Phil Britt

AT&T has filed a lawsuit claiming that Charter Communications misleads consumers with its “fiber-powered” advertising.

Customers who qualify for the low-income assistance program offered by Charter’s Spectrum brand will now receive Amazon Prime at no additional cost, the company announced. The Amazon Prime offer is available immediately for legacy Charter Spectrum customers and will be available soon for qualified legacy Cox customers, though a more precise time frame was not provided. According to Charter, the average Amazon Prime member saved $550 in delivery costs alone in the last year, typically paying $14.99 per month or $139 per year.

More than $113 million in grants was awarded under the Texas Middle Mile Program, the Texas Broadband Development Office announced. The grants are designed to help strengthen broadband connectivity across the Longhorn state. Funding comes from the state’s broadband infrastructure fund.

Nonprofit broadband provider Mission Telecom unveiled Inseego’s MiFi Pro M4 mobile hotspot, which Mission Telecom is making available for $179. The mobile hotspot provides broadband to Mission Telecom customers—primarily nonprofits, schools, and libraries—with pricing starting at $5.99 per 100 GB line for schools. The hotspot allows users to benefit from high-speed connectivity, enhanced security, and cloud-based device management.

A public-private partnership between Cisco, the City of Los Angeles, Destination Crenshaw, the California Community Foundation, and Digital Equity LA has unveiled a new community Wi-Fi initiative that will provide free internet access along major streets, parks, and public gathering places in LA’s historic Crenshaw Corridor. The public-private partnership, dubbed the Crenshaw Community Connectivity Pilot, comes after years of collaboration among government, industry, and nonprofits.

Lumen Technologies announced that it has made significant progress in its buildout of the backbone for the artificial intelligence economy. The company is moving ahead with its goal of adding 34 million new intercity fiber miles by the end of 2028, bringing its total of intercity fiber miles to 47 million. According to the Lumen press release, this year the company has made several strides in AI readiness: 

Applications are open for the second round of the Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans program, Governor Laura Kelly announced. In the second round, $1.95 million in funds will be available for programs designed to enhance the digital skills of state residents. The DOCK program is designed to promote access to digital resources by providing awards to help with funding for digital skills development programs across Kansas.

Metronet announced the acquisition of fiber company US Internet for an undisclosed price. US Internet, a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company, operates a fiber network with symmetrical speeds up to 10 Gbps in an area that includes more than 140,000 homes and businesses in and around Minneapolis. The acquisition increases the presence of Metronet, which itself was recently acquired by a joint venture between T-Mobile and KKR. Metronet’s fiber network is expanding quickly, with construction underway in dozens of cities at a time. 

Broadband grant awards are usually made for expanded or improved service, but recently, the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) awarded more than $1.25 million in disaster grants to restore high-speed broadband services in Lincoln County for communities hit by wildfires and flooding. The state’s $117 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation, designed to help with broadband access, will provide Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative with $1 million and TDS Telecom with $251,300 through the New Mexico Connectivity to Declared Disaster Areas Grants program. The b

BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division is taking exception to some of Cox Communications’ advertising claims. The National Advertising Division is recommending that Cox, a broadband service provider, modify its multi-gigabit advertising claims, particularly the comparison to AT&T. The two companies offer competing internet services in some U.S. markets. Specifically, the advertising division is recommending that Cox discontinue the claim “Multi Gig Speeds Everywhere” or modify it to accurately reflect the availability of its 2 Gbps tier service.