WASHINGTON, February 28, 2017 - Plans to include broadband in a massive new infrastructure will probably take a back seat to President Trump’s security and physical infrastructure priorities in the budget blueprint he will describe during his maiden speech to a joint session of Congress tonight, multiple sources have told Broadband Breakfast News. While broadband has… Keep Reading
Broadband Breakfast Insight: Unlike the United States, the UK has a system of "structural separations" - at least in theory - where the provider of the wholesale networks (Openreach) is to be separated from its sister-provider of retail broadband services (BT). This article recounts some of the controversies that have now come to a head.… Keep Reading
Broadband Breakfast Insight: We just came across this 23-page report from the National League of Cities providing comparisons of five cities and their approach to "Smart Cities." While we'd have like to see a bit more specifics about the role that broadband internet services play in the development and role of connected communities, we wanted… Keep Reading
Broadband Breakfast Insight: This article in the Charlotte Observer highlights the fact that, even when people want fiber, there are inevitably logistical and infrastructure challenges that need to be managed in a fiber-to-the-home build. Both Google Fiber and AT&T are impacted by the problem. Busted water mains are the biggest problem for Google and AT&T contractors,… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 6, 2017 – The House of Representatives on Monday approved by voice vote the Email Privacy Act, H.R. 387, designed to protect Americans’ privacy and public safety in the digital age. Below is a statement from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, applauding passage of the bill. I've written about previous version of this legislation… Keep Reading
Broadband Breakfast Insight: This is a significant development to see emerging from the House of Representatives, which is generally less focused on rural broadband issues than the Senate. This new measure, the "New Deal Rural Broadband Act," has an array of items, but one significant part appears to be the authorization of the Rural Utility… Keep Reading
Broadband Breakfast Insight: This item from the "Friday news dump" got less attention, but may be the more significant of the measures taken by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai. In addition to overturning aspects of the Lifeline changes made by the Obama-era FCC, he and the Republican majority have also "rescinded" an E-Rate report issued… Keep Reading
Broadband Breakfast Insight: A summary article highlighting the various impact from the Friday actions, led by Federal Communications Commissioner Ajit Pai. The big-ticket item highlighted is the end of the inquiry by the FCC under former Chairman Tom Wheeler into "zero rating," a practice of offering streams and downloads that don't "count" against a subscribers'… Keep Reading
Broadband Breakfast Insight: One advocacy group reacts to the actions from the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, in which numerous decisions and actions of the Obama administration FCC were overturned in a "Friday news dump." New FCC Chairman Releases a Friday-Afternoon Flurry of Anti-Consumer Items WASHINGTON, February 3, 2017 — In a flurry of items… Keep Reading