Broadband Roundup
Broadband Roundup: Rural Providers Want RUS Funding, AT&T Expands ‘GigaPower’, and Potential Surveillance Changes
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2014 – The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit held a hearing on coordinating the future of broadband investment. Lang Zimmerman, vice president of Yelcot Telephone Co., a member company of rural broadband association NTCA testified that funding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service is critical for network upgrades and deployments in rural areas.
Zimmerman complained that Universal Service Fund reforms had compromised the “success momentum” of the RUS telecommunication programs.
“It will be all the more important to continue providing RUS with the resources it needs to lend to the rural telecom industry as demand for financing will inevitably increase when reforms are improved and small carriers are given certainty, hopefully through a program like the Connect America Fund that is designed to promote broadband investment,” Zimmerman said.
Directing resources toward the RUS Broadband Loan Program and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan program is a “win-win situation for rural broadband consumers and taxpayers,” he added, because both programs are obligated to pay back the loans with interest.
AT&T Expanding ‘GigaPower’
AT&T announced it will be deploying its fiber-based “GigaPower” network, capable of up to 1 Gigabit-per-second speeds, to parts of Nashville, Tennessee, Multichannel News reported.
The same city, currently served by Comcast, is also being eyed by Google as a potential site for Google Fiber expansion.
AT&T will also be expanding “GigaPower” to San Antonio, deploying fiber and adding important last mile network electronics to the existing city network, Fierce Telecom reported. City leaders lauded the deal.
“The growth of San Antonio’s tech industry is due in large part to the on-going cooperation and collaboration between government and the private sector,” said Hugh Miller, San Antonio’s chief technology director. “The City of San Antonio is excited about working with AT&T to bring their U-verse with AT&T GigaPower technology to our communities.”
Leahy Seeks to Update USA Freedom Act
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced a revised version of the USA Freedom Act on Tuesday. The revision builds off a similar proposal by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., to prohibit bulk data collection under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. Government agencies will have to narrow their searches to “specific selection terms.” Reforms will also be made to secretive court that hears cases under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“If enacted, this bill would represent the most significant reform of government surveillance authorities since Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act 13 years ago,” Leahy said in a floor statement. “This is an historic opportunity, and I am grateful that the bill has the support of the administration, a wide range of privacy and civil liberties groups, and the technology industry.”
Broadband Roundup
Democrats Want Biden to Drop Net Neutrality Suit Against States, AT&T and Digital Divide, Cornell’s Broadband Program

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2014 – The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit held a hearing on coordinating the future of broadband investment. Lang Zimmerman, vice president of Yelcot Telephone Co., a member company of rural broadband association NTCA testified that funding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service is critical for network upgrades and deployments in rural areas.
Zimmerman complained that Universal Service Fund reforms had compromised the “success momentum” of the RUS telecommunication programs.
“It will be all the more important to continue providing RUS with the resources it needs to lend to the rural telecom industry as demand for financing will inevitably increase when reforms are improved and small carriers are given certainty, hopefully through a program like the Connect America Fund that is designed to promote broadband investment,” Zimmerman said.
Directing resources toward the RUS Broadband Loan Program and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan program is a “win-win situation for rural broadband consumers and taxpayers,” he added, because both programs are obligated to pay back the loans with interest.
AT&T Expanding ‘GigaPower’
AT&T announced it will be deploying its fiber-based “GigaPower” network, capable of up to 1 Gigabit-per-second speeds, to parts of Nashville, Tennessee, Multichannel News reported.
The same city, currently served by Comcast, is also being eyed by Google as a potential site for Google Fiber expansion.
AT&T will also be expanding “GigaPower” to San Antonio, deploying fiber and adding important last mile network electronics to the existing city network, Fierce Telecom reported. City leaders lauded the deal.
“The growth of San Antonio’s tech industry is due in large part to the on-going cooperation and collaboration between government and the private sector,” said Hugh Miller, San Antonio’s chief technology director. “The City of San Antonio is excited about working with AT&T to bring their U-verse with AT&T GigaPower technology to our communities.”
Leahy Seeks to Update USA Freedom Act
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced a revised version of the USA Freedom Act on Tuesday. The revision builds off a similar proposal by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., to prohibit bulk data collection under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. Government agencies will have to narrow their searches to “specific selection terms.” Reforms will also be made to secretive court that hears cases under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“If enacted, this bill would represent the most significant reform of government surveillance authorities since Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act 13 years ago,” Leahy said in a floor statement. “This is an historic opportunity, and I am grateful that the bill has the support of the administration, a wide range of privacy and civil liberties groups, and the technology industry.”
Broadband Roundup
President Donald Trump Impeached Twice, AI’s Role in COVID-19 Mutations, 5G and Health Care

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2014 – The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit held a hearing on coordinating the future of broadband investment. Lang Zimmerman, vice president of Yelcot Telephone Co., a member company of rural broadband association NTCA testified that funding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service is critical for network upgrades and deployments in rural areas.
Zimmerman complained that Universal Service Fund reforms had compromised the “success momentum” of the RUS telecommunication programs.
“It will be all the more important to continue providing RUS with the resources it needs to lend to the rural telecom industry as demand for financing will inevitably increase when reforms are improved and small carriers are given certainty, hopefully through a program like the Connect America Fund that is designed to promote broadband investment,” Zimmerman said.
Directing resources toward the RUS Broadband Loan Program and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan program is a “win-win situation for rural broadband consumers and taxpayers,” he added, because both programs are obligated to pay back the loans with interest.
AT&T Expanding ‘GigaPower’
AT&T announced it will be deploying its fiber-based “GigaPower” network, capable of up to 1 Gigabit-per-second speeds, to parts of Nashville, Tennessee, Multichannel News reported.
The same city, currently served by Comcast, is also being eyed by Google as a potential site for Google Fiber expansion.
AT&T will also be expanding “GigaPower” to San Antonio, deploying fiber and adding important last mile network electronics to the existing city network, Fierce Telecom reported. City leaders lauded the deal.
“The growth of San Antonio’s tech industry is due in large part to the on-going cooperation and collaboration between government and the private sector,” said Hugh Miller, San Antonio’s chief technology director. “The City of San Antonio is excited about working with AT&T to bring their U-verse with AT&T GigaPower technology to our communities.”
Leahy Seeks to Update USA Freedom Act
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced a revised version of the USA Freedom Act on Tuesday. The revision builds off a similar proposal by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., to prohibit bulk data collection under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. Government agencies will have to narrow their searches to “specific selection terms.” Reforms will also be made to secretive court that hears cases under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“If enacted, this bill would represent the most significant reform of government surveillance authorities since Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act 13 years ago,” Leahy said in a floor statement. “This is an historic opportunity, and I am grateful that the bill has the support of the administration, a wide range of privacy and civil liberties groups, and the technology industry.”
Broadband Roundup
Michigan Resident Builds Homemade Fiber, Latest Innovations from LG, 2020 Internet Speeds Declined

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2014 – The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit held a hearing on coordinating the future of broadband investment. Lang Zimmerman, vice president of Yelcot Telephone Co., a member company of rural broadband association NTCA testified that funding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service is critical for network upgrades and deployments in rural areas.
Zimmerman complained that Universal Service Fund reforms had compromised the “success momentum” of the RUS telecommunication programs.
“It will be all the more important to continue providing RUS with the resources it needs to lend to the rural telecom industry as demand for financing will inevitably increase when reforms are improved and small carriers are given certainty, hopefully through a program like the Connect America Fund that is designed to promote broadband investment,” Zimmerman said.
Directing resources toward the RUS Broadband Loan Program and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan program is a “win-win situation for rural broadband consumers and taxpayers,” he added, because both programs are obligated to pay back the loans with interest.
AT&T Expanding ‘GigaPower’
AT&T announced it will be deploying its fiber-based “GigaPower” network, capable of up to 1 Gigabit-per-second speeds, to parts of Nashville, Tennessee, Multichannel News reported.
The same city, currently served by Comcast, is also being eyed by Google as a potential site for Google Fiber expansion.
AT&T will also be expanding “GigaPower” to San Antonio, deploying fiber and adding important last mile network electronics to the existing city network, Fierce Telecom reported. City leaders lauded the deal.
“The growth of San Antonio’s tech industry is due in large part to the on-going cooperation and collaboration between government and the private sector,” said Hugh Miller, San Antonio’s chief technology director. “The City of San Antonio is excited about working with AT&T to bring their U-verse with AT&T GigaPower technology to our communities.”
Leahy Seeks to Update USA Freedom Act
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced a revised version of the USA Freedom Act on Tuesday. The revision builds off a similar proposal by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., to prohibit bulk data collection under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. Government agencies will have to narrow their searches to “specific selection terms.” Reforms will also be made to secretive court that hears cases under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“If enacted, this bill would represent the most significant reform of government surveillance authorities since Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act 13 years ago,” Leahy said in a floor statement. “This is an historic opportunity, and I am grateful that the bill has the support of the administration, a wide range of privacy and civil liberties groups, and the technology industry.”
-
Artificial Intelligence1 month ago
U.S. Special Operations Command Employs AI and Machine Learning to Improve Operations
-
Section 2302 months ago
President Trump’s FCC Nominee Grilled on Section 230 During Senate Confirmation Hearing
-
Broadband Roundup2 months ago
Benton on Middle Mile Open Access Networks, CENIC Fiber Route in California, Investors Buying Bitcoin
-
#broadbandlive3 months ago
Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 — Case Studies of Transformative 5G Apps in the Enterprise
-
Broadband Roundup1 month ago
Trump Signs Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, How Not to Wreck the FCC, Broadband Performance in Europe
-
5G2 months ago
5G Stands to Impact Industry Before Consumers, Says Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg
-
#broadbandlive4 months ago
Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 — Champions of Broadband: Sunne McPeak
-
5G4 months ago
Top Executives From Dell, Dish Networks and T-Mobile Tout Details of Their Companies’ 5G Deployments