Internet/Broadband

Overall satisfaction among wireless internet customers (5G or 4G LTE home internet) averages 748 (on a 1,000-point scale), while overall satisfaction among wired (fiber and cable) and satellite internet customers averages notably lower (712 and 577, respectively) according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study.

Following months of public outreach and stakeholder engagement, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) released a draft Digital Equity Plan for public comment. Once approved by the PSC, the Digital Equity Plan will guide the state’s strategy to improve digital equity, ensuring all in Wisconsin have the skills, devices, and broadband service necessary to fully participate in society and the economy. The public comment period for Wisconsin's draft plan closes on October 19, 2023.

The Colorado Broadband Office received 112 applications from 37 entities requesting broadband funding through the Advance Colorado Broadband grant program. The total funding requested totals $643 million, which is almost four times more than the $162 million budgeted for the program. The network operators requesting the funding offered to contribute a total of almost $312 million in matching funds for projects in 47 counties. Thirty counties received one application, and 17 counties received more than one.

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced the release of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2. As part of the planning process, the public is invited to submit comments on the planning document.

While limited digital skills and lack of access to computing devices are major contributors to the digital divide, experience in places like public housing in New York City demonstrates that these barriers can be overcome when affordable housing operators find ways to provide residents with reliable internet access. Pilot programs in Massachusetts give us a sense of the resources that will be required to furnish high-speed broadband in affordable housing developments.

On October 10, 2023, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel provided Congress with an update on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Public Knowledge, Free Press, the United Church of Christ, OC, Inc. Leadership Conference, USC Gould School of Law and Office of the County Counsel, and the County of Santa Clara spoke with Federal Communications Commission General Counsel staff on Oct. 5, 2023, regarding net neutrality.

A momentous milestone has been reached in the journey towards a more inclusive and equitable digital society with the passing of the Digital Equity Bill of Rights, which was recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA). California has taken a bold step forward in ensuring that every individual, regardless of their background, circumstances or zip code, has fair and equal access to the benefits and opportunities offered by the Digital Age. California is the first state in the nation to make Digital Equity a legal right.

With Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program buildouts on the horizon, federal agencies are getting an extra hand with the permitting process. The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council unveiled it will allocate nearly $155 million to assist agencies in infrastructure permitting review. For example, the funding will allow agencies to hire permitting experts and acquire “vital tools and resources” so they can review projects in time.

Comcast awarded a $17,500 grant to Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative (TCCC), a nonprofit in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester (SC) counties. The funds from this grant are designed to educate more than 300 families living in rural and urban neighborhoods on the importance of broadband adoption in the home.