Press Release

“As Vice President Harris said today, ‘Everyone in the US should be able to afford broadband access.’" said Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Adrianne B Furniss. "Today’s White House announcement will improve affordable access for low-income families. In addition, the work supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan that will be done in the States should ensure that affordable, robust broadband networks reach every address in the country.

Imagine Idaho Foundation will conduct a state-wide internet speed-testing campaign. Data from the campaign will be mapped by GEO Map. The campaign aims to collect data on underserved and unserved Idahoans that can be utilized to challenge Federal Communications Commission 477 reporting and help Idaho counties apply for grant funding for broadband infrastructure projects. All costs associated with the speed-testing campaign are grant-funded by Imagine Idaho Foundation.

Frontier Communications reported its first quarter 2022 financial results. The company added 54,000 fiber broadband customers in the quarter, resulting in growth of 10.4 percent from the first quarter of 2021. Frontier also built fiber to 211,000 locations. Ultimately, the company saw total revenue of $1.45 billion, down 10.7 percent from first quarter 2021. According to the company, its fiber broadband growth in 2022 has been offset by declines in subsidy, video, voice, and wholesale.

The Federal Trade Commission has moved to stop internet service provider Frontier Communications from lying to consumers and charging them for high-speed internet speeds it fails to deliver. Under a proposed order with the FTC and two California law enforcement agencies, Frontier will be prohibited from tricking consumers about its slow internet service and required to support its speed claims.

WISPA hired David M.

Charter Communications announced that it is working with the Los Angeles (CA) Unified School District (LAUSD) to help thousands of families who lack robust internet connectivity at home enroll in the Spectrum Enterprise Stay Connected K-12 solution, which is provided at no cost for students. The Stay Connected K-12 offering is part of the District’s broader efforts to help close the digital divide in its communities and make it easier for all students to fulfill their academic potential.

Sens Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Rev Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced legislation to restore the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) decades-long authority to return money to consumers victimized by illegal scams, fraud and other unfair or deceptive practices. In April 2021, the Supreme Court slashed the FTC’s “Section 13(b)” authority which the commission utilized to return $11.2 billion dollars to consumers in the five years prior to the decision.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the launch of the Chicago Digital Equity Council, a cross-sector, community-driven effort to understand and tackle the nuanced barriers to digital equity and close Chicago (IL)’s digital divide once and for all. Chicago’s digital divide is a racial equity issue. Through a comprehensive community engagement strategy, the Digital Equity Council will make recommendations to close this gap, reaching a state of digital equity where all Chicagoans have the digital skills, tools, and resources they need to fully participate in society, democracy, and the economy.

Reps Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Bob Latta (R-OH), along with Sens Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and John Thune (R-SD) the Spectrum Innovation Act of 2022 (H.R.7624), legislation that would free up new airwaves for wireless broadband use by the public. The Spectrum Innovation Act would free-up new airwaves in the 3.1-3.45 GHz band for wireless broadband use for the public, which means faster speeds and more responsive networks for consumers.

The Federal Communications Commission committed nearly $39 million in the 14th wave of Emergency Connectivity Fund program support, helping to close the Homework Gap. This latest round of funding is supporting 140 schools, 14 libraries, and 1 consortium across the country, including for students in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Puerto Rico, and Virginia. The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensure students across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education.