1. Monthly archive
  2. May 2020

May 2020

House Armed Services Committee Members Take Aim at FCC's Ligado Decision

In the wake of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the subject of allowing Ligado to operate a 5G service adjacent to GPS spectrum (a hearing that saw the Federal Communications Commission hammered by legislators, military brass, and even iconic pilot Sully Sullenberger), almost two dozen bipartisan members of the House Armed Services Committee have written to the FCC to express their "deep concern."  Lead signatories on the letter include Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Ranking Member Michael Turner (R-OH)  They said that while Ligado has argued that D

Did the FCC Get the Right Answers on Broadband Deployment?

In October 2019, the Federal Communications Commission released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI), launching its annual review to determine if broadband is reaching all Americans in a timely fashion. Back then, we examined the questions the FCC was asking and how they might color its decision.

May 4-8, 2020
Weekly Digest

Did the FCC Get the Right Answers on Broadband Deployment?

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Friday, May 8, 2020

USDA Invests $2 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural New Hampshire

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that USDA is investing $2 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in New Hampshire. This funding is part of USDA’s round one investments through the ReConnect Pilot Program. USDA is providing a $2 million loan to help Granite State Telephone Inc. build fiber to provide speeds up to 1 gigabyte downstream and 1 gigabyte upstream to rural subscribers in Hillsborough, Sullivan and Cheshire counties in New Hampshire.

USDA Invests $71 Million in High-Speed Broadband for Rural Kansas and Oklahoma

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that USDA is investing $71 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Kansas and Oklahoma. This funding is part of USDA’s round one investments through the ReConnect Pilot Program.

In a pandemic, the digital divide separates too many Americans from relief

During the Great Depression, people waited in bread lines for sustenance. In today's economic crisis, the internet is often the pathway for relief. Online is where people try to keep or find work. How they see their doctor or apply for jobless benefits. How they order food and supplies. Where they find solace through faith, or laughter through entertainment.

© 1994-2026 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.