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The thinking behind the $42.5 billion BEAD rural funding program was that individual states were better positioned than the federal government to understand their local needs and tailor state-level rules accordingly, and we are seeing a lot of variation from state to state. A case in point: Two Midwestern states—Minnesota and Missouri—have mapped out two somewhat different paths for administering the BEAD program.

EarthLink has acquired QX.net, a fixed wireless access provider specializing in business customers in Kentucky. QX.net has operated in the state since 1997. According to EarthLink, it built the state’s largest dedicated wireless internet network. The provider offers internet, voice, data center and SD-WAN services to businesses in different industries. Earthlink plans to expand in other markets in Kentucky. QX.net employees will be retained, EarthLink said. 

Illinois Broadband Director Matt Schmit is no newbie, nor is the state’s broadband office. In 2019, Illinois’ $45 billion capital investment plan included $400 million to fund a new broadband program that would be dubbed “Connect Illinois.” That summer, Schmit was recruited from Minnesota to stand up the office that would oversee the grant program and Illinois’ broadband efforts.

The US is at risk of experiencing a new type of rural/urban digital divide, said stakeholders at the RTIME conference. “Latency is becoming the new currency,” said Brent Legg, executive vice president of Connected Nation, a non-profit focused on carrier neutral internet exchange points. The root of the problem is that only 57 US cities have internet exchange points, requiring providers serving customers outside those areas to transport traffic to one of those 57 cities to exchange traffic with the network operator and/or content provider at the opposite end of the connection. This adds late

Sago Internet, based in Medina County (TX) has acquired Somerset, TX-based ClearBadger LLC for an undisclosed price. Sago Internet was founded in 2021 by Medina County residents. It was formed as a fixed wireless provider, but apparently is branching out into fiber, as the company noted that it plans to expand its wireless and fiber internet services.

Congress is “in disarray right now,” said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, in an address at NTCA’s annual RTIME conference in Tampa. Bloomfield urged NTCA’s members attending the conference to remind their elected officials that “It’s not about who’s winning and who’s losing; it’s about getting things done.” Bloomfield pointed to several open issues facing Congress that will impact rural providers and their communities.

It’s been over a year since AT&T and investment firm Blackrock established their Gigapower joint venture to build open access fiber networks and set a goal of reaching 1.5 million locations within 18 months. Until now, the company has made relatively few moves on that front.