Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

Benton Institute Salutes Louisiana's Broadband Leadership

A few short years ago, many might have thought that universal broadband in Louisiana was an impossible dream. But the leadership of Veneeth Iyengar and the state’s partnership with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is making the impossible possible. Louisiana is on a path to closing its digital divide. We hope that other states will follow Louisiana’s example and get this job done.

Commerce Commits to Work and Coordinate with Tribes to Support Economic Growth at the White House Tribal Nations Summit

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo addressed Tribal leaders at the 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit. Secretary Raimondo reiterated the Department’s commitment to working and coordinating with Tribal Nations to ensure Tribal communities have the needed resources for economic growth.

First State BEAD Plan Approved in Louisiana

Louisiana’s approved Volume 2 illustrates where the key areas of flexibility that has been granted to states in deploying BEAD intersects with the guardrails Congress and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) have set. We'll take a closer look at three key points of the Louisiana plan:

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Louisiana’s “Internet for All” Initial Proposal

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Louisiana’s Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Louisiana is the first state to reach this important milestone, which will enable the state to move from the planning phase to the implementation phase for the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide in Louisiana and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.

Benton Welcomes Circuit Court Decision that Underscores the Importance and the Validity of the Universal Service Fund

"The USF is a critical tool to provide, among other things, Lifeline internet and voice service to low-income Americans, and reduced-rate internet access to schools, libraries and healthcare providers. Today's opinion underscores the importance—and the validity—of the Congressionally-mandated USF program.

Massachusetts' Unified Vision of Digital Equity

Massachusetts is at a pivotal moment to drive transformative change in digital equity. Through a once-in-a-generation federal funding investment, the Commonwealth has an unprecedented opportunity to achieve its strategic goals and unlock meaningful economic potential for all residents. In November 2023, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) shared its Massachusetts State Digital Equity Plan for public comment. Public input is welcome through Friday, December 15, 2023. 

Emerging Best Practices for Developing Effective, Measurable State Digital Equity Metrics

An extraordinary, first-ever, nationwide effort in digital equity and opportunity is currently underway. Thanks to funding provided under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), all 50 states and six territories are in the final stages of developing first-of-their-kind statewide digital equity and digital opportunity plans (Plans). Only a year ago, not a single state or territory had developed a comprehensive statewide Plan of this scale focused on the full spectrum of internet adoption issues.

House passes Kennedy bill to require FCC to expand 5G access to rural Americans by releasing previously auctioned spectrum

On December 11, 2023, the House of Representatives passed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-LA) 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act. The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission to release previously auctioned spectrum in order to expand broadband access to rural communities. The US Senate passed Kennedy’s legislation in September 2023. The 5G SALE Act would temporarily grant the FCC auction authority it needs to complete spectrum transfers, which would allow broadband services to provide greater 5G network coverage to Americans in rural areas.

Economists’ Comments on State BEAD Proposals

We write to provide economic insight to help states maximize the benefits of its Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) and other funds for its residents. Several economic concepts are critical to maximizing the benefit of the BEAD money for state residents.  

Idaho Broadband Office Gets a Lot Done with a Small Staff

Spend a little time with Idaho State Broadband Program Manager Ramón Hobdey-Sánchez and it’s easy to see his enthusiasm for his home state. “I have a passion for public service and there are few things that I love more than the State of Idaho,” Hobdey-Sánchez said. “Broadband and internet connectivity is something that we can all agree is good for individuals, communities, and the state.

Diving into the Biden Administration’s ‘tech hubs’ and what it means for broadband

The Biden Administration recently announced the designation of 31 ‘tech hubs,’ areas intended to become hotbeds of innovation, across the United States. The more than two-dozen new tech hubs will ‘have the tools they need to compete on a global scale,’ including Economic Development Administration funding opportunities and access to a range of technical assistance from agencies such as the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Small Business Administration. According to Eric Smith, the Tech Hubs Program Director at the Department of Commerce’s Economic Develop

States consider capping the cost of broadband for low-income families

Dozens of states appear to be set to cap how much broadband providers can charge low-income households.

Wireless Technologies for Rural Farming Communities

Conversations about rural broadband access tend to focus on connections to homes and businesses, but precision agriculture increasingly requires reliable connectivity to the farm office and the field. In the field, farmers rely on wireless connectivity—such as fixed wireless and mobile cellular—to make real-time strategic and logistical decisions about their land, crops, animals, equipment, and farm facilities. Connected sensors in the field collect the accurate, timely data that farmers can use to optimize their practices and conserve resources.

Broadband Planning Tools for Rural Farming Communities

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society's Broadband Breakthrough is a community engagement and broadband planning program focused on rural farming communities—because today, broadband is a necessary tool to innovate farming practices and allow for sustainable, targeted, and efficient resource use. The goal of Broadband Breakthrough is to help other rural farming communities understand the value of improved broadband access—and provide the resources, tools, and work required to get better broadband and chart a path for smart farming.

Ensuring Bids for ALL Eligible Locations in BEAD: The Challenge Ahead

States are racing to finish their Initial Proposals for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's $40+ billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. One of the things they need to be thinking about is how to design their programs so that they have viable applicants for all their eligible locations, not just most of them. This requires a radical shift in mindset from past grantmaking activities, when the state’s task was to award grants to improve service in discrete areas.

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Grant Areas

When I first read the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act legislation that created the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grants, I thought it was going to be a grant program that a whole lot of my clients would choose to ignore. The requirements in the legislation seemed overwhelming. But over the last year, my opinion mellowed because I assumed that State Broadband Offices (SBOs) would soften some of the rough edges of the federal rules.

US Starlink Data Points to Larger Addressable Base for LEO Broadband ISPs

The telecommunications industry continues to watch SpaceX Starlink’s expansion and performance closely, as the number of subscribers to its broadband service grows and other satellite providers enter the fray. While median download performance remains a key benchmark, we see strong demand to understand how Starlink is balancing net new additions with its network capacity as the service scales, and how LEO Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) performance stacks up against the competition, particularly in rural locations. Key takeaways include:

Reviewing State (Draft) Low-Cost Options

Under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, providers are required to offer a low-cost option to subscribers who are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). However, the exact definition of what will qualify as “low-cost” is up to state and territory broadband offices to decide.

FCC Renews Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States

The Federal Communications Commission renewed the charter of the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States (the Task Force) for a period expiring on January 1, 2025. The purpose of the Task Force is to:

Could the feds withhold broadband funding to some states?

conflict between state and federal laws may delay the first distribution of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds to the states. Sixteen states bar or restrict municipally owned broadband—and nearly all of those states appear unwilling to amend their laws as they finalize plans for how they will use their share of BEAD funds.

Alaska's Plan to Address Broadband Adversity

laska’s residents know what adversity looks like when it comes to accessing high-speed internet. The scale of unserved and underserved communities across Alaska is an obstacle to community and economic development, particularly for Tribal and rural communities. With federal resources and strong collaboration with Tribal partners, the nonprofit sector serving Alaska’s most vulnerable communities, and cities and boroughs, the State of Alaska is working toward changing this landscape.

Broadband/Internet Availability Survey Report

This survey asked about technologies used to provide broadband service in members’ historical incumbent and competitive service areas, broadband availability and subscription rates, anchor institutions, fiber deployment and supply chain considerations, competition, internet backbone and middle mile connections, and video service. This survey found that:

How Monopolies and Maps Are Killing ‘Internet for All’

The Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law devotes $65 billion to a moon shot mission, involving all 50 states and U.S. territories, to bridge the digital divide once and for all.

In a New York State of Digital Equity

In November 2023, the Empire State Development’s ConnectALL Office released the draft New York State Digital Equity Plan and sought public comment on how New York will bridge the digital divide in the state.