Universal Broadband
Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel's Response to Sens Wicker and Thune Regarding RDOF Auction
In July, Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter to Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to request a status update on the Federal Communications Commission's long-form application review process for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I auction. On July 29, Chairwoman Rosenworcel replied.
Broadband budgeting pits FCC against NTIA
As the Senate chips away at final passage of the $550 billion infrastructure package, the compromise’s top detractors are fretting about where negotiators placed the agreed-upon $42.5 billion in broadband deployment grants for states.
Consumer Reports: Millions of Americans Lack Fast Internet Service
Millions of Americans struggle to pay for fast internet service, or find that it’s not available where they live, a new Consumer Reports survey shows. The nationally representative survey of 2,565 adults (PDF), conducted in June of this year, adds urgency to debates over broadband infrastructure and competition, according to consumer advocates.
Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Agriculture Bill with $700 Million for USDA's ReConnect Program
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved several fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills with strong bipartisan support. The Fiscal Year 2022 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill was reported out of Committee on a vote of 25 to 5. If the bill becomes law, the USDA's ReConnect broadband program would receive $700 million. The program will expand access to high-speed broadband to remote unserved and underserved rural areas.
Senate infrastructure bill sets stage to make broadband more available and affordable
The Senate infrastructure bill includes a package of digital initiatives that together amount to the largest one-time investment in broadband in US history, totaling $65 billion.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration to Begin Accepting Applications for $268 Million Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, which will direct $268 million for expanding broadband access and connectivity to eligible Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and consortia led by an HBCU, TCU, or MSI that also include a minority business enterprise or tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The Notice of Funding Opportunity
Cable, Internet Companies Stand to Gain From Broadband Funding in Infrastructure Bill
The $1 trillion infrastructure bill moving through the Senate this week stands to be a windfall for cable and fiber-optic internet companies, with $65 billion allocated to improve internet access for poor and isolated communities. The plan would help home internet providers by providing $40 billion in grants that states can dole out to operators that expand their networks to households that lack high-speed service. AT&T plans to self-fund its fiber-optic network expansion to cover millions of new locations in the coming years.
No child deserves to be left offline this school year—here’s how Congress can help
As the conditions of students without home broadband access or a device mirror the broad systemic inequalities of the US, Congress must do more than offer piecemeal funding to connect K-12 students to the internet.
The Bipartisan Broadband Bill is Good, But Won’t End the Digital Divide
The US Senate is on the cusp of approving an infrastructure package, which passed a critical first vote last night by 67-32. There is a lot to like in it, some of which will depend on decisions by the state governments and the Federal Communications Commission. Negotiations on the final bill are ongoing, but the draft broadband provisions have been released.