Internet/Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission authorized Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (Auction 904) support for 1,345 winning bids in its eighth round of awards. The RDOF program is designed to provide funding to companies to cover some of the costs of making broadband available to rural areas currently lacking high-speed service. Winning bidders were determined through a reverse auction that awarded funding for an area to the company that committed to deploying service for the lowest level of support, with a weighting system favoring bids for higher-speed, lower-latency service.

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses from Ookla identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter Ookla has provided updated analyses for 44 markets that include details on fastest mobile and fixed broadband providers, performance of most popular devices and chipsets and internet speeds in cities.

In this Report and Order, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to promote competitive choice of communications services for those living and working in multiple tenant environments (MTEs), and to address practices that undermine longstanding rules promoting competition in

Every resident in the state could have access to broadband, or high speed internet, in the near future, thanks to federal funds coming Michigan's way, according to Eric Frederick, Executive Director of Connected Nation Michigan — a non-profit group dedicated to eliminating the digital divide in all its forms. Federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and especially the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be a game-changer, Frederick said.

A new bill (HB 3363) would help Oklahoma ensure that federal relief funding to improve connectivity would go where it’s needed most. With no State Broadband Office, no broadband map, and no experience distributing state-funded broadband grants, Oklahoma has been behind the curve in establishing administrative infrastructure to increase access to broadband. Fortunately, federal American Rescue Plan Act funds can be directed toward that key infrastructure.

Florida-based Tri-County Electric Cooperative teamed with Conexon Connect to deploy a 2,400-mile fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network, aiming to deliver high-speed broadband to all of its members within the next few years. The $65 million project is the first FTTH initiative undertaken by an electric co-op in the state. Conexon Partner Jonathan Chambers said the company will be responsible for the design, construction and operation of the network, though Tri-County will own the actual infrastructure. It plans to use fiber and will offer 100 Mbps, 1-gigabit and 2-gigabit service plans.

Given T-Mobile’s recent history of arguing for more licensed spectrum, it’s easy to forget how much unlicensed spectrum plays into its overall strategy. But a recent application before the Federal Communications Commission serves as a reminder of that. T-Mobile is asking for special temporary authority (STA) to operate on spectrum in the 6110-6190 MHz portion of the 5925-7125 MHz (6 GHz) band in and around the areas of Alexandria and Falls Church (VA).

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel sent letters to four House members on April 7, 2022, to respond to their letter on proposed changes to the E-rate competitive bidding process. Rosenworcel said the FCC has begun a rulemaking to consider improvements to the competitive bidding process. She also said funding has been made available to support students’ off-campus learning needs through the Emergency Connectivity Fund and the Emergency Broadband Benefit programs.

The war in Ukraine is reviving concerns in Taiwan and some Asia-Pacific nations about the fragility of their internet connections because they rely on undersea cables that could be severed in a Chinese attack.

Without affordable, high-quality broadband, persistent poverty counties in the United States have no chance. As a nation currently spending upwards of $100 billion in public funds on broadband, helping these counties is the least we can do. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) contains a provision that