Affordability/Cost/Price

Should Grant Networks Allow High Prices?

Should higher-than-market rates be allowed on a broadband network that is being subsidized with public funding? Should an agency that awards grants or other broadband subsidies somehow insist that broadband rates are somehow tied to market rates? That’s a lot harder question to answer than you might think because the question implies that these agencies have the power to regulate or cap broadband prices in grant areas. The Ajit Pai Federal Communications Commission voluntarily gave away the right for the FCC to regulate broadband rates when it gave up Title II authority.

FCC Announces $77 Million In Emergency Connectivity Funding

The Federal Communications Commission committed over $77 million in two new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, helping to close the Homework Gap. These latest funding rounds are part of an ongoing support from the program, which launched in 2021 and has provided schools and libraries three different “application windows,” for schools and libraries to apply for support.

Gov. Edwards Announces a Major Federal Investment in Broadband Expansion Statewide and New Digital Literacy Pilot Programs

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA) announced a $130 million investment from the American Rescue Plan to bring more affordable and accessible internet to more than 66,000 households and small businesses through Internet Service Providers in 50 parishes. Applications for the first phase of the grant were submitted through Louisiana’s broadband grant program called Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO). The total investment from the American Rescue Plan is $176 million, out of which $130 million is being used for this first phase.

Small Broadband Providers and the Affordable Connectivity Program

Several small broadband providers are having trouble navigating the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Care Program (ACP). They are wondering if they should drop their participation. There is no one major specific complaint about the administration of the program but a string of problems. The ACP rules are overly complex. There doesn’t seem to be any training available to providers joining the program. The ACP system returns unhelpful error messages when something doesn’t work. Why are these kinds of issues problematic for smaller providers?

Why are US internet prices so high? The answers are many and complex

The cost for broadband service in the United States is high, and getting higher. In most metropolitan areas of the United States, residents are lucky to have two competing providers from which to choose. A third player in large metro markets is rare, but it's been seen before. The US bishops have argued for greater internet access for all. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops, during the coronavirus pandemic, was a member of an informal coalition that sought to expand access to the internet in unserved and underserved areas.

Closing Baltimore’s Digital Broadband Divide: Hollins House

The Hollins Market neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, is a desirable place to live and work. It takes its name from Hollins Market, the oldest public market building still in use in Baltimore, which is in the heart of the neighborhood. Hollins Market is also the location of Hollins House, a high-rise apartment building that houses seniors and people with disabilities. Most Hollins House residents qualify for Section 8 public housing vouchers, which help people with low incomes rent homes on the private market. A large number of residents are refugees or military veterans.

You can get free broadband in L.A. if you’re a lower-income consumer. Here’s what to ask for

Tim Hebb lives in one of more than 1.6 million households in Los Angeles that qualify for a new federal subsidy program for high speed internet service. And according to the Biden administration, he ought to be able to use that $30-a-month subsidy to get free access — 20 of the largest U.S. broadband providers had agreed to provide connections with up to 100 megabits-per-second download speeds for no more than the subsidy amount.

NTIA Announces More Than $10 Million in Grants to Expand Broadband to Minority-Serving Colleges and Universities

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced it has awarded the first five grants as part of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (CMC). Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves announced the grants at an event in New York with Mercy College, one of the first grant recipients.

Why Fiber Is the Key to Getting Faster 5G Everywhere

While we're still a long way from seeing any of the much-hyped futuristic applications that 5G was supposed to bring, like autonomous vehicles or augmented reality, even the promised higher download speeds and super responsive networks have been inconsistent or simply unavailable to most people, especially those who live outside big cities or dense suburban communities. But there's a potential answer to the 5G coverage issue: more fiber. There's reason to be hopeful on the fiber front.

Planning for Churn

One of the factors that need to be considered in any business plan or forecast is churn – which is when customers drop service. I often see internet service providers (ISPs) build business plans that don’t acknowledge churn, which can be a costly oversight. There is a maxim among last-mile fiber networks that nobody ever leaves fiber to go back to a cable company network. That’s not entirely true, but it’s a recognition that churn tends to be lower on a last-mile fiber network than with other technologies. I wrote a recent blog that asked if broadband is recession-proof.

Vermont Announces More Than $48 Million in New Broadband Investments

Gov Phil Scott (D-VT) joined the Vermont Congressional Delegation, the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB), and several Cpmmunications Union Districts (CUDs) to announce an additional $48.8 million in broadband construction grant awards. This will bring the total investment in broadband buildout in Vermont to nearly $100 million since the launch of the VCBB in August 2021.

Resolution for Federal, State Entities to Promote Consumer Awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program and Streamline Program Eligibility

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) passed a resolution requesting that state commissions, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) work collaboratively with other agencies that work with eligible participants for Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program to promote awareness.

House Passes Six-Bill Government Funding Package

The House of Representatives passed a package of six fiscal year 2023 federal funding bills. This includes the 2023 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, which includes $29.8 billion in funding, an increase of $4.3 billion – 17 percent – over fiscal year 2022.

Sens Luján and Booker Introduce Legislation Stop Unnecessary Data Caps and Promote Access to High-Speed Broadband

Sens Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation to prohibit predatory data caps that force families to pay high costs and unnecessary fees to access high-speed broadband. As Americans’ need for data is increasing, pricing structures for broadband services must encourage participation in the digital economy, promote competition and innovation, and ensure investment in national broadband infrastructure is used to its highest capacity.

Remarks By Vice President Harris On The Affordable Connectivity Program

On July 21, Vice President Kamala Harris went to North Carolina to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to achieve universal broadband in the US. "Every person in our nation, no matter how much they earn, should be able to afford a high-speed Internet plan," said Harris. The vice president highlighted the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides working families with up to $30 a month off of their Internet bill or $75 a month for those living on Tribal lands. It also gives families a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, a desktop computer, or a tablet.

CEO John Stankey Lobbies for AT&T as a Good State Partner for Broadband Infrastructure Funding

AT&T CEO John Stankey recently offered subtle hints about AT&T’s potential participation in broadband infrastructure funding programs. But he wasn’t coy about presenting AT&T as a good partner with the states, who will be key in doling out billions in funding. AT&T was proud to report its fiber broadband progress this quarter, having added 316,000 net new fiber subscribers in second quarter 2022.

Tech Goes Home gets $2 million from Boston, Massachusetts' American Rescue Plan Act funds

Tech Goes Home has received funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to improve digital inequity in Boston (MA). The Boston City Council voted to award the Boston-based nonprofit $2 million from the relief funds. Tech Goes Home announced the funding July 18 and said the ARPA money would allow it to engage with more than 100 new community-based organizations across Boston. Tech Goes Home partners with Boston organizations to provide residents with digital devices, internet and digital-skills training. Much of this programming transitioned online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

LTD Broadband may lose Rural Digital Opportunity Fund dollars in Minnesota

LTD Broadband, the top bidder in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) that can't seem to hold on to its funding, may see its dollars revoked in yet another state. This time the company is being challenged in Minnesota, where the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in that state has ordered an investigation to determine if the company can deliver on the $311 million it was designated by the Federal Communications Commission to build out in the state's rural areas.

Vice President Harris Marks Important New Milestone in Administration’s Efforts to Cut Costs for American Families

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), administered by the Federal Communications Commission, provides eligible households up to $30/month (or $75/month on Tribal lands) off internet bills, as well as a one-time $100 discount off a connected device. In May 2022, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced commitments from internet service providers across the country to offer high-speed plans that are fully covered by the ACP—meaning millions of working families can now get high-speed internet without paying a dime.

The FCC Tackles Pole Replacements

In March 2022, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 22-20) that asks if the rules should change for allocating the costs of a pole replacement that occurs when a new carrier asks to add a new wire or device onto an existing pole. The timing of this docket is in anticipation of a huge amount of rural fiber construction that will be coming as a result of the tsunami of state and federal broadband grants. The current rules push the full cost of replacing a pole onto the entity that is asking to get onto the pole.

Wireless Price Hikes Fatten Profits for Phone Carriers With Few Risks

Millions of wireless customers are opening recent phone bills to find AT&T and Verizon raised rates on older service plans. Both Verizon, and to a lesser degree T-Mobile US Inc, have also increased monthly fees. While customers aren’t happy about it, they’re not racing for the exits. And that could pay off for the carriers. “[Telecom companies] want to use this inflationary period to reset their pricing models upward,” said Tammy Parker, an analyst with GlobalData.

Charter Grabs Half of Latest North Carolina Rural Broadband Grants

The North Carolina Broadband Infrastructure Office awarded $23.4 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants to expand broadband infrastructure in 12 counties, which will boost service for nearly 7,000 households and 374 businesses. With the awards, North Carolina joins Arizona, Maryland, Wisconsin, and several other states that are releasing funds for broadband expansion. Half of the 12 awards went to Charter Spectrum. The cable company has taken an aggressive approach to obtaining government funding for rural broadband expansion.

Comcast is Big Winner in Latest West Virginia Broadband Grant Funding

West Virginia Gov Jim Justice (R-WV) announced preliminary approval for close to $21 million in funding for six broadband infrastructure projects in the state. Comcast was the largest winner of this latest West Virginia broadband funding.

Unlicensed Spectrum and Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program Grants

There is a growing controversy brewing about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)’s decision to declare that fixed wireless technology using only unlicensed spectrum is unreliable and not worthy of funding for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants. The Wireless Internet Service Providers' Association (WISPA), the lobbying arm for the fixed wireless industry, recently stated that the NTIA has made a big mistake in excluding WISPs that use only unlicensed spectrum.