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Broadband News

Broadband News/FCC/Press Releases/Universal Service

FCC Press Release: Wireline Competition Bureau Releases Illustrative Model Results to Aid Preparation of Comments in Response to 2018 Rate-of-Return Reform

SOURCE: The Federal Communications Commission WC Docket No. 10-90 The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces the availability of illustrative model results intended to aid parties that are preparing comments in response to the 2018 Rate-of-Return Reform NPRM.1 In that NPRM, the Commission sought comment on, among other matters, whether to provide a new model offer based… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/FCC/Fiber/National Broadband Plan/Net Neutrality/Wireless

Blair Levin’s Scathing Takedown of FCC’s Ajit Pai, Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, and 5G Hype

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: We were present at the Broadband Communities Summit at which Blair Levin gave this remarks; thanks to the Coalition for Local Internet Choice for providing the complete and unvarnished record of this important and scathing speech by the former executive director of the (former) FCC's ambitious National Broadband Plan. Blair Levin at… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Congress/Senate

Senate Democrats Join With Collins To Force Vote On Restoring Obama Net Neutrality Rules

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2018 — Senate Democrats on Wednesday announced plans to invoke a rarely-used Senate procedure to force a floor vote on a bill to roll back the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of Obama-era regulations preventing internet providers from blocking or throttling internet traffic. “Today we are officially filing the discharge petition to force… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Rural Telecom

How Delaware is Promoting Better Broadband State-wide, Including in Rural Areas

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This great piece from a news site devoted to state, county and municipal government tackles what one state is doing in order to advance better broadband throughout its state. All states include a rural component (more or less), and Delaware shows that state-wide broadband planning can help to put broadband deployment on… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Infrastructure/People/Rural Utilities Service

As Johnson Takes Oath At RUS, Purdue Remains ‘Hopeful’ On Infrastructure Plan Prospects

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2018 -- Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Monday said he is "always hopeful" that progress will be made on President Trump's $1.5 billion infrastructure plan, even as Congress shifts its focus to the upcoming primary election season. "I'm always hopeful," he said when asked about the plan's prospects shortly after a swearing-in… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Fiber

Why 5G Wireless Deployments Are Not an In-Home Solution for Better Broadband

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This falls into the category of a gaffe, or when a politically-minded business like AT&T accidentally tells the truth. Here, the truth is that 5G is not, current hype notwithstanding, a fiber-to-the-home killer. Instead, 5G will rely more directly on fiber build deeper into neighborhoods. And, as AT&T said, fiber-to-the-home would be… Keep Reading

Asia/Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Patents

How the Trump Administration’s Trade Politics are Slipping into the Fiber Broadband World

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The Trump administration's protectionism is already having significant impacts on many American businesses and industries, and may begin to have significant impacts on the fiber broadband world. This post by Doug Dawson outlines some of the moves in Washington against both Huawei and ZTE, two Chinese telecommunications manufacturing giants. Incidentally, I had… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Europe/Fiber/Open Access

Goldman Sachs-Based Consortium to Acquire U.K.-Based CityFibre, Pioneer of the Wholesale Open Access Broadband

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: We've been watching the progress of CityFibre closely because of what it is demonstrating on the other side of the pond: The future of broadband is in wholesale. Separating infrastructure from services provides significant advantages in being able to raise capital. This is necessary to construct gigabit fiber networks in order to… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Rural Utilities Service/Spectrum/White House

Wireless Infrastructure is One Piece of the Broadband Puzzle for Rural America

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The role of wireless, which is one key piece of the broadband puzzle for rural areas, will be considered at the New America Foundation on Tuesday at Noon, together with Kelsey Guyselman, policy advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and an array of industry players. Spectrum as… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Media/Net Neutrality

Facebook and Net Neutrality Aside, Local Broadband Leaders Can Make a Difference

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: While Washington alternatively obsesses over net neutrality, beating up on Facebook, or other distractions brought to us by the man in the White House, how refreshing is it to encounter a piece like this. Mark Howell is demonstrating that leadership on a local level can make a difference in bringing people what… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Wireless

Beyond the Hype: Emerging 5G Technologies Aren’t Significantly Different From Existing LTE, Say Industry Leaders

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This is from Dave Burstein, a telecom geek/journalist/gadfly, and who frequently has some interesting observations about broadband technologies, and the politics behind them. In this pieces, he's reporting on the thoughts of leaders in the mobile industry, to the effect of just how overblown is the hype behind 5G wireless technologies. No… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Infrastructure/Rural Telecom/Rural Utilities Service

More Federal Spending on Rural Broadband Could Come Through Omnibus Budget Bill

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Rural priorities are again receiving additional emphasis in the draft spending legislation currently before Congress. Though the proposed $600 million is lower than the $2.5 billion that some had been discussing, the pending Trump infrastructure package could allocate still more funds to rural broadband priorities. Although omnibus budget bills are considered "must… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Spectrum/White House

What to Take from What Trump Just Did to Broadcom-Qualcomm Deal

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: A great summary of what to take away from the Trump administration's blocking of Broadcom's acquisition attempt for Qualcomm, an action that appears to be have been taken quite precipitously. According to The New York Times' story on the subject, "A presidential action against foreign investment in an American company is rare and… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/FCC/Net Neutrality

Supreme Court Against Extends Deadline in Berninger v. FCC, the ‘Old’ Net Neutrality Case

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Daniel Berninger has been a voice in the wilderness on the issue of net neutrality, and the Obama-era Federal Communications Commission's efforts to reclassify broadband internet access services as common carriers, since 2015. But as an internet entrepreneur, he has direct experience in working with the FCC on the regulation of Voice-over-Internet-Protocol… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Universal Service

Look at this 1910 Map of AT&T’s Telephone Wires, an Early Version of ‘Broadband Mapping’

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: A great visual tidbit of history here. We found it when searching for information about the regulation of AT&T from the 1913 Kingsbury Commitment to the founding of the Federal Communications Commission in 1934. A Telephone Map of the United States Shows Where You Could Call Using Ma Bell in 1910, from… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Fiber

With a Potential Sale of Fiber Assets, Where is Windstream Going as a Telecom Company?

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Windstream seems to increasingly be trying to talk and act like an AT&T or Verizon Communications. This article highlights some strong aspects to his heritage as a back-haul fiber-optic provider. If this division is sold, it might mark the continued evolution toward telecom giant status. Windstream weighs potential sale of certain fiber assets,… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Net Neutrality/Net Neutrality Comments

The Chairman of the FCC Returns to His Former Haunt at Verizon Nine Days Before Vote on Net Neutrality Rules

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: A great little piece from the Inverse lays out how the "Chatham House" rules may protect Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai from being quoted for what he says at Verizon Communications, his former employer, nine days before net neutrality rules are set to be axed. (UPDATE 12/6: It turns out that Pai… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Fiber/Rural Telecom/Rural Utilities Service

New Resource from Institute for Local Self-Reliance on Building Fiber in Rural America

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Once again, the folks at the Institute for Local Self Reliance have produced another standout report on how to get better broadband to those parts of American that are not served by the major incumbents. This report focuses on the role that cooperatives are playing, and can continue to play, in making… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Expert Opinion/Media ownership

Jonathan Lee: Antitrust Division’s Flawed Case Against AT&T/Time Warner is Simply Too General

Telecom attorney Jonathan Lee takes down the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's specious case against the AT&T/Time Warner merger in this detailed blog post, excerpted below. (Click on the link at the bottom for the whole argument.) Here's the money quote: "This alleged harm is simply too general to merit analysis." Assumptions On Assumptions:… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/FCC/Net Neutrality/Net Neutrality Comments

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Tackles Twitter, Not ISPs, on Issues of ‘Neutrality’

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Is everyone having enough fun on this issue of network neutrality/open internet/"search neutrality"/Twitter-fenestration? It's been a wacky week, and the craziness is likely to accelerate over the next two weeks. Here, CNET's Marguerite Reardon covers Pai's Tuesday speech at the R Street Institute in Washington. FCC chairman calls Twitter the real threat… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/NTIA/Press Releases/Public Safety

NTIA Outlines Process and Funding for States Seeking to Opt-out of FirstNet

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: In a significant new development, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration outlines a process for how states will be able to receive funding to build their own public safety wireless networks that are separate and apart from FirstNet. The far, approximately 35 of the 50 states have opted-in to FirstNet. Colorado and… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Digital Inclusion/Expert Opinion/Health/Rural Telecom

Shirley Svorny: Why the Second-Best Solution – Redefining the Locus of Care – Is Needed for Telemedicine

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Telemedicine is one of the most immediately needed high-bandwidth broadband applications, and it promises concrete and easy-to-see benefits. Yet its usage had limited by occupational licensing. In this policy report, CATO Institute Adjunct Scholar Shirley Svorny lays out the case for the best option (eliminating all governmental licensing), a second-best option (defining… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/North America/Spectrum/Wireless/WISP

Microsoft Utilizes TV White Space in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to Enhance Communications

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Here, Microsoft is taking the initiative to address the communications failures and other challenges in Puerto Rico. Microsoft is aiming to use its particular variant of TV "white spaces" to allow greater communication capabilities during a time of widespread power outages. Using TV White Space technology in Puerto Rico and the US… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Fiber/Open Access

New Alliance Between Vodafone and CityFibre in UK Shows Progress of Global Wholesale Fiber Model

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Major news from the United Kingdom with the deal announced between Vodafone and CityFibre. This deal shows how the rest of the world is adapting to the model that the United States has not yet, but eventually will: Separation of infrastructure from services. Vodafone throws down gauntlet to BT with new fibre… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Fiber/Open Access/Smart Cities

Lexington, Home to the Kentucky Wired Middle-Mile Project, Seeks Municipal Fiber

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The power of municipal broadband isn't going away. While competition benefits everyone, it's undeniable that as the custodians of their rights of way, local government will play a role in the telecommunications infrastructure developments of the future. Charter gets competition in Lexington, Kentucky, as angry city enlists Indiana’s MetroNet to build FTTH… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact

Pushing Advanced Applications to the Edge With Deeper Fiber

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The future of broadband communication will involve advanced and low-latency applications, all delivered over symmetrical fiber or 5G wireless networks. To get there, we need computing and storage at the edge, and fiber deeper into the neighborhoods. Edge deployment strategy dependent on 5G use case being served, from RCR Wireless Whether it’s… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Fiber/Wireless

Wireless Gigabit Broadband Provider Siklu Addresses High-Speed Access

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Siklu, which has been active in promoting the way high-speed wireless gigabit access can help communities leverage fiber-optic infrastructure, assembles a useful primer on its technology and business case for deployment. Providing 21th Century Broadband with Fixed Wireless Gigabit, from Siklu: There are close to 126 million households in the US, out… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/FCC/Wireless

Is the FCC Preparing to Ready New Preemption Mandates Regarding Wireless Sites?

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: New developments on the preemption front. From an administration that speaks about federalism and devolution of power, we have potentially new centralizing mandates emerging from the Federal Communications Commission. Sneak peek at FCC’s pending preemption of local wireless reviews? | From Steve Blum's Tellus Venture Associates The Federal Communications Commission might have… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Fiber/Wireless

To Help Realize the Vision of 5G Networks, Deep Fiber is Necessary

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Allow us to highlight one of the seven points made by Patrick Brogan in this commentary: Deep fiber. In this piece, he highlights seven elements - (1) Technical standards, (2) cell densification, (3) coexistence of 4G and 5G, (4) reevaluation of the mobile network architecture, (5) evolving network connections, (6) unanticipated applications, and… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/FCC/Fiber/Open Access

Broadband Breakfast to Attend Ammon, Idaho-Next Century Cities Event on Open Access Fiber Networks

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The long-awaited day has arrived for the "official" launch of the open-access fiber-optic network in Ammon, Idaho. This city of about 14,000 people has been making waves for some time with its unique approach to (a) providing advanced open-access technology and (b) enabling a financing model that leverages an opt-in Local Improvement… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/NTIA/Press Releases

One Year In, NTIA’s BroadbandUSA Webinar Takes a Break For the Month of August

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: We've been enjoying our participation in this webinar series of the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration. It has now run for one year. However, the webinar series is taking a break for the month of August, so don't expect an event this Wednesday! BroadbandUSA presents a webinar on the… Keep Reading

Broadband News/Broadband's Impact/Innovation

Facebook’s Foray into Artificial Intelligence Stirs Worries of Robot Revolt

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: A good attempt to "decode" the furor surrounding Facebook's artificial intelligence experiment, and all of those chattering robots. Scare stories aside, the opportunity for machine intelligence and human intelligence to complement each other is truly remarkable. The 'creepy Facebook AI' story that captivated the media | Facebook has been experimenting with AIs that… Keep Reading

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