Broadband Updates
Connect America Fund Threatens Rural States’ Telephone Subsidies
WASHINGTON, November 29, 2010 – As the next phases of the National Broadband Plan draw near, states with significant rural area have expressed concern that they may lose funds vital to affordable telephone service.
WASHINGTON, November 29, 2010 – As the next phases of the National Broadband Plan draw near, states with significant rural area have expressed concern that they may lose funds vital to affordable telephone service.
The plan’s Chapter 8 outlines recommendations to provide affordable broadband internet access to all Americans. Part of that chapter recommends the creation of the Connect America Fund. The CAF would fund deployment of broadband to unserved and underserved populations, much as the Universal Service Fund provided the economic means to provide telephone service to all Americans.
While the USF provided the means to connect Americans to the telephone grid, it continues today to fund a handful of goals – among them, ensuring that telephone service in high-cost rural areas remains affordable. It is from the high-cost programs that the FCC has proposed diverting funds to the CAF, with the eventual goal of converting all high-cost USF programs to CAF programs.
Though the goal of the CAF is to connect all Americans to high-speed internet – which is capable of supporting high-quality telephonic service as well – states have expressed concerns about the way those funds will be managed. The most efficient use of funds would connect areas with the highest density of people first, which states say will leave rural areas wanting for both broadband access and affordable conventional telephone service in the near term.
“They want to see more dollars shifted toward those area where there is more bang for the buck,” says Otto Doll, chief information officer of South Dakota. That prioritization, he says, would draw funds away from providing affordable telephone service to many South Dakotans, while putting them toward the back of the line for broadband. Doll is quick to point out, however, that the details of the CAF rollout have not been solidified and at least for the time being, South Dakota’s concerns remain just that.
Jim Kohler, the deputy director of Enterprise Technology Services in the Alaska Department of Administration, has echoed Doll’s concerns. In Alaska, however, the hurdles to deployment are not only the expanse of land to be covered, but also the harshness of the terrain and climate.
“The cost of deploying broadband in Alaska to the extent sought by the National Broadband Plan keeps Alaska from receiving funds on a competitive basis,” says Kohler, referring to the distribution methodology as the “Lower 48 Model.”
For now, Kohler says that until more details are fleshed out, the concerns are just that. “The FCC has articulated it as a plan, but there aren’t the details of a plan,” says Kohler. “It’s more of a strategy.”
Broadband Data
U.S. Broadband Deployment and Speeds are Beating Europe’s, Says Scholar Touting ‘Facilities-based Competition’
WASHINGTON, November 29, 2010 – As the next phases of the National Broadband Plan draw near, states with significant rural area have expressed concern that they may lose funds vital to affordable telephone service.
The plan’s Chapter 8 outlines recommendations to provide affordable broadband internet access to all Americans. Part of that chapter recommends the creation of the Connect America Fund. The CAF would fund deployment of broadband to unserved and underserved populations, much as the Universal Service Fund provided the economic means to provide telephone service to all Americans.
While the USF provided the means to connect Americans to the telephone grid, it continues today to fund a handful of goals – among them, ensuring that telephone service in high-cost rural areas remains affordable. It is from the high-cost programs that the FCC has proposed diverting funds to the CAF, with the eventual goal of converting all high-cost USF programs to CAF programs.
Though the goal of the CAF is to connect all Americans to high-speed internet – which is capable of supporting high-quality telephonic service as well – states have expressed concerns about the way those funds will be managed. The most efficient use of funds would connect areas with the highest density of people first, which states say will leave rural areas wanting for both broadband access and affordable conventional telephone service in the near term.
“They want to see more dollars shifted toward those area where there is more bang for the buck,” says Otto Doll, chief information officer of South Dakota. That prioritization, he says, would draw funds away from providing affordable telephone service to many South Dakotans, while putting them toward the back of the line for broadband. Doll is quick to point out, however, that the details of the CAF rollout have not been solidified and at least for the time being, South Dakota’s concerns remain just that.
Jim Kohler, the deputy director of Enterprise Technology Services in the Alaska Department of Administration, has echoed Doll’s concerns. In Alaska, however, the hurdles to deployment are not only the expanse of land to be covered, but also the harshness of the terrain and climate.
“The cost of deploying broadband in Alaska to the extent sought by the National Broadband Plan keeps Alaska from receiving funds on a competitive basis,” says Kohler, referring to the distribution methodology as the “Lower 48 Model.”
For now, Kohler says that until more details are fleshed out, the concerns are just that. “The FCC has articulated it as a plan, but there aren’t the details of a plan,” says Kohler. “It’s more of a strategy.”
Broadband Updates
Discussion of Broadband Breakfast Club Virtual Event on High-Capacity Applications and Gigabit Connectivity
WASHINGTON, September 24, 2013 – The Broadband Breakfast Club released the first video of its Broadband Breakfast Club Virtual Event, on “How High-Capacity Applications Are Driving Gigabit Connectivity.”
The dialogue featured Dr. Glenn Ricart, Chief Technology Officer, US IGNITE; Sheldon Grizzle of GigTank in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Todd Marriott, Executive Director of UTOPIA, the Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency, and Drew Clark, Chairman and Publisher, BroadbandBreakfast.com.
WASHINGTON, November 29, 2010 – As the next phases of the National Broadband Plan draw near, states with significant rural area have expressed concern that they may lose funds vital to affordable telephone service.
The plan’s Chapter 8 outlines recommendations to provide affordable broadband internet access to all Americans. Part of that chapter recommends the creation of the Connect America Fund. The CAF would fund deployment of broadband to unserved and underserved populations, much as the Universal Service Fund provided the economic means to provide telephone service to all Americans.
While the USF provided the means to connect Americans to the telephone grid, it continues today to fund a handful of goals – among them, ensuring that telephone service in high-cost rural areas remains affordable. It is from the high-cost programs that the FCC has proposed diverting funds to the CAF, with the eventual goal of converting all high-cost USF programs to CAF programs.
Though the goal of the CAF is to connect all Americans to high-speed internet – which is capable of supporting high-quality telephonic service as well – states have expressed concerns about the way those funds will be managed. The most efficient use of funds would connect areas with the highest density of people first, which states say will leave rural areas wanting for both broadband access and affordable conventional telephone service in the near term.
“They want to see more dollars shifted toward those area where there is more bang for the buck,” says Otto Doll, chief information officer of South Dakota. That prioritization, he says, would draw funds away from providing affordable telephone service to many South Dakotans, while putting them toward the back of the line for broadband. Doll is quick to point out, however, that the details of the CAF rollout have not been solidified and at least for the time being, South Dakota’s concerns remain just that.
Jim Kohler, the deputy director of Enterprise Technology Services in the Alaska Department of Administration, has echoed Doll’s concerns. In Alaska, however, the hurdles to deployment are not only the expanse of land to be covered, but also the harshness of the terrain and climate.
“The cost of deploying broadband in Alaska to the extent sought by the National Broadband Plan keeps Alaska from receiving funds on a competitive basis,” says Kohler, referring to the distribution methodology as the “Lower 48 Model.”
For now, Kohler says that until more details are fleshed out, the concerns are just that. “The FCC has articulated it as a plan, but there aren’t the details of a plan,” says Kohler. “It’s more of a strategy.”
#broadbandlive
Breakfast Club Video: ‘Gigabit and Ultra-High-Speed Networks: Where They Stand Now and How They Are Building the Future’
WASHINGTON, November 29, 2010 – As the next phases of the National Broadband Plan draw near, states with significant rural area have expressed concern that they may lose funds vital to affordable telephone service.
The plan’s Chapter 8 outlines recommendations to provide affordable broadband internet access to all Americans. Part of that chapter recommends the creation of the Connect America Fund. The CAF would fund deployment of broadband to unserved and underserved populations, much as the Universal Service Fund provided the economic means to provide telephone service to all Americans.
While the USF provided the means to connect Americans to the telephone grid, it continues today to fund a handful of goals – among them, ensuring that telephone service in high-cost rural areas remains affordable. It is from the high-cost programs that the FCC has proposed diverting funds to the CAF, with the eventual goal of converting all high-cost USF programs to CAF programs.
Though the goal of the CAF is to connect all Americans to high-speed internet – which is capable of supporting high-quality telephonic service as well – states have expressed concerns about the way those funds will be managed. The most efficient use of funds would connect areas with the highest density of people first, which states say will leave rural areas wanting for both broadband access and affordable conventional telephone service in the near term.
“They want to see more dollars shifted toward those area where there is more bang for the buck,” says Otto Doll, chief information officer of South Dakota. That prioritization, he says, would draw funds away from providing affordable telephone service to many South Dakotans, while putting them toward the back of the line for broadband. Doll is quick to point out, however, that the details of the CAF rollout have not been solidified and at least for the time being, South Dakota’s concerns remain just that.
Jim Kohler, the deputy director of Enterprise Technology Services in the Alaska Department of Administration, has echoed Doll’s concerns. In Alaska, however, the hurdles to deployment are not only the expanse of land to be covered, but also the harshness of the terrain and climate.
“The cost of deploying broadband in Alaska to the extent sought by the National Broadband Plan keeps Alaska from receiving funds on a competitive basis,” says Kohler, referring to the distribution methodology as the “Lower 48 Model.”
For now, Kohler says that until more details are fleshed out, the concerns are just that. “The FCC has articulated it as a plan, but there aren’t the details of a plan,” says Kohler. “It’s more of a strategy.”
-
Artificial Intelligence3 months ago
U.S. Special Operations Command Employs AI and Machine Learning to Improve Operations
-
Broadband Roundup3 months ago
Benton on Middle Mile Open Access Networks, CENIC Fiber Route in California, Investors Buying Bitcoin
-
Section 2304 months ago
President Trump’s FCC Nominee Grilled on Section 230 During Senate Confirmation Hearing
-
Artificial Intelligence2 months ago
Artificial Intelligence Aims to Enhance Human Capabilities, But Only With Caution and Safeguards
-
Broadband Roundup3 months ago
Trump Signs Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, How Not to Wreck the FCC, Broadband Performance in Europe
-
5G4 months ago
5G Stands to Impact Industry Before Consumers, Says Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg
-
Fiber2 months ago
Smaller Internet Providers Were Instrumental to Fiber Deployment in 2020, Says Fiber Broadband Association
-
#broadbandlive4 months ago
Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event Series on ‘Tools for Broadband Deployment’ on Enhancing Rural America
1 Comment