Analysis

Surviving the Challenge Process

With BEAD Initial Proposals submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for review, state broadband offices (SBOs) are turning their focus to the next step in unlocking IIJA broadband funds—the Challenge Process. On a recent Broadband Breakfast webinar, I had the chance to join other SBO leaders to discuss our states’ processes.

Connectivity in the Commonwealth: Virginia's Plan

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) Office of Broadband released its draft Digital Opportunity Plan to the public. The plan is a first-of-its-kind undertaking to assess all facets of the digital divide in the Commonwealth and develop a strategy to close it.

The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program Could End. Here’s Why That Might Not Be Bad for Schools

The Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps low-income families pay for home internet services, will end without Congressional action. The program, known as the ACP, stopped enrolling new applicants on February 7, and funding for all participants will run out by May.

Everyone loses if the Affordable Connectivity Program ends

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was established to address one of the contributing factors to the US digital divide—monthly affordability of services. The initial $14 billion that once sounded like a generous investment toward these concerns is now expected to run out. After a year of predictions that high enrollments would lead to this moment, Congress has finally started to take notice.

A Wholistic Digital Equity Plan for Rhode Island

On January 9, the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and ConnectRI initiative released the draft Rhode Island Digital Equity Plan for public comment. Through this plan, the Commerce Corporation is working to ensure that investment in digital equity efforts produces wholistic results—including widespread digital literacy and access to necessary devices as well as affordable, reliable, fast connectivity.

Who is About to Lose their ACP Discount?

The Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), established in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is expected to end this Spring if it does not receive additional funding from Congress soon. The funding situation is so dire that this week the FCC halted any new enrollments in the program. For millions of people eligible for the ACP, affordable broadband service is getting harder to obtain.

Is it Time for Rate Cuts?

Comcast and Charter broadband customer growth has stagnated, and all of the cable companies are now slowly losing customers. There are a lot of reasons for the stagnation and customer losses. One of the factors that put cable companies at such a competitive disadvantage is broadband prices. The cable companies have been regularly raising rates annually for years to levels that are far higher than all of their competitors.

Mapping State BEAD Challenge Processes

Before implementing their BEAD programs, every state and territory broadband office will have one last chance to update the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new broadband availability maps by running their own challenge process. This will be the final step in determining which areas are eligible for a BEAD-funded project.

The End of Rural Landlines?

Patricia Pereira, an 80-year old woman living in Camp Seco, California, is cut off from 911 and other essential services. At the beginning of 2023, Pereira asked AT&T if landline service could be transferred from a neighboring home to hers. Instead of transferring the service, AT&T cut the copper lines dead on both properties. Pereira lives in a dead zone and barely receives cellular signals. This is happening in rural AT&T areas across the country.

Empowering Black Communities: The Essential Role of the Affordable Connectivity Program in Enhancing Digital Equity

In our increasingly connected world, dependable and reasonably priced internet access is an essential lifeline. However, on February 7, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will end enrollments for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a broadband affordability program benefitting over 20 million households.

Yet Another Challenge to Federal Communications Commission Authority

Federal courts are full of cases that are challenging the authority of federal regulatory agencies, including the case of Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, which is pending before the Supreme Court as of January 2024. Hedge fund manager George Jarkesy was accused of committing fraud by misrepresenting himself to investors. The case was heard by an administrative law judge at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), who imposed a fine and penalties, and ordered Jarkesy to disgorge $685,000 in unlawful profits.

Department of Education's Plan to Close the Three EdTech Divides

In January 2024, the US Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology released the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides. The NETP examines how technologies can raise the bar for all elementary and secondary students.

Serving the Hard-to-Reach Areas

It’s clear in reading the various proposed Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) rules that State Broadband Offices are following the lead of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and putting a lot of emphasis on making sure that everybody gets served with the grant funding. I’m not sure they understand the costly consequences of this emphasis. There are some passings in this country that are largely unservable.

Affordable Connectivity Program Transition

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federally funded program that has offered a monthly benefit to eligible households. Without urgent congressional funding, ACP will run out of funds, most likely at the end of April 2024. The FCC’s ACP Wind-Down guidance includes critical information and estimated dates. In addition, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance is providing guidance, based on insights from our community of affiliates, for organizations navigating this difficult period.

Digital Skills and Accessibility in Mississippi

The Mississippi Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) released its draft State Digital Skills and Accessibility (DSA) Plan for a 30-day public comment period on January 5, 2024. The Mississippi DSA Plan outlines how BEAM will work towards ensuring broadband accessibility, affordability, digital skills training, and digital opportunities for all citizens.

Child safety hearing puts key internet law back in Congress’s crosshairs

Senators of both parties are focusing their criticism on a law that Congress passed in 1996—a law that paved the way for social media as we know it. That law, said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), “needs to change.” The statute in question is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives online service providers broad immunity from lawsuits over their users’ posts, with the goal of promoting free expression online. Over the years, it has survived court challenges, legislative pushes, and an executive order by President Donald Trump. Now, it is in Congress’s sights once again.

Dealing With Broadband Outages

It’s always been a hassle when a business loses broadband. But in the last few years, an increasing number of businesses have been telling me that they are practically immobilized when they lose broadband. This is because businesses, especially small and medium businesses, increasingly rely on software in the cloud. So many day-to-day functions, from timekeeping and payroll systems, reservation systems, to online sales portals, now require a broadband connection. This has made businesses become hyper-aware of broadband outages.

US population growth stalls but wireless subscription growth booms

During the fourth quarter 2023, the top three wireless operators in the US reported a total of 1.78 million new postpaid phone subscribers. How can each carrier report growth in postpaid phone subscribers each quarter in a country whose population is not growing very much? Recon Analytics Analyst Roger Entner said that question is top-of-mind among the operators, who pay Recon substantial sums of money for survey data to try and figure out the answers.

52 Visions of Digital Equity—Your State Has One

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have drafted their digital equity plans and sought public input on how to improve their strategies to ensure that every community has the capacity needed for full participation in our increasingly connectivity-dependent society, democracy, and economy. As part of their plans, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has asked states to provide a clear, specific picture of their visions for digital equity.

Addressing Digital Equity Needs in Iowa

In early January 2024, the Iowa Department of Management (DOM) released the draft State of Iowa Digital Equity Plan for public comment. The Digital Equity Plan outlines the results of extensive research and outreach efforts to set baseline conditions and goals for addressing digital equity opportunities in Iowa.

Chamber of Commerce sues Federal Communications Commission Over Broadband Rule

The Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Association of Business, and the Longview Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit over the Commission’s recent rulemaking that gives itself sweeping authority over the broadband marketplace.

Can the Affordable Connectivity Program be Sustainable?

By now, everybody has written about the pending end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The White House asked Congress to fund the ACP for a year for over $6 billion, and almost everyone I know is betting against a miracle from Congress. But even if the ACP gets funded somehow, how sustainable is the ACP if Congress has to act every year to renew it? There have been calls for moving the ACP under the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (USF).

New Tools Help Federally Qualified Health Centers Close Care Gaps

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are often the first point of contact for underserved populations seeking access to care.