Microsoft Airband Nextlink Partnership Targets Rural Broadband in Six States

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A partnership between Nextlink Internet and Microsoft aims to bring broadband to hundreds of rural communities in six states through the Microsoft Airband program. The partnership will provide broadband in IA, IL, KS, NEB, OK, and TX.  “This partnership will enable the coming of precision agriculture, IoT, digital healthcare, access to higher education and overall economic growth,” said Ted Osborn, Nextlink’s Senior Vice President of Strategy & Regulatory Affairs. “Our experience tells us that advanced broadband access and community support can make these promises a reality in relatively short order.”

Nextlink won $281.3 million in the Connect America Fund (CAF) II auction in 2018, the most of any entrant. In October, CEO Bill Baker said that rural broadband fixed wireless could have the side benefit of boosting cellular connectivity in rural deployments. The company is obligated to use the CAF II funding to provide 100 Mbps downstream to a vast majority of locations, with a small portion receiving 25 Mbps downstream. Baker said that the slower areas would probably offer up to double that speed.


Microsoft Airband Nextlink Partnership Targets Rural Broadband in Six States