from Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that requires that the FCC make sure that broadband is deployed on a reasonable and timely basis to everybody in the country. The FCC interpreted that requirement to mean that it couldn’t measure broadband deployment unless it created a definition of broadband. The FCC uses its definition of broadband to count the number of homes that have or don’t have broadband. To give credit, Chairwoman Rosenworcel tried to get the FCC to increase the definition of broadband to 100/20 Mbps four years ago, but the idea went nowhere in the Ajit Pai FCC. But this is now too little too late; 100/20 Mbps is no longer a reasonable definition of broadband. In the four years since Chairwoman Rosenworcel introduced that idea, the big cable companies have almost universally increased the starting speed for broadband to 300 Mbps download. According to OpenVault, almost 90% of all broadband customers now subscribe to broadband packages of 100 Mbps or faster. 75% of all broadband customers subscribe to speeds of at least 200 Mbps. 38% of households now subscribe to speeds of 500 Mbps or faster. If 75% of all broadband subscribers in the country have already moved to something faster than 200 Mbps, then 100 Mbps feels like a speed that is already in the rearview mirror and is rapidly receding.

Aug 02, 2023

It is critical that we address a pending issue that could negatively affect our efforts toward eliminating the digital divide. Funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program will expire in the summer of 2024 unless it is reauthorized. Granting access to high-speed internet without addressing affordability will prevent hundreds of thousands of Louisianians from maximizing the effects of this service on their lives. Thus, reauthorization of ACP funding is a crucial step toward eliminating the digital divide. We strongly encourage you to support this worthwhile goal. In every parish in the state, Louisianians have already felt the positive effects of this program. More than 479,000 households, as of July 25, have received immediate relief from the ACP. About 52% of eligible recipients in Louisiana receiving benefits, while exceeding the national average of 37%.

Jul 21, 2023

The commitments seek to uphold key principles that the White House believes are fundamental to the future of AI.

Aug 04, 2023

In October 2022, I wrote a blog about a bipartisan attempt to exempt broadband grant funding from being taxable income. Unfortunately, Congress has still not moved this legislation forward. Any company pursuing any federal and most state grants needs to be aware of the tax implications. In the past, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had the authority to excuse grants from being taxable, and the agency excused the taxes on grants made from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) 2009 Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) grants. But the IRS lost that authority in the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It now takes specific action from Congress to forgive tax on grant income. Fully taxing the infrastructure grant money and then also taxing the payrolls of the folks who build the grant-funded project feels like double taxation to me. We don’t tax corporations on gross sales. Corporations only pay taxes on profits, but most of the tax from sales to corporations comes from the taxes on the salaries paid to employees. An argument can be made that grant revenue used for infrastructure isn’t taxable – but it involves an understanding of accounting to understand this. But saying that broadband providers will eventually get the money back ignores the practical impact of making infrastructure grants taxable. Grant money is given to providers as they build the network. If it takes three years to build a grant-funded fiber route, then the corporation gets the grant award spread over those three years. In each of those years, the grant money is considered to be income. This extra taxation makes it a lot harder to justify taking a broadband grant. Providers consider grant projects because they add customers and increase economy of scale. But nobody wants to take on a grant project that is a cash loser.

Aug 08, 2023

We write concerning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) “Prevention and Elimination of Digital Discrimination” (Docket/RM 22-69). We urge you to take swift action to adopt final rules to facilitate equal access to broadband internet.Congress intended Section 60506 to require internet service providers to end discrimination resulting from programs and policies that perpetuate systemic barriers for people of color and other underserved groups. The Senate drafted, negotiated, and passed Section 60506 of H.R. 3684 with full awareness of Section 104 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 151). Existing law already required the Commission “to make available, so far as possible, to all the people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, a rapid, efficient, Nation-wide, and world-wide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges”. Section 60506 does not reference 47 U.S.C. 151, nor does Section 60506 amend the Communications Act, as AT&T notes. As such, Congress recognized that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 previously addressed intentional discrimination. Therefore, Congress passed Section 60506 to go beyond discriminatory intent and target disparate impacts of digital discrimination. To find otherwise would be to conclude that Congress engaged in redundant lawmaking.

Aug 08, 2023

In January 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) publicly released a report which makes nine recommendations to assist the Federal Communications Commissionenhance the Affordable Connectivity Program’s (ACP) performance goals and measures, language translation process, consumer outreach plan, and various processes for managing fraud risk. The FCChas undertaken an aggressive and robust corrective plan to address and resolve each of GAO’s nine recommendations. In less than six months since the Report’s release, corrective action tasks addressing five recommendations have been implemented, and FCCstaff continue efforts to obtain close-out approval from GAO on each. Actions completed include development of new policies and procedures on fraud risk management, development of an anti-fraud strategy aligned with GAO’s best practices, establishment of a governance body for fraud risk management, and strengthened internal controls to prevent ACP duplicate identification and prevention, subscriber identity verification, and subscriber address validation. Ongoing efforts continue to resolve GAO’s recommendationto ensure that ACP performance goals and measures align with key attributes of effective performance goals and measures, which include surveys, metrics, and outreach efforts to track ACP progress in reducing the digital divide, increasing program participation, and measure application difficulty. In addition, a multi-faceted translation plan designed to promote the ACP in 12 languages is underway. Innovative outreach efforts continue to make progress in educating consumers about ACP that aligns with leading practices for consumer outreach planning. Finally, analytic efforts continue to progress with the objective of improving the ACP’s fraud risk management design.

Aug 19, 2023

A biotech developer, a pavement engineer and a DC lawyer walk into a university conference center . . .This pretty much described some time I spent at Auburn University this week, and it was fantastic. A National Science Foundation (NSF) workshop at Auburn hosted a close group of about 30 people and included researchers from several universities, tech developers, and experts in telecom and cyber security. The goal of the gathering was to identify strategies for deploying civil infrastructure and technology in rural areas. As satisfying as the discussion outcomes were the conversational paths that led to our conclusions. Cutting to the chase, reliable and robust broadband placed prominently in a survey of participants, joining access to power and clean water as the top three most necessary elements for rural living. To be sure, as one person noted, the group was somewhat self-selecting: Everyone there had forward-thinking visions for rural spaces and how connected technology can play a role. But that common commitment to technology was precisely the catalyst for ideas that today may seem far-reaching, yet tomorrow (like many advancements we now enjoy) seem quite ordinary. For example, connectivity to improve rural road safety. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) reports that while 19% of Americans live in rural areas, and only one-third of total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are in rural areas, 43% of the Nation’s traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads in 2020. The University of Iowa has developed Automated Driving Systems (ADS) for Rural America, a program aimed at using technology to mitigate natural driving hazards in rural areas, including sharp curves and grades, slow moving vehicles, animals on the road, and roads without lane markings. Collisions with farm vehicles remain a prevalent hazard in rural spaces, and technologies to warn other drivers of equipment or school buses could decrease accidents. Sensors can also be embedded in roads and bridges infrastructure to detect stress and guide preventative maintenance or predict failure before it occurs. Participants also discussed strategies to reduce long bus times for rural students by establishing connected satellite schools that can be part of a “hybrid schooling” option – several days each week at small schools that are located close-in to communities, supplemented by days where all students come together at a larger regional facility for broader interactions and extra curriculars like sports. (Numerous articles explore the relationship between bus ride lengths, school absenteeism, and academic performance.) Of course, educators would be part of any conversations to consider these proposals, but the goal of the meeting was to explore possibilities.And possibilities factored highly at this meeting. Participants were asked, “If funding was unlimited, what would you deploy in rural areas?” As noted above, broadband placed high on the list, but improved transportation infrastructure and services were also identified. Participants also discussed regional collaboration to invigorate economic development and pointed at a nearby KIA plant in West Point, Georgia, as an example of a regional employer that spurs gains across several communities. Many of the ideas surfaced in the conversation reflected (and were informed by) actual achievements of Smart Rural Community Showcase award winners (look forward to Fall Conference 2023 for the announcement of this year’s cohort!). And like our SRC efforts, the conversations aimed toward working with local communities to target needs and the meaningful application of technology to meet them. As one participant noted, “Identify the goal, and innovation will occur along the way.”The workshop in Auburn was a great place to start. Next steps will include the preparation of a recommendations report for future efforts with the NSF.© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Aug 10, 2023

A biotech developer, a pavement engineer and a DC lawyer walk into a university conference center . . .This pretty much described some time I spent at Auburn University this week, and it was fantastic. A National Science Foundation (NSF) workshop at Auburn hosted a close group of about 30 people and included researchers from several universities, tech developers, and experts in telecom and cyber security. The goal of the gathering was to identify strategies for deploying civil infrastructure and technology in rural areas. As satisfying as the discussion outcomes were the conversational paths that led to our conclusions. Cutting to the chase, reliable and robust broadband placed prominently in a survey of participants, joining access to power and clean water as the top three most necessary elements for rural living. To be sure, as one person noted, the group was somewhat self-selecting: Everyone there had forward-thinking visions for rural spaces and how connected technology can play a role. But that common commitment to technology was precisely the catalyst for ideas that today may seem far-reaching, yet tomorrow (like many advancements we now enjoy) seem quite ordinary. For example, connectivity to improve rural road safety. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) reports that while 19% of Americans live in rural areas, and only one-third of total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are in rural areas, 43% of the Nation’s traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads in 2020. The University of Iowa has developed Automated Driving Systems (ADS) for Rural America, a program aimed at using technology to mitigate natural driving hazards in rural areas, including sharp curves and grades, slow moving vehicles, animals on the road, and roads without lane markings. Collisions with farm vehicles remain a prevalent hazard in rural spaces, and technologies to warn other drivers of slow-moving equipment or school buses could decrease accidents. Sensors can also be embedded in roads and bridges to detect stress and guide preventative maintenance or predict failure before it occurs. Participants also discussed strategies to reduce long bus times for rural students by establishing connected satellite schools that can be part of a “hybrid schooling” option – several days each week at small schools that are located close-in to communities, supplemented by days where all students come together at a larger regional facility for broader interactions and extra curriculars like sports. (Numerous articles explore the relationship between bus ride lengths, school absenteeism, and academic performance.) Of course, educators would be part of any conversations to consider these proposals, but the goal of the meeting was to explore possibilities.And possibilities factored highly at this meeting. As the NSF website proclaims, "Innovation Anywhere, Opportunity Everywhere" (this might be my new mantra).Participants were asked, “If funding was unlimited, what would you deploy in rural areas?” As noted above, broadband placed high on the list, but improved transportation infrastructure and services were also identified -- and engineers and experts tied those to IoT and smart, broadband enabled applications. Participants also discussed regional collaboration to invigorate economic development and pointed at a nearby KIA plant in West Point, Georgia, as an example of a regional employer that spurs gains across several communities. Many of the ideas surfaced in the conversation reflected (and some were informed by) actual achievements of Smart Rural Community Showcase award winners (look forward to Fall Conference 2023 for the announcement of this year’s cohort!). And like our SRC efforts, the conversations aimed toward working with local communities to target needs and the meaningful application of technology to meet them. As one participant noted, “Identify the goal, and innovation will occur along the way.”The workshop in Auburn was a great place to start.Next steps will include the preparation of a recommendations report for future efforts with the NSF.© 2023, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Aug 13, 2023

We write to request information 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). Connectivity modules are components that enable Internet of Things (IoT) devices—from cars to medical equipment to tractors—to connect to the internet. Connectivity modules are typically controlled remotely and are the necessary link between the device and the internet. Recent events demonstrate the power of these small modules. In 2022, Russia stole $5 million worth of farm equipment from a John Deere dealership in Ukraine and attempted to bring it back to Russia. Luckily, that equipment was embedded with Western-made connectivity modules. Because the modules can be controlled remotely and the vehicles require internet connectivity to operate, remotely shutting down the module allows the module provider to shut the vehicle down. When Russia moved the stolen John Deere vehicles across the border into Russia, the modules were disabled—shutting down the equipment and effectively turning the vehicles into bricks. Connectivity modules are used in a wide variety of devices throughout the US, from consumer ‘smart devices’, to electric cars, to US telecommunications networks regulated by the FCC. Serving as the link between the device and the internet, these modules have the capacity both to brick the device and to access the data flowing from the device to the web server that runs each device. As a result, if the CCP can control the module, it may be able to effectively exfiltrate data or shut down the IoT device. This raises particularly grave concerns in the context of critical infrastructure and any type of sensitive data.

Aug 16, 2023

Broadcast and cable usage fell below 50% of total TV usage in the US for the first time in July 2023, the lowest linear total to date, according to Nielsen's latest viewership data from its monthly survey, The Gauge. The lack of major sporting events in July 2023 took a toll on traditional TV networks, which still hold the majority of major sports broadcast rights. Both broadcast and cable saw all-time usage lows. Cable's share specifically fell below 30% for the first time. Streaming, meanwhile, garnered a record 38.7% of total TV usage in July. Entertainment giants now need to wrestle with what to do with their linear TV assets, given the increasing pace of cord-cutting in the US.

Aug 17, 2023

SiFi Networks will go live with the first neighborhood in its Placentia FiberCity Project where homes and businesses will gain access to the company’s all-fiber open access network. The project, which will cost around $35 million, is privately funded by SiFi Networks and will eventually provide access to some 20,000 locations in Placentia, California. The project will be constructed with no cost to taxpayers, as is the case with all of SiFi Networks’ fiber builds in the US. Marcus Bowman, SiFi Networks’ community relations manager, said the company is now in the installation phase of the project and is “ramping up crews to meet demand.” SiFi Networks is known for its privately funded open-access fiber networks across the US, all of which fall under its FiberCity Project umbrella. In June 2023 the company announced its $200 million Rockford FiberCity project in Illinois. The company's open access networks offer speeds up to 10 Gbps.

Aug 17, 2023

The White House convened a roundtable with civil society leaders, researchers, and policymakers on how the data broker industry monetizes personal information and actions the Biden Administration is taking to address potential harms to American consumers. The session was hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Economic Council, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice. The CFPB plans to propose rules to ensure all data companies comply with the law and prevent brokers from selling certain data, limit the disclosure of sensitive “credit header” contact information, and give consumers the right to obtain data about themselves from brokers and dispute inaccuracies. Administration officials pledged to continue using their authorities to subject data brokers to greater regulation and oversight, and to curb the harms they cause. Participants shared stories, insights, and concerns about the harms and risks that data brokers’ practices create for everyday Americans. Issues raised include the surreptitious collection, use and sale of detailed sensitive data; data-driven scoring that limits access to housing and economic opportunities for Black and brown communities; predatory scams targeting individuals with cognitive vulnerabilities; increased risks to personal safety, including gender-based violence; and insufficient oversight of brokers under existing law.

Aug 18, 2023

Network restoration crews employed by wireless operators are accustomed to responding to emergencies caused by hurricanes, but the wildfires that devastated western Maui (HI) are a completely different animal. “We’re working around the clock. We have dozens of people on the ground and we’ve deployed dozens of assets,” said Scott Agnew, head of FirstNet operations at AT&T, noting that it’s a company-wide effort involving public safety, network, retail and other teams. When the fires ignited, AT&T FirstNet had a SatCOLT, or Satellite Cell on Light Truck, in Lahaina, but as they learned more about the event, they realized they needed to transfer a lot more equipment. By that time, a lot of different organizations were trying to get to the island, which meant barges and cargo planes going to Maui quickly filled up. AT&T deployed a cell tower on wheels in Lahaina and set up two additional SatCOLTs. The company is using drones to assess damage to cell sites, as well as indoor coverage solutions and a host of other assets. Some wondered why it took so long to get equipment to the island. Why not permanently stage it there? Agnew said that’s not practical and makes it more difficult to transfer gear to another location when it’s needed somewhere else. “We designed this program to be able to go anywhere within 14 hours,” he said, adding that FirstNet public safety agencies have full visibility as to what’s going on, meaning they can see every site that’s impacted or has a connectivity issue. Practically and financially speaking, “you can’t design … for every possible scenario,” he said.

Aug 21, 2023

Elon Musk, became involved in the war in Ukraine soon after Russia invaded, in February 2022. Along with conventional assaults, the Kremlin was conducting cyberattacks against Ukraine’s digital infrastructure. Ukrainian officials and a loose coalition of expatriates in the tech sector, brainstorming in group chats on WhatsApp and Signal, found a potential solution: SpaceX, which manufactures a line of mobile Internet terminals called Starlink. The tripod-mounted dishes, each about the size of a computer display connect with a network of satellites. The units have limited range, but in this situation that was an advantage: although a nationwide network of dishes was required, it would be difficult for Russia to completely dismantle Ukrainian connectivity. Of course, Musk could do so. Three people involved in bringing Starlink to Ukraine, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they worried that Musk, if upset, could withdraw his services, said that they originally overlooked the significance of his personal control. “Nobody thought about it back then,” said one of them, a Ukrainian tech executive. “It was all about ‘Let’s fucking go, people are dying.’ ” In the ensuing months, fund-raising in Silicon Valley’s Ukrainian community, contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development and with European governments, and pro-bono contributions from SpaceX facilitated the transfer of thousands of Starlink units to Ukraine. Initially, Musk showed unreserved support for the Ukrainian cause. But, as the war ground on, SpaceX began to balk at the cost. Musk was also growing increasingly uneasy with the fact that his technology was being used for warfare. Then Musk’s sympathies appeared to be manifesting on the battlefield. Musk’s singular role presented unfamiliar challenges, as did the government’s role as intermediary. “It wasn’t like we could hold him in breach of contract or something,” the official continued. The Pentagon would need to reach a contractual arrangement with SpaceX so that, at the very least, Musk “couldn’t wake up one morning and just decide, like, he didn’t want to do this anymore.” Added Colin Kahl, then the Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon, “It was kind of a way for us to lock in services across Ukraine. It could at least prevent Musk from turning off the switch altogether.”

Aug 24, 2023

On August 14, 2023, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded to lawmakers' concerns about the E-Rate Program and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking circulated amongst the FCC. With the sunset of the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) slated for June 30, 2024, the FCC is seeking public comment on how to develop a long-term solution for the kinds of ongoing remote learning challenges that Congress sought to address with the ECF. To this end, the FCC proposes to permit eligible schools and libraries to receive E-Rate program support for wireless connections like Wi-Fi hotspots that can be used off-premises. It seeks comment on the eligibility of such services and equipment and asks related questions regarding legal authority. In doing so, it points to the FCC's past actions to provide E- Rate support for certain off-premises use. The FCC has previously determined that off-premises use of equipment and services may be eligible for E-Rate support after first finding that the off-premises provision of such services is “integral, immediate, and proximate to the education of students or the provision of library services to library patrons, and thus serves an educational purpose." Chairwoman Rosenworcel is fully committed to protecting the integrity of the E-Rate program, including taking steps necessary to prevent duplicative funding for the same Wi-Fi hotspots and services across other funding programs, including the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the Lifeline program, as well as other federal, state, Tribal, or local funding programs.

Aug 24, 2023

EveryoneOn - a national digital inclusion organization with local impact - is investing its first-ever digital advocacy grant to train community members in how to advocate for fair digital inclusion policies to close the digital divide in their communities. The grant is part of California Community Foundation’s (CCF) Digital Equity Initiative - a multi-year project that is seeding a digital equity movement in Los Angeles County (CA) to advocate for fast, reliable and affordable broadband for all Angelenos. The grant to EveryoneOn is part of CCF’s move to provide larger grants to organizations that are active partners in its Digital Equity LA coalition. During the one-year grant period, EveryoneOn will develop and implement an advocacy curriculum to train a corps of volunteer digital equity ambassadors from communities disproportionately affected by the digital divide in Los Angeles County. Class participants will learn how to engage in digital advocacy activities, like making public comments, calling local electeds, and attending meetings and events. Specific areas of Los Angeles County where EveryoneOn will concentrate efforts are Central Los Angeles, Gateway Cities, San Fernando Valley and Boyle Heights (CA).

Aug 27, 2023

Digital inclusion took on new urgency in the U.S. when the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the issue into the spotlight, forcing schools, governments and businesses to expedite the move online. While broadband access is necessary to fully participate in society and the economy, it’s not available or affordable for many. The costs of having inadequate access—or no internet at all—can be high, limiting opportunities for success, educational achievement, positive health outcomes, social inclusion and civic engagement, according to the Digital Equity Act of 2021. The act seeks to promote digital literacy and access, establishing the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program to help communities advance telecommunications capabilities. In this first article in a series on digital inclusion, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas documents the level of digital connectivity in 2022 in the Federal Reserve’s Eleventh District—Texas, northern Louisiana and southern New Mexico. This article finds that while the digital divide is wide in poor and more isolated areas of the states, concerted efforts are taking shape across the region to close it. It documents some of the ongoing public efforts to improve digital inclusion in the Eleventh District, including the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the Digital Navigator program specific to Louisiana.

Aug 28, 2023

H.R. 4250, the "PRESS Act," would exempt journalists and third-party service providers, such as telecommunications carriers and Internet service providers (ISP), from being compelled to identify a source or disclose other information that was gathered or created as part of news gathering activities unless such information is necessary to prevent an act of terrorism or a threat of imminent violence. Federal courts would make that determination based on the preponderance of the evidence after the journalist or service provider has had notice and an opportunity to respond. For matters related to federal cases, the Department of Justice (DOJ) typically files subpoena requests that seek information from journalists. Under existing regulations, federal prosecutors may request a subpoena of a journalist or a third-party service provider only in limited circumstances after an internal review. According to DOJ, only a small number of subpoenas seeking information from journalists are approved each year. Based on information from DOJ, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects that H.R. 4250 would apply to more people than the existing regulations. However, CBO estimates that the increase in the number of subpoenas subject to the bill’s requirements would be small. In addition, CBO expects that the bill’s preponderance of evidence standard would increase the amount of work required by federal prosecutors to obtain those subpoenas. In total, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4250 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2024-2028 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

Aug 28, 2023

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $808 million to help rural cooperatives and utilities build and improve electric infrastructure and increase electric grid reliability and security, connecting hundreds of thousands of people in rural areas. In Vermont, a Community Facilities Grant for $60,000 is an investment that will be used to renovate and expand the Jeudevine Memorial Library. In the new space, library patrons can find a quiet nook for themselves, access the internet, and participate in intergenerational programs and community events around this cornerstone of the community.

Aug 29, 2023

Sports leagues are urging the US to require "instantaneous" takedowns of pirated livestreams and new requirements for Internet service providers to block pirated websites. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 requires websites to "expeditiously" remove infringing material upon being notified of its existence. But pirated livestreams of sports events often aren't taken down while the events are ongoing, said comments submitted by Ultimate Fighting Championship, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League. The "DMCA does not define 'expeditiously,' and OSPs [online service providers] have exploited this ambiguity in the statutory language to delay removing content in response to takedown requests," the leagues told the US Patent and Trademark Office in response to a request for comments on addressing counterfeiting and piracy. The leagues urged the US "to establish that, in the case of live content, the requirement to 'expeditiously' remove infringing content means that content must be removed 'instantaneously or near-instantaneously in response to a takedown request." The leagues claimed the change "would be a relatively modest and non-controversial update to the DMCA that could be included in the broader reforms being considered by Congress or could be addressed separately." They also want stricter "verification measures before a user is permitted to live stream."

Aug 29, 2023

By the end August 2023, adult content will get a lot harder to watch in Texas. Instead of clicking a button or entering a date of birth to access adult sites, users will need to provide photos of their official government-issued ID or use a third-party service to verify their age. It’s the result of a new law passed earlier in summer 2023 intended to prevent kids from seeing adult content online. But it’s also part of a broad — and worrying — attempt to age-gate the internet. In 2023, more than half a dozen states have passed similar legislation and even more are looking to follow suit. While these rules are focused on adult content, another raft of laws is aimed at locking down minors’ access to the internet more generally — including banning teens from social media without parental consent. Republicans and Democrats alike are backing age-gating bills. For some lawmakers, it’s an extension of a yearslong fight against Big Tech — a way to rein in the alleged harmful effects of social networks on youth. For others, it’s part of a much broader culture war. Conservative state houses and school districts have recently altered public school curriculums and banned books predominantly written by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Online child protection bills are a new weapon in the fight. These parallel movements have created an unprecedented appetite for a new kind of internet. It’s one where parents might have far more control over what minors see online and kids are more shielded from the darker spaces on the internet. It’s also one where adults and young people alike could have trouble reading, watching, or otherwise engaging with constitutionally protected speech and where privacy is hard to find.

Aug 30, 2023

Pennsylvania is home to many diverse communities, a large number of which are disproportionately impacted by various barriers and deficiencies that prevent the attainment of digital equity for residents. To address these barriers and deficiencies, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has developed Connecting the Commonwealth: A Five-Year Strategy Toward Internet for All. This plan, developed by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), aims to comprehensively assess and resolve the issues regarding broadband access, affordability, and adoption. The Five-Year Plan will guide the PBDA as it ventures to bring a robust, affordable, and equitable broadband ecosystem to all. The PBDA’s findings are founded on direct engagement with residents, businesses, and industry partners. The priorities identified as necessary to achieve this goal are:

Sep 01, 2023

A wireless tower at Iowa State University’s Agriculture Engineering/Agronomy Farm west of Ames (IA) is loaded with hardware sending radio waves across the countryside, creating wireless internet connections for rural users. There are more poles, antennas, and cabinets full of electronics on the roof of the Economic Development Core Facility at the Iowa State University Research Park. There are also electronics and lower-to-the-ground antennas next to research fields and in a sheep barn. There’s equipment going through the roof of a dairy barn. There are even hardware cabinets on the roof of a CyRide bus. Deploying all this infrastructure in and around Ames means the $16 million ARA Wireless Living Lab for Smart and Connected Rural Communities is moving to a public testing phase. (ARA stands for Agriculture and Rural Communities and has a logo featuring the Ara constellation of stars.) A major goal for the ARA project is to address the broadband gap between rural and urban regions and to advance the frontiers of 5G and 6G technologies, said Hongwei Zhang, an Iowa State professor of electrical and computer engineering and the project leader. ARA is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a consortium of 30 wireless companies and associations. While a project goal is to eventually improve wireless service to rural residents and communities, project researchers are now building a wireless platform using the latest technology and testing its performance in a variety of applications, including precision agriculture and rural education.

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 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 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 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

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

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 02, 2022

Microsoft and CWA plan to host a traveling series of events promoting the ACP subsidy.

Sep 08, 2022

T-Mobile is focusing on its wireless business, while Cogent wants to eventually replace its leased network.

Aug 29, 2022

A newly released guide from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) aims to support composters at community gardens, schools, urban farms, and other community venues in successfully managing their composting process to prevent attracting rodents.…

Sep 23, 2022

On September 24, Black Churches 4 Digital Equity is hosting its National Affordable Connectivity Program Sign-Up Day in 34 cities across the United States. The coalition aims to increase participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program, the Federal Communications Commission's broadband subsidy program, by community members of African American, faith-based institutions. Through this event, Black Churches 4 Digital Equity aims to raise awareness of faith-based institutions' efforts to help close the digital divide. Black Churches 4 Digital Equity was launched in 2021 by the Multicultural Media and Telecom Internet Council (MMTC), a national, non-partisan, diversity nonprofit working to promote and preserve equal opportunity, civil rights, and social justice in the mass media, telecommunications, and broadband industries. Currently, Black Churches 4 Digital Equity includes 25 Black churches and Black church nonprofit organizations across nine states and the District of Columbia. “We see it as a larger work, to educate church leaders about how the digital divide is shaping so many issues within our community and how they can be policy advocates and champions locally and nationally in these discussions,” says Dr. Fallon Wilson, Vice President of Policy at MMTC.

Sep 26, 2022

For years, cable companies have been raising broadband prices annually. While price increases don’t hit every customer immediately because of customers on term contracts, every price increase reaches every customer eventually. The industry has changed, and it doesn’t seem as obvious as in the past that cable companies can raise rates and that customers will just begrudgingly go along with it. The cable companies have stopped growing. This seems to be for a variety of reasons. First, fixed wireless access (FWA) cellular carriers are thriving. What’s making FWA attractive is the price of $50-$60 for unlimited broadband—far below the prices charged by cable companies. The cable companies have to be feeling some sting also from the large telecommunications companies and others who are building and selling fiber in cable company markets. The rest of the industry is going to watch this issue closely because it’s going to be easier to compete against cable companies if they continue to raise rates. Higher cable broadband prices let other broadband providers creep up rates and still stay competitive. 

Sep 26, 2022

Elon Musk’s Starlink has activated its satellite broadband service in Iran after the US allowed private companies to offer uncensored internet access to the country amid protests that have caused more than 40 deaths. Starlink is the first in a new generation of satellite networks operating in low-Earth orbit that are designed to provide high-bandwidth internet connections from space directly to individual users. Starlink users are able to bypass a country’s terrestrial communications networks, freeing them from internet censorship. However, a special terminal is needed to receive a signal from Starlink’s constellation of satellites 500km above the Earth. The terminals include a 20-inch satellite dish, which is shipped in a package about the size of two pizza boxes stacked on top of each other. “Obviously, the Iranian government is not going to approve it,” Musk said of the Starlink service. “It would require somebody actually buying a terminal and smuggling it into Iran, but they’d be taking a risk because the government won’t be pleased with that.” Under the new guidelines, US technology companies can provide secure platforms and services within Iran without running afoul of restrictions that usually prevent dealings with Iran. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control will also prioritize applications for specific licenses or permissions for businesses related to internet freedom in Iran.

Sep 27, 2022

SpaceX sent the message to the Federal Communications Commission after Globalstar—which is powering the iPhone 14’s satellite connectivity—urged the FCC to reject SpaceX's request for access to the 1.6/2.4GHz spectrum, which it also uses for its own satellite services. SpaceX plans on using the radio bands to power a mobile version of its Starlink satellite internet service capable of beaming data to cellular dead zones. However, Globalstar fears the spectrum push will generate interference with its own satellite-based systems. “Globalstar is eager to compete with MSS [mobile-satellite services] systems operating on unused or otherwise available spectrum, but the FCC should summarily reject unsubstantiated requests that would undercut regulatory certainty and stability and threaten harmful interference to Globalstar’s systems,” the company said. In response, SpaceX is pushing back by saying the FCC never gave Globalstar exclusive access to the 1.6/2.4GHz spectrum. SpaceX also insists it can work with Globalstar to prevent interference while maximizing the use of the same spectrum for the American public. The regulatory battle risks derailing SpaceX’s plans for a mobile Starlink service if the FCC rules against the company.

Sep 29, 2022

California's unprecedented new law to bolster protections for abortion-related personal information held by tech companies marks a new phase in the deepening legal fight between red and blue states over digital regulations. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed into law an abortion rights bill with a provision that protects reproductive digital information housed by companies headquartered or incorporated in the state. With Congress deadlocked over national laws to govern online privacy and free speech, states are stepping into conflicts over abortion rights and censorship and setting their own, sometimes contradictory rules. Broadly speaking, California's move follows conflicts in Texas and Florida over laws intended to prevent tech platforms from discriminating against "points of view." However, as the partisan divide between Democratic-led and Republican-dominated states grows, states are increasingly passing laws governing the digital realm that put them at direct odds with one another. Ultimately, Attorney General Rob Bonta (D-CA) points to the experimentality of American democracy, as the States, "... are laboratories of innovation that provide approaches no one thought of that are new, different, cutting-edge." 

Sep 29, 2022

Stopgap funding legislation designed to prevent a federal-government shutdown includes language extending the Federal Communication Commission's spectrum-auction authority into December, although the impact on potential funding for next-generation 911 (NG911) deployments remains unclear. Currently, the FCC’s authority to conduct auctions of the radio spectrum—bidding events that have provided airwaves to wireless communications and generated hundreds of billions of dollars for the US Treasury—is set to expire on Friday, Sept. 30. Under the continuing-resolution (CR) legislation that received a critical affirmative vote in the Senate, the FCC’s auction authority would be extended through Dec. 16.Extending the FCC’s auction authority for a few months means the Senate theoretically still could consider the Spectrum Innovation Act (H.R. 7624)that House members approved in July with bipartisan support.

Sep 29, 2022

A recent round of government grants revealed the startling costs associated with covering residents in the most remote parts of the US. But while $200,000 per passing might seem like an eye-popping figure, Fiber Broadband Association CEO Gary Bolton noted that the cost applies to only the most extreme deployments. And in any event, he added, the long-term economic and systemic benefits of bringing fiber to such locations outweigh the upfront costs. According to Bolton, the average cost for a Tier-1 operator to deploy fiber is between $600 to $1,500 per passing. For rural homes on larger lots of six to eight acres, the cost rises to between $2,000 and $4,000 per passing. Extremely rural homes, he continued, usually run anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000 per passing. The infrastructure builds that the US Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program is fueling at tens of thousands of dollars per passing represent “the very edge, edge, edge cases,” Bolton said. Fixed wireless access (FWA) advocates have argued the technology can be deployed cheaper and faster to connect unserved parts of the country, but Bolton contended it’s not a long-term solution. He pointed to a study by CTC Technology and Energy (published by the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society in June 2022), which concluded the technology lacks the long-term scalability of fiber. 

Sep 30, 2022

On Monday, September 26, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Director of Research and Fellowships Dr. Revati Prasad hosted an online panel discussion, From the Ground Up: Broadband Mapping By and for Communities, on how communities and states are collecting data on local broadband availability as the Federal Communications Commission rolls out the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program. The panel was moderated by Dustin Loup, the Program Manager at the National Broadband Mapping Coalition, the event's co-sponsor. He framed the discussion by highlighting that inaccurate broadband deployment data has not only overestimated the percentage of U.S. households with access to broadband, it has also prevented some communities from being eligible for federal and/or state programs that subsidize broadband network buildout. Read what the panel had to say at the link below.

Oct 03, 2022

Ghosting usually is associated with personal relationships, but it’s extending to all forms of communication nowadays, especially since COVID-19. In some cases, a job offer is made and accepted, but that doesn't mean they're going to show up for work. Applicants are still talking to other prospective employers and don't always feel obligated to tell someone they've found work elsewhere. In order to prevent “ghosting,” Megan Neal, director of Human Resources at Union Wireless, advises to find a way to continue interacting with applicants in the hopes they get to know you well enough that they don’t just disappear – and if they do decide not to take a job, they’ll let you know. Additionally, Mark Walker, president of Global Technology Associates (GTA), says that the practice of ghosting is happening at a dramatic pace, and these aren’t the $15/hour jobs they’re talking about. It’s happening with senior-level engineers and “it’s a real problem,” he said, reiterating that frequent communications with the applicant are essential. 

Sep 27, 2022

The Broadband Deployment Board (BDB) is excited to share the timeline of events for the remainder of 2022, including the completion of the Appeals and Right of First Refusal process for the Winter 2022 Grant Cycle, as well as a number of meetings and engagement opportunities. Please be advised that

Oct 06, 2022

AT&T partnered with Vanderburgh County, Indiana for a broadband public-private partnership (PPP), which will eventually bring fiber to 20K locations throughout largely rural Vanderburgh County. The total cost of the project is $39 million, with AT&T pitching in close to…

Oct 07, 2022

In recent years, several new options have emerged in the social media universe, many of which explicitly present themselves as alternatives to more established social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – especially by opposing free speech restrictions they say are rife at those sites. These newer sites have created a small but satisfied community of news consumers, many of whom say one of the major reasons they are there is to stay informed about current events. This study included a survey of US adults along with an audit of seven alternative social media sites – BitChute, Gab, Gettr, Parler, Rumble, Telegram and Truth Social – and a detailed analysis of prominent accounts and content across them. Although fewer than one-in-ten Americans say they use any of these sites for news, most who do say they have found a community of like-minded people there. And news consumers on the four sites with large enough numbers to be analyzed individually – Parler, Rumble, Telegram and Truth Social – largely say they are satisfied with their experience getting news on the sites, that they find the information there to be mostly accurate, and that the discussions are mostly friendly. At the same time, however, the study finds signs that these sites may be another symptom of the increasingly polarized public discourse – and Americans’ partisan divisions in the broader news media environment.

Oct 07, 2022

One of the most interesting aspects of serving broadband from low-orbit satellites is that it brings issues related to space into the broadband discussion. There are two recent events that highlight our new focus on low-earth orbit satellites. The first is a piece of legislation introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The legislation is called the Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act. The bill is intended to begin the development of a technology called active debris removal (ADR) that would be used to remove dangerous debris from low earth orbit. Space debris is a problem because as mankind put more objects into orbit that the inevitability of collisions would increase and over time there would be more and more debris. The legislation would fund research into different technologies that can be used to clean debris, with NASA tackling some of the trials. The second event was President Putin of Russia threatening to destroy Starlink and other satellites that are helping Ukraine in the war between the two countries. In September, a Russian diplomat said at the United Nations that satellites could be legitimate military targets. He argued that civilian satellites that provide broadband might be a violation of the Outer Space Treaty that provides for only peaceful uses of satellite technology. Overall, the Earth has become massively reliant on satellite technology. The bigger question raised is if it is worth spending money on satellites that can be destroyed.

Oct 11, 2022

Louisiana officials have rejected a protest from Cable One's Sparklight which aimed to stop the state from awarding a $4 million grant to Conexon to build fiber broadband to 851 locations in East Carroll Parish (LA). Conexon was one of several service providers to receive broadband infrastructure grants through Louisiana's Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) program as part of a $130 million funding round. But the company was prevented from starting work when one of the state's incumbent providers, Cable One, brought a protest saying it already provided service to the area. That action was met with outrage from the local community, including the group Delta Interfaith which had worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to bring high-speed Internet to the area and chose Conexon as a partner. The group even went door-to-door to collect speed test data to prove its residents were not getting advertised speeds by the available incumbent providers, nor could many afford to subscribe to their services. Sparklight provided a "paucity of information" to support its claims that it reliably provides adequate speeds for residents of the region.

Oct 11, 2022

With cyber threats on the rise, now is a most critical time to protect systems, assets, data, and customers. The 2022 CyberShare Summit, an event hosted by CyberShare: The small broadband provider ISAC, brought together more than 170 security, IT and C-suite professionals to discuss and learn about the current threat and regulatory environment.The summit was a collaborative effort of NTCA, ACA Connects, and the Rural Wireless Association. Attendees heard from cybersecurity experts and participated in critical conversations regarding budgeting and funding for cybersecurity needs, the upcoming NIST Framework update, developing incident response plans, how to find and retain talent, federal funding, cybersecurity supply chain requirements for broadband providers, and more. Organizations that join CyberShare receive several resources to stay abreast of and respond to cyber threats, including daily open-source reports, weekly technical reports, and incident-specific analytical reports. CyberShare participants also receive access to the SecurityScorecard (Cybersecurity Risk Ratings platform to help discover and address weaknesses in current defenses), an employee training video (to use for company-wide cybersecurity training), and where available, an insurance discount through Telcom Insurance Group (up to a 50% premium credit on their cyber policy).For more information on how to join CyberShare please contact Jill Canfield or Blain Tesfaye.© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Oct 11, 2022

Among the great events that will be taking place at the conference, a panel of broadband mapping experts will be convening on Wednesday to help stakeholders better understand how they can leverage broadband data and mapping to serve their communities.

Oct 13, 2022

Abbey Middleton, one of the first female line workers among NTCA member companies, never expected to be a line worker for the Scott County Telephone Cooperative (SCTC) (Gate City, Va.).She wanted to join the Virginia State Police, but the agency requires applicants to be at least 21 years old. To kill time until she was eligible to enroll as a trooper, Abbey talked to some people she knew and started taking classes as part of the Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) Power Lineman Program. “I didn’t know anything about it,” she said. “I like being outside. I like helping people.” Admittedly, though, she “was flying blind.”Shortly after joining the 15-week program, however, Abbey said she realized she really enjoyed the work and started thinking about a career in line work. Instructors taught her about worksite safety, lineman basics, and eventually she earned her Class A Commercial Driver’s License.Upon completion of the program, Abbey said she made the decision to apply to SCTC. Not long after submitting her paperwork, she was notified she got the job, a particularly impressive feat considering how few women are employed as line workers nationwide.Though she’s “never met a line worker who’s a woman,” Abbey said she would encourage all women to join their local telecom companies as line workers too. It’s a rewarding job, she said, and it hasn’t been hard for her to quickly gain the respect of her colleagues and peers. “Once you show you can hang right with them, they don’t treat you [any] different,” she said.Abbey attributes much of her success to the MECC, and she noted many of her coworkers also went through the program and joined SCTC, as well. With federal funding for broadband growing seemingly by the day, the program continues to serve and ultimately employ many line workers like Abbey.“Internet rules the world now,” she said. “To see our customers come out and say, ‘Thanks,’ it just means a lot.”© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Oct 13, 2022

The Biden-Harris Action Plan for Accelerating Infrastructure Projects describes federal actions to address these challenges accelerate the planning, design and construction of infrastructure projects across all sectors, including transportation, broadband, resiliency, and others. Organized by the themes of On Time, On Task and On Budget, the actions support more efficient processes, collaboration, sharing of best practices, targeted support to new recipients of federal funding, and focused efforts to root out the causes of delays and overruns. As part of this effort, The Department of Commerce (DOC) will initiate a Dig Once effort in cooperation with the Departments of Transportation and Energy. Dig Once entails interagency coordination on planning, design and construction to prevent multiple excavations for broadband, transportation and electrification projects. DOC will support state broadband offices to work with their counterparts in state energy and transportation departments to identify potential opportunities for project coordination. This effort will support the Federal Highway Administration’s December 2021 Broadband Infrastructure Deployment final rule that allows installation of broadband during road construction projects to minimize disruption and delay.

Oct 18, 2022

Nokia has been pushing hard on the fiber front, unveiling a new platform that will eventually support 100G capabilities. But President of Network Infrastructure Federico Guillén said that fixed wireless access is a key tool in the toolbox for areas where fiber may not reach. “Let’s face it. Fiber is going to reach 50%, 60%, 70% of the population with time. But there is always going to be a remaining 10, 20, 30% of the population where it’s going to be impossible to lay fiber because economically it doesn’t make sense or you have to go through the historic center of a very old city or whatever,” he explained. “In those cases, fixed wireless access is a complement, a nice complement to fiber. But it is a complement.” In the long run, Guillén said fixed wireless access “cannot compete” with the multi-gigabit speeds fiber enables. But he reiterated wireless technology still has a key role to play in bridging the connectivity gap in areas where fiber may never make it to town.

Oct 19, 2022

Residents of the Capon Valley View Senior Center gather for lunch to hear from area leaders and fellow residents regularly. But last month, when Hardy Telecommunications (Lost River, W.Va.) Assistant General Manager Derek Barr stopped by, residents were treated to the unveiling of the provider’s latest effort to bridge the state’s digital divide: free public internet access.Using funds received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service Community Connect Program, Hardy was able to bring 24/7 public Wi-Fi access to the facility, as well as create an office with two computers and a shared printer for public use.With speeds of 300 Mbps download and 150 Mbps upload, residents now can use high-quality internet for telehealth programs, videoconferencing, and much more. Hardy also is working to upgrade equipment to eventually offer faster speeds.“The Community Connect broadband funding program focuses on improving broadband access to a variety of people, and that’s why serving a community center in a new area was a big draw for Hardy Telecommunications,” Barr said. “By establishing free broadband access in this Hampshire County Committee on Aging senior center, we bring the internet to a diverse group of residents, many of whom are on fixed incomes and haven’t truly experienced the benefits of broadband before.”Joining Barr and others from Hardy Telecommunications were their partners for the project, representatives from the Hampshire County Commission, and the Hampshire County Committee on Aging. The regional coordinator for U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) was also on hand to celebrate the occasion.“Expanding dependable broadband access for Hampshire County is one of our top priorities,” said Hampshire County Commission President Brian W. Eglinger. “This Community Connect Project in particular is vital for our senior population. Senior citizens need broadband access just like all age groups. It could be for important telehealth appointments, or to keep in touch with family around the country. The county really saw this project as an opportunity to work with a dependable communications company in an area of our county that really wanted and needed broadband access.”The center is the first location to go online as part of Hardy’s Community Connect build-out in the area. The organization expects to offer service to approximately 600 other locations throughout Hampshire County through the project.“West Virginia lags behind most of the country in broadband access,” Barr said. “Our mountainous terrain and sparse population present unique challenges. Hardy Telecommunications is a small provider, but we’re dedicated to bringing modern, affordable, reliable broadband access to as many West Virginians as possible. In today’s society, broadband access is essential, and West Virginians deserve the same opportunities as citizens in other states.”© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Oct 20, 2022

Most of the world’s population (95%) is now covered by mobile broadband networks. But 40% of populations covered by these networks face other barriers that prevent them from getting online, according to a new report from GSMA. Those barriers include…

Oct 21, 2022

In our newest Broadband Innovator interview series, we talk with Calix President and CEO Michael Weening about the state of the broadband industry, with the backdrop of the company’s annual ConneXions event, taking place this week in Las Vegas.

Oct 14, 2022

The number of 100-degree days has almost doubled in the past 40 years and may double in the next decade.

Oct 25, 2022

As a Commissioner focused so deeply on the digital divide, I’m especially thrilled about what a golden era in commercial space could mean for broadband. New satellite broadband systems promise more choice and better performance for many Americans, including those who live, work, and travel in some the toughest-to-serve places. Making space innovation sustainable is a multidimensional problem. They can even improve the reach of terrestrial broadband networks, through satellite backhaul and, perhaps one day soon, base stations flying in low-Earth orbit. Importantly, these systems are also improving the resilience— and agility—of our broadband infrastructure. They’re empowering first responders, survivors, and governments to ad-hoc more powerful and more secure networks more quickly, sometimes mere moments after disaster strikes. But it begins with focusing on competition as a pillar of our strategy in space—including our strategy on spectrum access. Here's how I think we can sustain a competitive environment:

Oct 26, 2022

It's been one year since President Biden nominated Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] to the Federal Communications Commission. Since then, the FCC has remained deadlocked 2–2 as Sohn has faced an underhanded campaign by deep-pocketed phone, cable, and broadcast companies seeking to hamstring the agency that oversees their businesses. No other nominee in the FCC’s history has had to wait so long for a confirmation vote in the Senate. Free Press Action Internet Campaign Director Heather Franklin said: “The US Senate gets an ‘F’ in FCC. Gigi Sohn has been in limbo for a year now, preventing a deadlocked agency from passing crucial policies that would help people in the United States connect and communicate. This senseless delay is harming millions of people, especially working families trying to pay their rising monthly bills and those in Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and rural communities that the biggest phone and cable companies have long exploited and neglected. Broadcast, cable, and phone companies don’t want the FCC to hold them accountable to people, so they’ve launched a smear campaign against Sohn, repeatedly misrepresenting her record in the media and on Capitol Hill. Sohn has faced antisemitic, homophobic, and blatantly false attacks online and in right-wing media. For a year, Democratic leaders have dithered and delayed, leaving people in the United States without the safeguards they need to access an open and affordable internet."

Oct 27, 2022

The Broadband Deployment Board (BDB) would like to remind stakeholders about a number of upcoming events. During the upcoming subcommittee meetings, we will be looking to stakeholders for their input on how to prioritize proposed process improvements. These meetings will also address some of the

Oct 28, 2022

An explosive report from nonprofit journalism outlet The Markup analyzed data on internet speeds and pricing in 38 US cities and found that AT&T, Verizon, EarthLink, and CenturyLink all disproportionately offered lower-income and less-white neighborhoods slower internet for the same price that nearby whiter, wealthier neighborhoods paid for faster speeds. Discriminating against those communities by charging them more for the internet is digital redlining, and it’s yet another example of the technology and telecommunications industry’s ability to entrench and amplify social inequities. The Federal Communications Commission is the agency best poised to create and enforce rules on this matter, and the agency promised to look into this exact issue. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is working to create a task force to tackle digital discrimination, and the commission has initiated an inquiry into the problem of how it can best prevent digital discrimination. The intent is to launch new rule-making under the legal authority of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This would allow the FCC to create a new regulation that would target digital discrimination. While it is positive that the FCC is taking charge to fix this problem, the agency’s efforts have arguably been hampered by the fact that the agency is still operating without its full number of commissioners.Republicans have refused to confirm Gigi Sohn, a well-known expert in technology and communications policy. 250 civil society groups recently signed a letter supporting her confirmation. Until the day comes that we do have strong laws that protect internet access as a civil right, we will need to continue speaking up and shedding light on discrimination and inequity.[Tiffany C. Li is a technology lawyer and legal scholar. She is an assistant professor of law at the University of New Hampshire School of Law and a fellow at Yale Law School's Information Society Project.]

Nov 01, 2022

The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), a Federal Communications Commission plan to spend over $20 billion to close the digital divide, drew interest from startups and household-name carriers alike. But several upstart winners have dropped off the winner's list because of financial problems or the inability to supply high-speed Internet access. Top 10 bidder Starry said that it is withdrawing from the RDOF program, under which it had been awarded nearly $270 million in funds to cover 108,506 locations in 9 states. Facing financial challenges, the startup fixed wireless access provider also said it will undergo a 50% workforce reduction and a hiring freeze. GeoLinks and Cal.net also defaulted on winning RDOF bids. And SpaceX’s Starlink funding was withdrawn due to concerns over the ability of Elon Musk’s startup satellite operator to supply fast enough services. Operators continue to face challenges in making a business case for delivering broadband service to a limited addressable rural subscriber base. Keeping tabs on their efforts and learning about other broadband programs can help IT managers. However, in the event of an RDOF dropout, the FCC said that these areas could be covered by other state and local funding programs.

Nov 03, 2022

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) proposes to commence a rulemaking proceeding to address certain deceptive or unfair acts or practices relating to fees. The FTC is soliciting written comments, data, and arguments concerning the need for such a rulemaking to prevent persons, entities, and organizations from imposing such fees on consumers. The FTC is exploring a rule to crack down on junk fees proliferating throughout the economy. Junk fees are unnecessary, unavoidable, or surprise charges that inflate costs while adding little to no value. Consumers can get hit with junk fees at any stage of the purchase or payment process. The agency is seeking public comment on the harms caused by junk fees and the unfair or deceptive tactics companies use to impose them. Companies charge junk fees in a wide range of contexts, including cramming in hidden fees to which consumers did not consent, misrepresenting optional services or upgrades as mandatory, and charging for products or services with little or no value. The types of junk fees the FTC is seeking comment on include: Unnecessary charges for worthless, free, or fake products or services; Unavoidable charges imposed on captive consumers; and surprise charges that secretly push up the purchase price. While the agency has been active in addressing junk fees, it generally lacks the authority to seek penalties against first-time violators or the ability to obtain redress readily for consumers in instances in which fees violate the FTC’s prohibition on unfair or deceptive practices. The FTC can seek such remedies when a company violates a rule promulgated by the agency, which is why the agency is exploring a junk fee rule.

Nov 07, 2022

For the remainder of the year, the Broadband Deployment Board (BDB) will be sending out weekly updates on our activities and events to keep stakeholders informed. Schedule of Upcoming Meetings During the upcoming subcommittee meetings, we will be asking stakeholders for their input on how to

Nov 07, 2022

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) will award $15.7 million to seven service providers that will bring high-speed broadband service to underserved, economically distressed, and low-population areas of the state. This is the first of three rounds of awards from the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Broadband Grant Program. This phase of funding will connect more than 1,900 homes, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, and other public institutions to fast, reliable internet in the next 24 months. This funding aims to solve the “last mile” of broadband needed in critical areas. The targeted counties have as few as five locations per square mile, which until now has prevented companies from investing the resources to deliver a quality broadband option. The CPF Grant Program provides the funding needed to implement high-speed broadband in these areas of the state. The new grant program results from the US Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan. The federal CPF program is a $10 billion initiative available to states, territories, and tribal governments under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to fund capital projects. Kansas was one of the first eight states in the country approved for funding under this program and was allocated $83.5 million. The CPF program opportunity resulted in 141 applications from providers requesting $693 million in funding support to build out broadband infrastructure across Kansas.

Nov 08, 2022

The findings from the three Communications Equity and Diversity Council working groups offer guidance to states and localities seeking to prohibit “digital discrimination” in broadband deployment, adoption, and use, as well as in the contracting and grants processes for funds related to forthcoming broadband infrastructure. This is a starting point for further deliberations and actions that promote increased deployment, adoption, and use of high-speed broadband that not only make it easier for populations to engage in daily activities of remote work, learning, and health care, but also encourage affordable and widely deployed connectivity. The three combined draft reports and recommendations from each of the Working Groups present a series of critical and distinguishable next steps for the Federal Communications Commission to consider with findings largely extracted from structured interviews with subject matter experts and secondary research.

Nov 10, 2022

Building a critical mass of informed and organized community voices in the broadband policymaking arena to balance the historical presence of private industry is a long-term capacity challenge in California—and in other states. How do digital equity advocates make their voices heard during the rulemaking process for California’s $6 billion statewide broadband rollout? The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has new resources and authorities to be a partner to local governments and other agencies in closing the digital divide. Right now, the CPUC is determining specific applications and mechanisms for distributing state dollars for middle- and last-mile infrastructure and the loan loss program through regulatory rulemaking and eventually local implementation defined by those rules. The formal CPUC rulemaking process is a complex technical exercise favoring those voices most familiar with the intricacies of the broadband sector and how to engage the CPUC itself. To ensure that equity is at the forefront of how every broadband infrastructure dollar is spent in the state, a group of philanthropies created a pooled fund to address the immediate, midterm, and long-term needs of digital equity advocates and practitioners in California. Housed at the Michelson 20MM Foundation, the Digital Equity Pooled Fund—which has a minimum institutional commitment for participation and will grant dollars until December 31, 2024—is a collaboration between multiple funders who are focused on advancing digital equity in California.

Nov 10, 2022

What a moment in time we are living in in the rural broadband industry. Policymakers are zeroed in on broadband deployment in rural America and there are more than a handful of funding programs in the pipeline or already providing support as NTCA broadband providers are exploring where they might extend their service with the right mix of support and ability to sustain the investment. Huge opportunities ahead? Absolutely! Are there challenges? Absolutely! Mapping processes, regulatory hurdles, supply chain speed bumps, and the inability to find the right staff and workforce to get the deployment and installations done are part of that bucket of challenges.That last bullet – workforce issues – is the reason we were honored to join the White House Talent Pipeline Challenge, a call to action for employers, education and training providers and others to support equitable workforce development in critical infrastructure sectors like broadband. NTCA felt strongly that we have a special role to play in helping our member companies find and train the workforce of the future that will guide and support their work today for years to come. The first discussion held at the White House during the summer was revealing in that little focus was put on rural communities and how important it is to be able to grow your own talent in a rural community and to keep them there. Training programs in Dallas, Texas and other midsize cities can sound sexy but are not as relevant or convenient for rural employers. That is why NTCA felt it was important to further explore how we might play a role in putting more training and development tools in our members’ hands because it was clear that if we didn’t, no one else was clamoring to find solutions in that space.So last week, we announced new partnerships with organizations leading efforts to create a 21st century workforce in rural America that focuses on helping our country build a better broadband future. The announcement came as I had the opportunity to join a White House event highlighting commitments made under the Biden administration’s Talent Pipeline Challenge.NTCA announced three separate partnerships – with Northwood Technical College, the National Rural Education Association (NREA), and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) – to prepare for the immediate growth in the broadband industry because of significant funding for network deployment in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as well as future demand for high-tech jobs.It has been gratifying to see NTCA members working so fast and furiously to build broadband out to communities still waiting for robust service. Yet, the work is never done. Whether it is installs, upgrades, or maintenance, there is certainly more than enough work to go around. That is why it is fitting that NTCA is stepping up to help increase the number and skills of broadband workers. Especially given retention and recruitment in rural markets is more challenging than urban markets, we are proud to be working with Northwood Tech, NREA, and CWA to support the broadband providers we represent and the communities they live in and serve.”Northwood Technical College, based in northern Wisconsin, will provide NTCA member companies across the country online access to Northwood’s Broadband Academy courses and library and a “digital badging” program in which students may enroll on course-by-course basis or complete the full program. NTCA and Northwood also plan to create a common template for apprenticeship-like training, modeled after the Northwood Tech apprenticeship program, which will serve as a guide for NTCA member companies’ offering of supervised work experience and mentoring to students who concurrently enroll in or who have completed Northwood Tech coursework. More information on this partnership will be announced at RTIME where we plan on rolling out more details on how we can support our members’ training needs, particularly online, and broadband training utilizing broadband networks that will also allow for maximum flexibility for students and employers.NREA and NTCA will work with local broadband providers and school districts to identify existing and new curricula that correlates to broadband industry needs. This coursework will be combined with internship opportunities, “ride-alongs” and job fairs to raise awareness of careers in the broadband industry, help schools build coursework around unique needs and offer students hands-on opportunities to learn more.CWA and NTCA will engage community-based broadband providers to make apprenticeship programs accessible to NTCA member companies with CWA workforces and offer these companies the opportunity to have employees participate in an OSHA 10 training course delivered by OSHA-authorized CWA trainers who are broadband technicians themselves. Carrying an OSHA 10 card is of great benefit to job seekers, as certain job sites require these credentials.At the White House event, splicing technician Jeremy Przybilla of NTCA member CTC in Brainerd, Minn., along with CTC CEO, Kristi Westbrock, demonstrated the skill required to ensure fiber cable is handled correctly. Jeremy showed attendees how he uses a fiber splicing tool to cut fiber strands and then test the fiber to ensure the cut was clean. I loved everything about watching members of the NTIA team, tasked with implementing a historic amount of funding, see the CTC/CWA table with “The Future is Fiber” sign in the Red Room of the White House!President Biden shared his support and appreciation for the organizations, including NTCA, who came together to meet this challenge of a generation. It’s always a wonderful day when you get to hang in the East Room and share the story of rural broadband and the support needed to have those still waiting for robust broadband to get and stay connected!© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Nov 10, 2022

As we mark this Veterans Day, almost a forgotten holiday, I came across a sobering statistic I wanted to share: Since 9/11, four times as many U.S. service members have died by suicide than have died in battle. If that doesn’t signal that something is wrong with the care and services that are being offered to our returning service members, I am not sure what does.That’s where we come in. Axios wrote a great story highlighting some ways to help our veterans, and they did so by asking veterans themselves. Among the areas they identified are:On that last point, specifically, I wanted to highlight a few of the wonderful organizations that work day-in and day-out to support our veterans. The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS). Yes, you read that correctly. Our own FRS has partnered with CoBank on a Virtual Living Room project. Put together a community engaged NTCA member broadband provider, some resources to outfit and support a private, secure space for telehealth, and the willingness by the NTCA member to engage with their state Veteran’s Affairs office, and you have a recipe for success to open small care centers that your local veterans can use for access to their VA networks.Particularly useful for mental health support, this model implemented more broadly across rural America can certainly help to take those original statistics down on possible suicide prevention.When you support FRS efforts, you also help to support the ability to create these safe spaces for veterans, utilizing the robust networks you already provide. I encourage anyone remotely thinking about establishing your own local program to reach out to myself or Pam Becker, our FRS Executive Director, for information about how to make this magic happen!And certainly, we need to all take the time and make the effort to thank those who serve or have served. I used to feel funny saying something to someone in uniform but no longer. My last opportunity to potentially embarrass myself by stepping out of my own comfort zone (which is a pretty big space!) was when I was in the Dallas, Texas airport recently and saw a number of young recruits – obvious from their uniforms and buzz haircuts in the candy store by my gate. I went in and handed the clerk my credit card and told her to put anything they bought on my card. It was a tiny bit awkward, both the transaction and initial reaction, but those young men then acted like kids in a candy shop and I was the certainly the winner of that transaction.© 2022, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association All rights reserved. 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203Explore NTCA Sites

Nov 14, 2022

During a closed-door session with lawmakers, FBI Director Christopher Wray was asked whether the bureau had ever purchased and used Pegasus, the hacking tool that penetrates mobile phones and extracts their contents. Director Wray acknowledged that the FBI had bought a license for Pegasus, but only for research and development. “To be able to figure out how bad guys could use it, for example,” he told Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). But dozens of internal FBI documents and court records tell a different story. The documents show that FBI officials made a push in late 2020 and the first half of 2021 to deploy the hacking tools — made by the Israeli spyware firm NSO — in its own criminal investigations. The officials developed advanced plans to brief the bureau’s leadership, and drew up guidelines for federal prosecutors about how the FBI’s use of hacking tools would need to be disclosed during criminal proceedings. The eventually decided not to deploy Pegasus in criminal investigations in July 2021, amid a flurry of stories about how the hacking tool had been abused by governments across the globe. But the documents offer a glimpse at how the US government — over two presidential administrations — wrestled with the promise and peril of a powerful cyberweapon.

Nov 14, 2022

Almost from the time the first tweet was posted in 2006, Twitter has played an important role in world events. The platform has been used to record everything from the Arab Spring to the ongoing war in Ukraine. It's also captured our public conversations for years. But experts are worried that these rich seams of media and conversation could be lost forever if Elon Musk tanks the company. Given his admission to employees that Twitter could face bankruptcy, it’s a real and present risk. Musk himself acknowledges that Twitter is a public forum, which makes the potential loss of the platform so significant. Twitter has become integral to modern civilization. It’s a place where people document war crimes, discuss key issues, and break and report on the news. It is a living, breathing historical document. 

Nov 14, 2022

A partnership led by the Maine Connectivity Authority is seeking to build a 530-million "middle-mile" fiber broadband network that would serve tens of thousands of residents and businesses across the state. Middle-mile infrastructure is the regional fiber optic infrastructure made up of high-capacity fiber that carries large amounts of data at high speeds over long distances and between various elements of telecommunications infrastructure. The network would encompass 131 communities, representing over 11,000 unserved residents and local businesses. It will reach more than 200 community anchor institutions, including schools, hospitals, libraries, local government buildings, and civic centers. Maine’s application proposes $53 million to construct the Maine Online Optical Statewide Enabling Network ("MOOSE Net"). The proposal aims to fill in the so-called "middle mile" of connectivity in Maine, to replace the current patchwork of individual private networks with infrastructure that connects homes, businesses, and other users at the local level. MOOSE Net’s expansion would deploy open-access fiber "highways" that provide an essential backbone network to enable last-mile providers to increase their coverage, help fortify digital infrastructure to prevent outages, and advance the competitiveness of rural communities.

Nov 15, 2022

There’s one bit of the future that Elon Musk has built and isn’t interested in using: A potential power that researchers have identified in his Starlink satellite system. For the past two years, Todd Humphreys, an Army-funded researcher at the University of Texas in Austin, and a team of researchers reverse-engineered signals sent from thousands of Starlink internet satellites in low Earth orbit to ground-based receivers, finding that the constellation could form a precise navigation system. What’s more, this powerful new function could, in theory, be set up overnight with just a few tweaks to the system’s software. If true, this would be a very big deal. Right now, the U.S.-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) is the most prevalent technology used in the global navigation satellite system, a general term describing any satellite constellation that provides positioning, navigation, and timing services on a global or regional basis. It’s reliable enough but in reality, it could be better. Satellites in the GPS constellation are “all too susceptible to jamming.” For a system that has an economic impact of about $1 billion a day in the United States alone, that’s a problem. Starlink satellite signals are much wider and have more channels than GPS satellites, making it harder for attackers to disrupt since there are more frequencies to cover. These would offer a reliable backup to GPS and other navigation systems in Europe, Russia and China. Also, each Starlink terminal focuses on only one satellite at a time with a narrow beam — so it ignores jamming signals coming from different directions. In contrast, the military has to use costly phased-array GPS antennas to prevent its receivers from “pulling in everything above it,” such as jamming signals, Humphreys told us. If put into operation, Starlink satellites could provide a low-cost and highly accurate navigation service resistant to jamming from adversaries.

Nov 15, 2022

The Federal Communications Commission is engaging the public in a few ways in its effort to learn about different perspectives on digital discrimination. Beginning with the Notice of Inquiry (NOI), the FCC asked for input on how to implement the digital discrimination section of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). In May, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) submitted comments on our perspective of how the FCC should implement rules to prevent and eliminate digital discrimination. The rulemaking process is ongoing, and the FCC will solicit public input again on proposed rules to prevent and eliminate digital discrimination. To support the development of model policies, the NDIA participated in the Digital Empowerment and Inclusion working group, which operated under the direction of the Communications Equity and Diversity Council, a committee formed by the FCC to advise them on equity in digital communications services. The working group included public interest groups, subject matter experts, and internet service providers (ISPs). While many perspectives from NDIA were included in the recent report released by the FCC, NDIA continues to advocate for these interpretations of the IIJA that clearly promote equal access to broadband and prevent digital discrimination:We expect the FCC to release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in early 2023, and we will continue to share updates as the rulemaking process around digital discrimination continues.

Nov 08, 2022

In 2021, the FCC charged the council in its mission to prevent digital discrimination.