June 2023 marks four years since the completion of backbone construction and lighting of all phases of the Westminster Fiber Network (WFN) project in Westminster, Maryland. Another milestone will soon be achieved: Subscriber growth will begin generating sufficient revenue for the city to cover the debt service on the general obligation bonds sold to finance the project.
Covington Town Center, a $350 million development in Covington, east of Atlanta (GA), is the latest example of The Foxfield Company's (areal estate development firm) focus when it considers building a new master-planned community. Harry Kitchen, Jr., president of The Foxfield Company, has a philosophy to attract partners that offer premier amenities for residents and businesses. “We [try] to put in the horizontal infrastructure that provides the best-in-class broadband, fiber, and other technology as well as landscaping, walking trails, and connectivity.” After careful consideration, Foxfie
According to the Federal Communications Commission's new National Broadband Map, there are 8.3 million Unserved locations in the U.S. The FCC published “LBR Wireless” files for 41 states. As I rushed to download the data, I didn’t know what that meant as they hadn’t ever published them before, so I skipped them. I now know that to mean “Licensed by Rule” wireless.
Google Fiber in May 2023 has picked up steam in its network expansion, announcing several new cities across Idaho, Kansas, Utah, and more. Specifically, Google Fiber has expanded to the following locations:
About 27 percent of households in rural West Virginia currently lack access to 25/5 Mbps internet speeds. The US Department of the Treasury disbursed West Virginia’s $136.3 million in Capital Projects Funds (CPF) dollars in May 2023—and the entirety of the funding is going towards broadband access initiatives across the state. Since all broadband solutions throughout the state pose unique challenges because of topography, there is a case to lean into what is considered a superior solution anyway: fiber. “At this point, it’s as future-proof as you can get.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) seeks approval to add 65 questions to the November 2023 edition of the US Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).
The Federal Communications Commission released Version 2 of the National Broadband Map. Three key takeaways from the latest data:
The federal government is in the process of deploying billions in broadband funding—including more than $80 billion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars—to ensure that every American has access to reliable, high-speed internet. But even when infrastructure investments deliver network access to unserved and underserved communities, families won’t benefit unless they can afford internet service.
The industry is on the cusp of delivering ubiquitous gigabit connectivity to all Americans. It has been repeatedly said that this is a once in a lifetime investment and operators, communities and state broadband officials are focused on ensuring that the investments made today will pay dividends for future generations.
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