Cable companies have managed to stay afloat amid the cord-cutting crisis thanks to their booming broadband businesses. But some analysts see that safety net beginning to fade. Jonathan Chaplin, managing partner at New Street Research, said that the firm has lowered its broadband subscriber estimates for the second time in 2022 for both Charter and Comcast. "We have limited conviction in a quick recovery, given limited visibility all around," he said regarding Charter. "We are hoping for a turnaround later in the quarter but have low conviction," he added about Comcast. Comcast's stock slid after it reported flat broadband subscriber additions for the second quarter of 2022. The telecom giant was still able to increase broadband revenues, but its growth has been slowed by increased competition and more users relying on mobile hotspots and fixed wireless plans. Charter lost broadband subscribers for the first time last quarter. Executives cited customers rolling off the government's broadband subsidy program, the Affordable Connectivity Program, as a major contributor to its customer loss.

After years of advocacy, INCOMPAS is hoping the Federal Communications Commission is finally ready to give the greenlight to raising internet speed benchmarks in the United States.  In a new letter to the FCC, INCOMPAS – the internet and competitive networks association – once again urged the Commission to raise the current 25/3 Mbps standard to 1 Gigabit. “Since 2017, we have urged the FCC to increase internet speed benchmarks to 1 Gigabit - it’s a faster standard that consumers want and the market can easily deliver,” said Chip Pickering, CEO of INCOMPAS. “Other nations including China and Europe have gigabit goals in place, and it’s time for the FCC to deliver faster speeds or risk slowing down our economy.” In July 2022, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a Notice of Inquiry starting a proceeding at the FCC to move the standard to 100/20 Mbps with a future goal of 1 Gigabit. INCOMPAS supports positive movement from the FCC and plans to continue advocating for implementing a gigabit speed standard immediately. The letter states: “We have the ability and responsibility as Americans to go big and bold on broadband. Now is the time to take steps toward achieving a future of connectivity with faster speeds and affordable prices in the US. We are looking to the Commission’s leadership to establish a new broadband speed goal that enables all Americans to access high-speed internet no matter where they live or work. It is time to set that goal to 1 Gigabit.”

The Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced an updated Memorandum of Understanding between the agencies on spectrum coordination. This marks the first time the MOU has been updated in nearly twenty years. The revised MOU, signed by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson, will strengthen cooperation and collaboration between the agencies and help advance a whole-of-government approach to how we use and manage one of the nation’s most important resources. The MOU establishes a stronger framework for managing spectrum use and planning, including, among other things, through: 

• Formalized High-Level Planning. For the first time, the FCC Chair and Assistant Secretary will hold formal meetings to conduct joint spectrum planning at least quarterly. 
• A Longer-Term Spectrum Outlook. FCC and NTIA staff will meet at least monthly to exchange information. Where possible, the agencies will share their planned spectrum activities for the next 12 months.   
• Greater Coordination. The agencies have committed to coordinating more of their spectrum activities than was required under the prior MOU, including when the agencies are considering taking actions that would create new spectrum adjacencies. The updated MOU also extends the amount of time for coordination. 
• Improved Transparency and Data Sharing. Both agencies will endeavor to share information, concerns, or views as early in the spectrum planning process as possible, supported by technical data and analysis that is based on sound engineering principles. For NTIA, this includes sharing information, concerns, or views of other federal agencies as well.   
• Clearer Dispute Resolution. FCC and NTIA will work together to develop and implement a process for escalating any disputes for consideration by agency leadership. 

Consolidated Communications announced that Clio Subsidiary has entered into an agreement to sell its limited partnership interests in five wireless partnerships managed by Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, to Cellco for an aggregate purchase price of $490 million. The net proceeds of the sales will be invested in the business and used to support Consolidated’s Fiber to the Premises build plan. The sales are expected to close by the end of 2022, subject to certain closing conditions and third-party purchase rights available to other partners in the partnerships. “The sale of these wireless investments is part of our long-term strategy as we continue our transformation to a fiber-first broadband company,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Communications Bob Udell. “Proceeds from these transactions will directly support our fiber expansion plan, our key strategic priority,” he added.

SpaceX filed a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on July 29 in response to Viasat's previous claims that the company is unable to fulfill the requirements of its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) award. According to SpaceX, Viasat is trying to protect its legacy technology through influence the FCC to limit competition. The company also said that recent data from Ookla shows Starlink is able to provide the speeds necessary for RDOF funding, which exceed Viasat's performance. Additionally, SpaceX states that Viasat is ignoring that the FCC specifically directed the agency staff – not competitors – to review the merits of RDOF applications. "Starlink has
welcomed that staff review and has fully engaged within that Commission-mandated process to demonstrate its ability to meet all of its RDOF obligations and provide high-quality broadband service to consumers that for too long have gone unserved," said the letter.

Gov Reynolds (R-IA) and the Department of Management Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) announced the release of a new broadband map of Iowa, reporting the conditions of broadband availability in accordance with federal grant guidelines at over 1 million locations throughout the state. The public can view the map here. The new map provides a more detailed view than prior maps, identifying the broadband service available at homes and businesses across Iowa as reported by broadband providers. Locations with slower broadband speeds – defined by relevant federal guidelines to be slower than 100 download/20 upload – may be eligible for future grant funding opportunities issued by Governor Reynolds’ Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Program. The publication of the map commences a 30-day challenge process where the public, broadband providers, and communities throughout Iowa can submit information to the OCIO wherever they believe the map incorrectly reports broadband service data. Instructions for challenging the map are available here, including videos, guides, and templates to assist members of the public, broadband providers, and communities who wish to submit a challenge.

In March 2010, Google Fiber burst onto the Internet provider scene, offering cities the promise of high-speed broadband service. That promise, however, became an increasingly complicated proposition that eventually forced the company to pause expansion efforts in 2016. When Google Fiber first launched, it offered cities Internet that reached speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. To put this into perspective, the average household in the US has an Internet connection of just under 20 megabits per second (Mbps), according to Lifewire. Typical high-speed service ranges between 25 and 75 Mbps. In 2020, Google Fiber announced it was back in the Internet service game and working with city officials from West Des Moines (IA). The company's coverage areas span the US in a range of different states and regions. As for other things coming down the pipeline, Mark Strama, Google's general manager for expansion markets, said the company's short-term goals include continuously improving high-speed Internet and service quality standards and building a scalable deployment model to create and sustain a financially viable business. Meanwhile, long-term goals involve bringing Google Fiber to more communities and inspiring the industry to achieve similar goals.