State

Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) lapsed in May 2024, ending a monthly subsidy that 23 million households nationwide had been using to afford high-speed internet connections. The program’s lapse means many rural, low-income, and other vulnerable households are losing access to internet connections.

In the creation of its Initial Proposals Volume 1 and  Volume 2 for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding, the Missouri Office of Broadband and Development (OBD) laid out three goals. In its first goal, OBD recognizes the need for high-quality, affordable broadband for all residents in the state. According to the U.S.

To connect more Americans, Congress designated a slice of the $1.2 trillion 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), as well as a portion of the $350 billion 2021 American Rescue Plan Act that passed to provide financial relief during the COVID pandemic to fund projects that would cross this digital divide. All told, the bills provide around $90 billion in funding for connectivity spread across a plethora of initiatives. But the question remains: Will this colossal sum be enough to bridge the digital divide?

North Carolinians without access to high-speed internet at home tend to face worse health, employment and educational outcomes than those with access.

The Public Service Department (PSD) announces the 2024 Mobile Wireless Drive Test: Public Input Survey. This survey allows Vermonters to highlight areas they know where Mobile Wireless Coverage is limited or unavailable, as they are the people who live, work, and drive in these areas every day. The survey includes the ability to enter a specific address or highlight a roadway with limited or unavailable service. The data collected from this survey will assist the Department in mapping the route for the upcoming 2024 Mobile Wireless Drive Test.

Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is proud to announce the start of a new Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program in Vermont. The program puts participants to work right away, allowing them to learn on the job and earn a paycheck from the start. The Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program is part of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), a Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program. VCBB is partnering with Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), TIRAP’s national sponsor, to bring the program to Vermont.

Sen John Thune (R-SD) and several of his colleagues in sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding her "egregious mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives." In particular, the Senators criticized the delayed rollout of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, saying, "Instead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment. By imposing burdensome climate change mandates on

Organizations representing rural wireline internet providers have stated their preference for continuing to favor federal funding for fiber-based broadband construction. However, many participating in a recent National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) comment round said the agency is correct in opening the door to greater funding of alternative technologies, including unlicensed fixed wireless and low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite systems.

A common restaurant principle—“Accuracy over speed”—should guide our country’s broadband funding initiatives, particularly the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, both now and in the future. Recently, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing titled, “From Introduction to Implementation: A BEAD Program Progress Report,” and while some lines of questioning seemed to grasp at straws, there were important points that should be revisited in future hearings.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Nebraska’s Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Nebraska to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. Nebraska was allocated over $405 million to deploy or upgrade high-speed Internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service.