Tuesday, February 4, 2025
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Linking Alabama to Broadband With a Digital Equity Capacity Grant
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This annual report provides a summary of the National Verifier and its functionality, and it outlines how the National Verifier meets the Federal Communications Commission's key objectives: to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse; to lower costs to the Universal Service Fund (Fund) and service providers through administrative efficiencies; and to better serve eligible beneficiaries by facilitating choice and improving the enrollment experience. This report also provides an update on the use and performance of the National Verifier, including a discussion of system enhancements.

According to Albert Einstein, insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” Congress is taking this to a whole new level with its latest discussions about how to “fix” broadband internet deployment across the United States. The most vociferous criticisms of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program have centered on how long it has taken to deploy. On its face, that is a fair criticism. Contextualized, however, the criticism does not hold water. No one is asking why it took so long. The simple answer: Maps. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a series of maps over the years that were deficient at best. States had to get into the mapmaking business; after a decade of pushing billions out to providers with precious little oversight and no appreciable urgency to “get it right,” the states had to reinvent the wheel. To the critics of the lengthy BEAD process, I have one thing to say: You cannot use Federal incompetence as both a sword and shield. The states are in this boat due to lack of Federal foresight, faulty implementation, and next-to-zero oversight over the last decade and more. Now is not the time to short circuit BEAD. Now is not the time to deploy broadband internet on the cheap. We have been there, done that, and that is precisely what landed us in this mess to begin with.
Louis Riggs is a State Representative in the Missouri House of Representatives from Hannibal, Missouri.

The Be Linked Alabama initiative is the state’s united effort to expand access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet to all Alabamians. Coordinated by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), Be Linked Alabama led to the development of the Alabama Statewide Digital Opportunity Plan. To implement the activities included in ADECA's plan, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded ADECA over $13 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding to support Be Linked Alabama and help bring digital opportunity to all residents of the state.
Key activities of the ADECA Digital Opportunity Plan highlighted by NTIA include:
- Support digital workforce development
- Expand opportunities to learn online safety and privacy
- Expand access to computing devices
- Expand online accessibility of government services
Here is a look at the full timeline of ADECA's Digital Opportunity Plan and programs.

Digital Connect (DCI) is an initiative of a Tribal-owned internet service provider (ISP) that offers a full complement of digital inclusion services to Tribal members and residents of the Gila River Indian Reservation, including individualized digital navigation, digital skills training, device distribution, and, more recently, digital equity research.
- DCI has had considerable success adapting to organizational learning, especially by pivoting to incorporate individualized digital navigation and reorganizing the program to prioritize regular presence throughout the Gila River Indian Community.
- Thanks in part to the ongoing commitment from its parent company, DCI benefits from having the time and space to experiment and learn, develop a strong vision for the organization, and become competitive for grants.
- Many of DCI’s staff, including its digital navigator, are members of the community, yet trust still had to be built over time through the development of accessible, reliable, and consistent programming.
Wireless Product Complexities and Evolving Customer Expectations Lead to Drop in Customer Care Satisfaction, J.D. Power Finds

Overall wireless customer care satisfaction has decreased for the first time in two years, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Study. Highlights from the study include:
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T-Mobile ranks highest in the mobile network operators segment for a 15th consecutive volume, with a score of 837. The segment average is 819.
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Spectrum Mobile ranks highest in the full-service mobile virtual network operators segment with a score of 845. Metro by T-Mobile (836) ranks second and Cricket (832) ranks third.
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Consumer Cellular ranks highest in the value mobile virtual network operators segment for an 18th consecutive volume, with a score of 883. Mint Mobile (857) ranks second and Visible by Verizon (821) ranks third.

What’s the likelihood of the wireless industry getting a piece of the lower 3 GHz band, currently occupied by the Department of Defense (DoD)? The prospects look a lot better since President Donald Trump took residence at the White House, as well as Sen Ted Cruz seizing (R-TX) control as chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Wireless industry evangelists are downright giddy over the prospects of lower 3 GHz spectrum being made available for wireless operators. Their hopefulness was buoyed this past week when Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick talked about how the U.S. needs to be the leader in 5G and 6G. As Secretary of Commerce, he will oversee the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which advises the administration on federal use of spectrum. During Lutnick's confirmation hearing, Sen Cruz asked Lutnick if he would commit to work closely with lawmakers on solutions to expand commercial sector access to key midband spectrum while protecting U.S. security. Lutnick’s answer? “Absolutely yes.”
Ontario premier says he’s ‘ripping up’ $100 million contract with Musk’s Starlink in response to US tariffs

The leader of Canada’s most populous province of Ontario said he’s ripping up a contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet services in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said he is also banning American companies from provincial contracts, signed a $100-million Canadian (US$68 million) with Musk’s company in November 2024 to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario. “We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy,” Ford said.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and Zoe Walker (zwalker AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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