SiFi Networks' recent announcement of a more-than $75 million open-access network in Fullerton, Calif., represents a departure from the public-private model that the company had been pursuing in the U.S. over the past four years. SiFi is continuing its focus on an open-access network, or a network in which more than one service provider offers broadband… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This piece by our friend and colleague Craig Settles addresses several issues about co-ops, broadband, and rural economic development being addressed at the Broadband Communities Summit this week in Austin, Texas. Both Craig Settles, the author of this piece, and Tim Marema, the editor of DailyYonder.com, participated in the Rural Telecommunications Congress program from… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2019 - The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to approve legislation restoring network neutrality rules which had been rescinded by the Federal Communications Commission last year, marking both a victory for House Democrats as well as an end to the line for this latest attempt to revive the Obama-era regulations. Passage… Keep Reading
The top regulator of U.S. phone calls has issued an ultimatum to telecom companies: Either stop robocallers from faking phone numbers or risk new regulations from the Federal Communications Commission. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s warning is well-justified. By several different measures, the number of telemarketing and scam calls to cell phones has exploded over the… Keep Reading
April 9, 2019 - There is exists a gaping digital divide between Rural America and the rest of the country, in which 146 million people (45 percent of the population) do not have access to a low-price plan for residential broadband. That is according to research released last week by BroadbandNow, which also found a… Keep Reading
Bipartisan ACCESS BROADBAND Act would improve coordination and community access to federal broadband resources WASHINGTON, April 4, 2019 – Representatives Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Susan Brooks, R-Ind., announced the introduction of H.R. 1328: the ACCESS BROADBAND Act today, bipartisan legislation that would expand broadband access in underserved areas and create a simpler process for small businesses and local economic… Keep Reading
SiFi Networks on Monday announced that it had obtained funding to build an open access fiber network through the whole city of Fullerton, California. SiFi will fund, build and operate the networks in partnership with Internet Service Providers, which will market services to individual households. A mid-sized city in Southern California with a population of… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: New business models are coming for fiber to the home deployments across the U.S. On Tuesday, Medina County, Ohio, announced just such a model, together with Neighborly, a company that provides communities with access to capital for broadband projects. The fiber networks in the county is expected to cost $50 for 100 megabits… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2019 -- The White House's latest move to protect American industries and consumers could potentially give President Trump an opening to hit back at some of his favorite targets. National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro on Wednesday announced that the President had signed a Presidential Memorandum to combat "a very serious problem"… Keep Reading
Don't missing the exciting program of the Rural Telecommunications Congress in Austin, Texas, from April 9, 2019-April 11, 2019. The program is listed below. To sign up at the Rural Telecommunications Congress rate by visiting the RTC web site, or by visiting the Broadband Communities web site. (Make sure to select "CODE HOLDERS" radio button and… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 21, 2019 - The nation's leading telecommunications companies on Thursday announced a new broadband mapping pilot initiative that aims to geolocate each address in the country, and link each location with broadband providers that offer service to that address. At a launch event joined by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, the broadband… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 20, 2019 - The Federal Trade Commission is hosting an event on Wednesday on "Competition and Consumer Protection Issues in U.S. Broadband Markets." Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: New Mexico Hosts their next broadband summit on March 22, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. BROADBAND SUMMIT Conference title: Connecting New Mexico – The Future of Broadband in our State BROADBAND SUMMIT Conference title: Connecting New Mexico – The Future of Broadband in our State Date: Friday, March 22 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.… Keep Reading
Editor's Note: The most recent edition of Broadband Communities Magazine features a special section on rural broadband, including this overview piece about the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act and the ReConnect. Incidentally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's series of webinars on the program continue with events on Tuesday, March 12; Thursday, March 14; and Wednesday,… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2019 - On Wednesday, 46 House and Senate Democrats moved forward with legislation that would codify so-called "network neutrality" legislation into law, bypassing a court dispute over their repeal by the Trump administration Federal Communications Commission. The Save the Internet Act of 2019 would once re-instate network neutrality rules using an approach… Keep Reading
At the beginning of a new Congress, there’s generally an exciting, hopeful spirit, even after the bitter partisanship of the past election. The issues that new committee chairs choose to focus on upfront are a good indication of their priorities and where they believe progress can be made. In telecommunications, therefore, it’s promising that Senator… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Broadband is the baseline for economic development: If you don't have the former, you won't have the latter. And for Rural America, this is doubly true. (Read all the way through the article to understand how "Broadband, Bluegrass and Beer" makes it all happen.) It's great to see these great results coming out of… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Google is beginning to enter into hunker-down mode. The company is finally alive to the grave new threats that it faces. They are two-pronged: More-intensive antitrust scrutiny, and regulation of privacy/AI/Section 230 free speech. As Drew Clark wrote about for a CATO Institute policy late last year, "Seeking Intervention Backfired on Silicon… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: We've been following SNG Group for some time. Think of this group as the "broadband economists." They take data about broadband and help communities understand what they can do with it to enhance their usage of high-speed technology, and to find their competitive advantages vis-a-vis other communities. See this research report they've… Keep Reading
February 20, 2019 - The Rural Telecommunications Congress comes together once every year in Austin, Texas, jointly with the Broadband Communities Summit. Rural broadband issues are very much in the news. Among the topics that will be discussed this year at the summit are "Rural Broadband Success Stories." This panel will take place on Thursday, April… Keep Reading