Internet/Broadband

FCC Proposes Fines of $4.3 Million Against 73 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Applicants for Defaults

The Federal Communications Commission proposed $4,353,773.87 in fines against 73 applicants in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction (Auction 904) for apparently violating FCC requirements by defaulting on their bids between July 26, 2021 and March 10, 2022. The FCC provided clear guidance in its rules and notices on the monetary forfeitures associated with defaults in Auction 904. The bid defaults prevented 1,702 census block groups with 129,909 estimated locations in 36 states from seeing timely new investments in broadband infrastructure.

Fiber Broadband Association thinks FCC idea for new broadband minimums 'already obsolete'

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently proposed raising the minimum broadband speed requirement in the US to 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. The move was generally well-received, but long overdue at a time when median download and upload speeds among US service providers still rank below several other nations. Still, Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton said the FCC’s ongoing focus on speed minimums is a misguided approach.

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 Congress must prioritize restoring net neutrality

It’s been 18 months since President Joe Biden was inaugurated. Yet restoring crucial net neutrality rules that are the foundation for an open internet continues to languish in Washington (DC). The problem stems from Democratic lawmakers’ inability to confirm Biden’s nominee, Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society], to the Federal Communications Commission. She is needed to break the 2-2 deadlock on the FCC that continues to block action on net neutrality and broadband privacy regulations.

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.

How the Capital Projects Fund Can Help Your State Close the Digital Divide

On July 14, the U.S. Department of the Treasury approved the plans of Kansas, Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota to use Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund support to help close the digital divide. Combined with the approval of Louisiana's, New Hampshire's, Virginia's, and West Virginia's plans in June, Treasury has announced nearly $1 billion in support to connect nearly 250,000 locations in the eight states.

Why suspected Chinese spy gear remains in America’s telecom networks

The US is still struggling to complete the break up with Chinese telecom companies that Donald Trump started four years ago. The problem: Small communications networks, largely in rural areas, are saddled with old Chinese equipment they can’t afford to remove and which they can’t repair if it breaks. The companies say they want to ditch the Chinese tech, but promised funds from Congress aren’t coming quickly enough and aren’t enough to cover the cost.

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.

Lumos to bring fiber internet to nearly 85,000 residents and businesses in Virginia's Tidewater region

Lumos will be making a big impact on the Tidewater region of Virginia, bringing ultra-high-speed fiber internet service to nearly 85,000 residents and businesses across the Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth (VA) communities. The Lumos expansion will blanket the region with over 760 miles of the latest fiber optic technology featuring 100 Gigabit speed capacity at a cost of over $83 million. In addition, Lumos will generate jobs in the region with its plan to hire local sales, service and support teams.

AT&T Adds 316,000 Fiber Customers

AT&T shared its second quarter 2022 results on July 21, seeing significant gains in its mobile and fiber businesses. AT&T delivered subscriber growth near second-quarter record levels with 316,000 AT&T Fiber net adds. This brings total net additions over the past two years to nearly 2.3 million, including 10 straight quarters of more than 200,000 net adds. The company now has the ability to serve 18 million customer locations in more than 100 US metro areas with its fiber network.

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.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be Connected Through Fiber-Optic Internet

The City of Albuquerque (NM) has finalized its license agreement with Vexus Fiber, a Texas-based Internet company, to begin construction on a 100 percent fiber-optic network that will be available everywhere in the city with direct, cutting-edge internet access to all homes and businesses. With better performing, future-proof technology, the fiber network will support Albuquerque’s residents and businesses needs now and into the future at prices similar to and even lower than what other internet service providers currently charge.

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.

How far might broadband funding go? Estimating and visualizing the BEAD program

Combining “cost to serve” estimates for any un- and under-served location in US with data on the number of un- and underserved we can estimate how far broadband funding might go. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program won't provide any funding where the Federal Communications Commission has committed Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support. And the National Telecommunications and Information Administration hopes to not provide 100% of the costs for new networks—I’m assuming that private capital provides 25% of the remaining necessary funding.

House Commerce Committee Passes Consumer Protection Bills

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed six consumer protection bills during a full Committee markup on July 20, 2022. Among these are:

Older Minnesotans being left behind by increasingly online world

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the importance of digital equity with the acceleration of digital transformation occurring in workplaces, education, and commerce. However, virtual as the new normal is exposing an age-based digital divide within our state of Minnesota. Older adults have lower access to the internet, fewer digital skills, and more limited use of technology. The digital divide contributes to increased social isolation, the severity of chronic diseases, and an overall diminished quality of life. The problem is worse in rural areas than metro areas.