On December 1, 2022, the U.S. Treasury approved Missouri’s plan to dedicate all of its Capital Projects Fund allocation to extend the reach of broadband in the state. Agriculture is Missouri’s leading economic driver. Over 95,000 farms employ nearly 400,000 people, export more than $2.5 billion across the globe, and make economic contributions to the state of $88.4 billion. Missouri is second in the number of farms in the United States and ranks in the top 10 nationally for the production of eleven different agricultural products. While the agriculture industry is undergoing a technological revolution, Missouri farmers have limited access to broadband-enabled tools. Research from the University of Missouri found that, on average, farmers with access to high-speed internet that implement precision agriculture technologies can experience a 6 percent increase in revenue. Applying this impact model to Missouri’s farms could yield up to $291 million annually in additional agricultural revenue. This increase in revenue to Missouri’s farmers and ranchers will have a cascading effect in driving more profitable operations—leading to re-investment in their farms and ranches, and the purchase of new equipment and materials which will support the surrounding communities with job opportunities, consumables, and charitable contributions. In addition to the positive impacts on revenues, the full-scale usage of precision agriculture will reduce the consumption of certain inputs and decrease costs.

President Joe Biden has pledged that every American will have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. Digital equity—devices, skills and affordability that bring the internet to life—are a critical part of that mission. As part of that work, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, subject to the availability of funding. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a FY 2023 Appropriations Act in order to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their applications, and give RUS time to process applications within FY 2023. Based on FY 2022 appropriated funding, RUS estimates that approximately $64 million will be available for FY 2023. Successful applications will be selected by RUS for funding and subsequently awarded to the extent that funding may ultimately be made available through appropriations. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications. Applications must be submitted through https://www.grants.gov/ and received no later than January 30, 2023 to be eligible for funding under this grant opportunity.

The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) Project Office announces $2.8 million in new funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) as it continues its mission to accelerate wireless innovation through the shared resource of advanced network testbeds. The new funding aligns with rising global interest in wireless research facilities and underscores the value of programs that expand researcher access to sophisticated and adaptive network testing environments. The PAWR Project Office (PPO) is jointly run by team members from US Ignite and Northeastern University. Investment by the NSF extends the initial five-year term of the PPO and supports the PAWR platforms as they drive foundational research in areas such as open radio access networks (Open RAN), spectrum sharing, and drone-based wireless systems. In addition to the latest investment from the NSF in the PPO, the PAWR program continues to win research-specific grants from multiple government agencies, and to leverage significant contributions from its industry partners across the wireless sector. It has also expanded to include Colosseum among its program assets. Colosseum, housed at Northeastern University, is the world’s largest radio-frequency emulator.

The Federal Communications Commission granted the application of Space Exploration Holdings to construct, deploy, and operate a constellation of 29,988 non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites, to be known as its “secondgeneration” Starlink constellation (Gen2 Starlink), using Ku-, Ka-, and E-band frequencies to provide fixed-satellite service (FSS). Specifically, the FCC granted SpaceX authority to construct, deploy, and operate up to 7,500 satellites operating at altitudes of 525, 530, and 535 km and inclinations of 53, 43, and 33 degrees, respectively, using frequencies in the Ku- and Ka-band. The FCC deferred consideration of SpaceX’s proposed use of E-band frequencies and tracking beacons. The FCC granted SpaceX’s request for authority to conduct launch and early orbit phase (LEOP) operations and testing during orbit-raising, as well as tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C) during the process of removing its satellites from orbit. Finally, the FCC granted in part and dismissed in part SpaceX’s request for various waivers. The action will allow SpaceX to begin deployment of Gen2 Starlink, which will bring next generation satellite broadband to Americans nationwide, including those living and working in areas traditionally unserved or underserved by terrestrial systems. The action also will enable worldwide satellite broadband service, helping to close the digital divide on a global scale. At the same time, this limited grant and associated conditions will protect other satellite and terrestrial operators from harmful interference and maintain a safe space environment, promoting competition and protecting spectrum and orbital resources for future use.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received approximately $36.70 billion in supplemental funding outside of its annual appropriation from three COVID-19 relief laws between 2020 and 2021: the CARES Act; the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA); and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). As of August 23, 2022, VA had obligated approximately 99 percent of its funds from the CARES Act and FFCRA and 56.9 percent of funds from ARPA. The VA obligated the majority of the supplemental COVID relief funding that it received to three major operational areas, including veterans’ health care, digital operations and IT services. Funding digital operations and underlying IT services was critical during the pandemic, as VA saw a sharp increase in the number of remote veterans that it served in just the first half of 2020—from 59,000 unique daily users in February 2020 to more than 127,000 in June 2020. Given the increased reliance on telehealth services and remote operations during the COVID-19 outbreak, these funds, in part, helped to “support distance learning and to convert paper files to digital so employees could continue processing disability benefits for veterans,” as well as enhanced IT-related efforts that included “providing laptops and cell phones to support expanded telework and telehealth.” 

China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration, instructed tech companies to expand censorship of protests and moved to curb access to virtual private networks, as a government clampdown succeeds in keeping most protesters off the streets after nationwide demonstrations erupted against the country’s strict Covid policies. The Cyberspace Administration of China issued guidance to companies on Nov 29, including Tencent Holdings and ByteDance, the Chinese owner of short video apps TikTok and Douyin, asking them to add more staff to internet censorship teams. The companies were also asked to pay more attention to content related to the protests, particularly any information being shared about demonstrations at Chinese universities and a fire in the western Xinjiang region that triggered the nationwide backlash over Covid policies. The directives were issued following an internal meeting at the internet regulator, where officials were also told to ask Chinese search engines, e-commerce companies and internet content platforms to conduct a fresh sweep to remove sales postings and information about how to use virtual private networks, also known as VPNs. The regulator also asked officials to get companies to prevent searches related to VPNs, which were used by protesters and their supporters to circulate videos of the recent demonstrations.