Digital Divide

Broadband Affordability Program Maintains Overwhelming Bipartisan Support

New polling shows that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) continues to be overwhelmingly popular among Republican, Democratic, and Independent voters alike. Among Independents, the margin of support for ACP has jumped from 40 percent to 56 percent over the last year.

FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Sets Her Sights on Space, Net Neutrality Comeback

Jessica Rosenworcel is the boss—chair of the Federal Communications Commission, the 1,600-employee agency that has oversight of how the country communicates, from FM radio to broadcast television to the wires that make up the U.S.’s internet infrastructure.

123NET Inks Public-Private Broadband Partnership with Ottawa County, Michigan

123NET and Ottawa County's (MI) seventh largest county by population, have entered into a public-private partnership to build 380 miles of additional fiber in the county. The county board and 123NET finalized the agreement near the end of 2023. The $25 million project, funded, in part, through $14 million from Michigan’s ROBIN program, $7.5 million from Ottawa County’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, and $3.5 million from 123NET will bring fiber access to about 4,000 residents.

Connected and Empowered: A Digital Equity Plan for Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania strives to achieve universal and equitable connectivity to support the state's social, economic, and quality of life outcomes. The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) has released Connected and Empowered: A Digital Equity Plan for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to work towards digital inclusion for every resident of the Commonwealth. PBDA's draft plan is available for public comment until January 8, 2024.

Guiding Texas' Digital Opportunity Investments

The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO), under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, developed the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan to guide non-infrastructure-related digital opportunity investments. Another aim is to position the BDO to receive State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Infrastructure Administration (NTIA).

FloridaCommerce Announces More Than $13 Million Available in Broadband Grant Funding to Equip Communities with Digital Devices

FloridaCommerce announced that more than $13 million in broadband grant funding is available through the Capital Projects Fund Digital Connectivity Technology Program to connect communities with digital devices. The program connects communities in need of broadband Internet access with funds for devices and equipment for digital workforce, education, and healthcare opportunities — like applying for a job, securing a degree, and attending a telehealth appointment.

Governor Polis and Colorado Broadband Office Announce Unprecedented Funding for Broadband through Advance Colorado Broadband Grant Program

Governor Jared Polis (D-CO) announced the first of multiple investments using stimulus funding from the US Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF) program. The Polis administration will use $113 million from CPF to make major, long-term improvements, including expanding the state’s broadband infrastructure and connecting Colorado homes without internet access. CPF will connect nearly 19,000 homes and businesses across all of Colorado with these funds.

Missouri Awards More Than $7.9 Million in ARPA Funding to Expand Cellular Service Statewide

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) awarded a total of more than $7.9 million through the second round of the Cell Towers Grant Program. Grants will be awarded to 14 projects to construct new towers that provide quality cellular service and greater 911 connectivity to high-cost areas.

Internet Service Provider Upgrades in Front of BEAD

I’m working with several small cities that were recently notified that the existing cable company plans to upgrade its network. In these cities, the cable company still operates a DOCSIS 3.0 network. The networks have download speeds a little faster than 100 Megabits per second (Mbps), and upload speeds are under 10 Mbps. These cities are currently considered to be underserved and are eligible for BEAD grants. I talked to the State Broadband Offices in several states about the issue of announced upgrades coming just in front of the final BEAD map challenges.

Florida's Roadmap for Closing the Digital Divide

The Florida Department of Commerce (FloridaCommerce) released the State of Florida’s Digital Adoption and Use Plan for public comment. FloridaCommerce developed this plan to serve as the state’s benchmark and roadmap for closing the digital divide and increasing digital access across the state.

2023 in Review: A Note from the Chairwoman

Our goal to “ensure that every person in every community, of every geography and income, has access to modern telecommunications service” has been the North Star of the Federal Communications Commission since its creation in 1934.

A Vision and a Mission for Digital Equity in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity developed the North Carolina draft Digital Equity Plan. This plan is a comprehensive strategy that aims to ensure all individuals and communities have access to the digital tools, resources, and skills they need to participate fully in the digital environment.

Colorado slashes broadband expansion rates along roadways

As part of an effort to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet access, Colorado officials announced that broadband service providers can install fiber along the state’s roadways at a lower rate. The Colorado Transportation Commission approved a fee schedule that makes the Colorado Department of Transportation’s property available for broadband development. Under the new fiber access fee schedule, broadband providers can pay $0.10 per foot of fiber optic line in urban counties with populations above 200,000 people and $0.03 per foot in rural counties.

Here's what happened with BEAD in 2023

Broadband funding really got rolling in 2023, as the federal government began the process of its $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. To help states and territories with their challenge process, in April, National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) released draft guidance that expands upon the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued in May 2022. States got their BEAD allocations, with the highest funding amounts going to Texas ($3.31 billion), California ($1.86 billion), Missouri ($1.74 billion), Michigan ($1.56 billion) and North

Final Round of ConnectSD Broadband Grants

The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) awarded the final round of ConnectSD broadband grants. These awards will make quality, future-proof, high-speed internet available to underserved households across the state. GOED is awarding $32.4 million to three providers. These three projects will leverage private matching dollars for a total investment of over $40.3 million, connecting over 2,160 households, farms, and businesses. The funding is from the 2021 legislative appropriation, relinquished projects, and closed projects under budget. The awardees are:

Creating Digital Opportunities in Nebraska

Nebraska is both an agricultural state and a state with growing metropolitan areas. Agriculture, in particular, is important to Nebraska’s economy; Nebraska ranks second in the use of precision agriculture technologies. Nebraska ranks 3rd in percent of households with fiber internet available, with 56 percent of households having fiber available. However, Nebraska ranks 30th in the availability of 25/3 Mbps and 100/20 Mbps broadband via copper, cable, fiber or licensed fixed wireless.

Millions of Americans could lose internet aid months before the 2024 election

Washington is battling over whether to keep the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) going — potentially cutting off more than 22 million households from a subsidy they’ve come to rely on. The ACP launched with bipartisan support in 2020, but is now trapped in a partisan war between Democrats who want to renew it, and Republicans worried it will let President Joe Biden take too much of a victory lap during a campaign year. If Congress can’t find a way to fund the program by spring, the federal government will have to quickly unwind it.

NTIA Ex Parte Letter Regarding the FCC’s Section 706 Notice of Inquiry

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) met virtually with Federal Communications Commission staff on December 21, 2023 to discuss the Section 706 Report Notice of Inquiry. NTIA expressed its strong support for the FCC’s important work to assess whether broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion, and offered its assistance as the FCC works to identify appropriate methodologies and data sources for use in conducting this assessment.

Why are Comcast and AT&T trying to block millions in state money to boost Oakland’s high-speed internet?

Internet giants Comcast and AT&T are trying to prevent Oakland from receiving $14 million to build out its capacity for high-speed internet, the latest obstacle to the city’s efforts to close longstanding gaps in online access for its residents. In objections to Oakland’s latest share of a $3.87 billion California spending package, the two companies argued to the California Public Utilities Commision (CPUC) that the neighborhoods slated for enhanced fiber-optic infrastructure already enjoy faster internet speeds. Their evidence for that assertion has been kept confidential to everyone b

FCC Defers Next Deployment Term for Legacy High-Cost Carriers

The Federal Communications Commission hereby defers the commencement of the next five-year deployment obligation term for legacy rate-of-return carriers receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support in 2024 until January 1, 2025, while it considers general program reforms in the ongoing Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proceeding.

Uniform Guidance in the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), enacted in November 2021, supplies funding for robust investment in American infrastructure projects.

How Public Input Helped Shape NTIA’s Approach to the Uniform Guidance in the BEAD Program

The National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) released a Policy Notice providing guidance on the application of the Uniform Guidance in the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This Policy Notice reflects NTIA’s latest step to create the conditions necessary for building high-speed networks that connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. The Uniform Guidance is the Federal Government’s framework for grants management, providing rules and requirements for Federal grant programs.

Connecticut Department of Administrative Services’ Commission for Educational Technology Releases Draft Digital Equity Plan

Governor Ned Lamont (D-CT) announced that the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services’ Commission for Educational Technology has released “Connecticut: Everyone Connected,” the state’s draft digital equity plan. This release begins a 30-day public comment period, which will end on January 20, 2024. The commission will consider all feedback and make revisions to the plan before finalizing it by the end of March 2024.

USDA Highlights 2023 Successes in Serving Farmers, Families and Communities

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is marking the end of 2023 by highlighting on-the-ground projects and partnerships that are building economic prosperity for farmers, families, and communities nationwide.