1. Monthly archive
  2. April 2021

April 2021

President Biden’s plan to fix America’s broken internet, briefly explained

President Joe Biden's $2 trillion American Jobs Plan infrastructure proposal provides $100 billion to America’s digital infrastructure, with a lofty goal of giving all Americans access to the affordable, reliable high-speed internet they need to participate in today’s economy. The fact sheet the Biden administration released doesn’t go into the details beyond saying how much money President Biden wants to invest and, generally, what he hopes the return on that investment will be: high-speed, “future-proof” broadband access covering the entire country; more competition between providers, inc

Senators Urge the FCC to Listen to State & Local Input on Broadband Buildout

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a group of senators urged the FCC to ensure that state, local, and tribal governments are included in efforts to update nationwide broadband maps. Following decades-long use of inaccurate data maps that denied broadband funding to eligible communities, the FCC was charged by Congress with creating new maps in 2020 to accurately depict the current state of broadband access in our nation.

Why cable hates Biden's $100 billion broadband plan

Some key details of the broadband measures in the American Jobs Plan have internet service providers up in arms.

White House Huddles with Small Broadband Players

White House officials met privately with the CEOs of trade groups representing smaller internet service providers: America's Communications Association, the Competitive Carriers Association, NTCA, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Rural Wireless Association and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association. Although some bigger ISPs balk at Biden’s proposal, these smaller trade groups have been playing a more carefu

Biden’s Plan to Fix America’s Internet

The White House’s new infrastructure plan includes a proposal to spend $100 billion to extend fast internet access to every home. Its central premise is a powerful one: To achieve the internet that we all deserve, the federal government must be more involved — but not too much. The White House plan could be the shakeout we need.

Tom Wheeler: ISPs Wanted Internet Oversight to Get 'Lost' at FTC

Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said broadband providers pushed for reclassification of internet access as a Title I service so that authority over their service could get put in the Federal Trade Commission and "lost" among all that agency's other responsibilities, which is what he said the Trump administration ended up doing.

Pandemic Impact on Upstream Broadband Usage and Network Capacity

While the broadband industry has weathered the challenge of increased use during the pandemic, a continuing trend – increasing upstream usage – will continue to put pressure on network infrastructures for some time to come. Spurred by homebound workers, students and families, upstream consumption rose by 63% in 2020, 350% of historic rates of growth.

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