The FCC chairwoman reminded lawmakers the fund will freeze enrollments next Thursday, on February 8.

The BEAD program allows providers to use funds to deploy workforce development strategies.

Experts suggest a combination of active activities and group projects.

How many communities are leveraging their teen populations in the pursuit of broadband and digital equity?

Associations say delays in getting fund approval and services/equipment means not getting full use of the program.

The pandemic heightened the urgency of closing the digital divide, but several barriers remain.

The commission has been exploring the broadening of the E-Rate program, a high-cost program under the Universal Service Fund.

There is a widespread concern that there is a lack of skills training provided for broadband deployment and maintenance.

The virtual world where avatars can meet as if they were in real life can be a companion for education.

Fiber providers, equipment companies and consultants discussed their work in communities in a session at Fiber Connect

Artificial intelligence can help fill in gaps when teacher resources are limited, an event heard.

Barriers to closing the divide including awareness of programs, resources and increasing digital literacy.

The policy statement provides the guiding principles for which the FTC will review the collection and use of children’s data online.

Ransomeware attacks are a costly lesson for educators.

The organization is concerned that access to federal money will come with burdensome reporting.

Industry officials say the commission’s approach to E-rate competition would burden applicants.

The agency has now committed $3.8 billion from the $7.17-billion program.

Students in a Houston-area school district hosted a panel on connecting schools and libraries as part of a national event on bridging the digital divide.

EducationSuperHighway is signing up partners and will launch November 4.

The program is designed to help schools, libraries and students.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser urges a version of the Golden Rule: ‘What would someone else say?’

The $285-million program will help connect minority educational institutions.

Craig Settles describes the important role that community institutions have played in promoting connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friday’s Gigabit Libraries Network conversation will feature Drew Clark of Broadband Breakfast and John Busby of BroadbandNow.

Acting chairwoman said the need for the Emergency Broadband Benefit will outlive the pandemic.

The FCC is now accepting applications for the historic $7-billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to help get students connected.

Experts sing the praises of gaming in education.

June 7, 2021- Librarians and broadband enthusiasts affiliated with the Gigabit Libraries Network discussed the benefits of connectivity from new satellite broadband services. Soon after the beginning of the pandemic, the group has been hosting sessions around the theme of “what is a library when a p

The FCC’s May 10 order said schools and libraries could not use connectivity funds to build self-provisioned networks.

AT&T will no longer support 3G networks by 2022, Iowa’s broadband bill, Mayor de Blasio ending distance learning.

In the wake of the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, a new group emerges.

AMERICAN FORK, Utah, May 13, 2021 –  Facebook’s involvement in Utah technology education has grown since it broke ground in 2018 on its  data center in Eagle Mountain, a growing community on outskirts of the “Silicon Slopes” community here. “STEM curriculum and hands-on educational opportunities are

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is designed to help economically disadvantaged households get reliable broadband at a subsidized rate.

$10 billion dollars are being made available to communities in need to better connect their communities.

The speed of the broadband service used was only one component of the issues students faced.

Verizon is selling Yahoo and AOL, Florida going after social platforms, and Starry is getting in on EBB.

Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Friday released rules for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, answering many questions about the program.

Biden has assigned Vice President Kamala Harris with the broadband portfolio.

FCC acting chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said she hopes state legislatures change stance on muni builds.

Digital liaisons who speak multiple languages can help guide multilingual communities for the digital future.

The agency is expected to vote on policies for the new connectivity fund by mid-May, chairwoman says.

April 7, 2021 – Libraries should monitor their broadband speeds and ensure they are getting quality connections, according to library consultants. Carson Block from Carson Block Consulting and Stephanie Stenberg of the Internet2 Community Anchor program told a virtual conference hosted by the Americ

April 6, 2021 – In a webinar last week hosted by the Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB), panelists discussed opportunities schools and libraries have to better serve their communities with the recent $7 billion provided through the American Rescue Plan, a $1.98 trillion corona

March 30, 2021 – Despite expanded funding for the E-Rate internet subsidy program for schools and libraries, the Michigan State program coordinator said there’s an awareness problem that is causing those institutions to miss out on money in the state. “I don’t know any school or library that feels t

March 24, 2021 – Educators must come up with ways to enhance the online learning experience or students will end up suffering from “Zoom fatigue” and falling behind, the Broadband Breakfast live event heard Wednesday. David Weinberger, senior researcher at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet

March 24, 2021 – The lack of available and quality broadband access is worsening the disparity between low- and high-income demographics, educators say. A panel, hosted by the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank and discussing the “new future of work” on Monday, said those who are in an “elite” categ

March 23, 2021 – Assistant principal William Jeffery has noticed a trend. In an interview with Broadband Breakfast on Monday, the assistant principal at Columbia High School in the Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District in Texas said some of his students don’t do well with virtual learning, w

March 15, 2021—The Federal Communications Commission on Friday announced that it would raise the contribution to the universal service fund to 33.4 percent, representing another record amount. This would increase the current fee charged to the telecom companies’ voice services from 31.8 percent, whi

March 8, 2021—Democrat senators praised their chamber’s passing of a massive stimulus bill that includes money to expand the E-Rate broadband subsidy. The Senate passed on March 6 the $1.9-trillion relief bill, which includes $7.6 billion for the Emergency Connectivity Fund that will go toward exten

March 1, 2021 – The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition has applauded the House of Representatives passing a bill that would expand the E-Rate program to households. The expansion is in the $7.6-billion Emergency Connectivity Fund, which is part of the $1.98-trillion stimulus bill. “Fo

March 1, 2021—The House of Representatives on Saturday morning passed a bill that would fund $7.6 billion, out of the $1.9 trillion care package, to prop-up the E-Rate program and extend it to homes. The bill would expand the internet subsidy program for libraries and schools by shuttling the money

February 25, 2021—As the demand for broadband continues to grow during the pandemic, so too must the workforce responsible for deploying it. One avenue for growing this workforce is apprenticeships facilitated by broadband providers, often in conjunction with universities or trade organizations, suc

February 23, 2021 – Texas education commissioner Mike Morath declared in January that the state “basically completely closed” the digital divide in students’ access to take-home computers. This was largely due to the massive state and local purchases amid the pandemic. Texas’ public school districts

February 23, 2021—During the COVID-19 pandemic, television broadcasting stations have implemented datacasting technology to assist in the distance learning that many American children now face, though issues persist. Datacasting refers to the practice of using radiofrequency spectrum currently occup

February 16, 2021 – As the educational technology industry sees an explosion of interest as more kids are schooled at home, the Federal Trade Commission’s acting chairwoman said the agency is prioritizing the privacy implications of that. Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said the FTC is taking an all-hands-o

February 12, 2021— The Biden administration has the opportunity to do what his predecessors failed to: Take a different tack on broadband that will include considering it critical infrastructure, experts say. “We have to look at [broadband] adoption and digital literacy and affordability,” said Anna

February 10, 2021— House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said the committee he heads will be focusing on broadband expansion, affordability and adoption. He said that the committee will focus on three primary goals: Universal broadband, particularly insofar that inner-c

February 10, 2021—While the world continues a work-from-home orientation, broadband providers are searching for new and innovative solutions to keep up with the demands of this new normal. “During the first six months of the last year, 2020, we have seen an increase of 62% in Wi-Fi data usage,” said

February 8, 2021—The former head of the National Telecommunications Infrastructure Administration is recommending the government expand the E-Rate subsidy program, which provides discounts to access the internet, to households. The current version of the legislation only allows for the E-Rate progra

February 8, 2021—On the 25th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said that Congress should revisit the law to address modern demands for broadband and bringing service to underserved communities. The Telecom Act had many

February 2, 2021 – Democratic Sen. Ed Markey’s communications policy focus this Congress will be on net neutrality, children and climate change, the long-serving Massachusetts lawmaker said at a Federal Communications Bar Association event Tuesday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Telecommuni

January 22, 2021—The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition released its 2021 Policy Roadmap on Thursday—an agenda to promote open, affordable, high-quality broadband to anchor institutions—as these establishments are key to connecting the estimated 42 million Americans without internet acc

January 19, 2021—Technology is adapting to accelerate students’ potential to learn from home, as teachers and students have been obligated to adapt to virtual learning due to the global coronavirus pandemic, according to panelists who contributed to events airing that were part of the Consumer Techn

January 14, 2021 — A rising concern in the business world is the lack of emerging professionals with technology-based skills. According to expert panelists speaking at CTA’s 2021 Consumer Electronics Show, the growing need for an emerging workforce equipped with skills to handle the jobs of tomorrow

November 28, 2020 – The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and its Broadband USA program continues to track data about broadband usage, as well as provide resources surrounding state broadband initiatives. The agency recently released initial results fro

October 24, 2020 — Allen Pratt, executive director of the National Rural Education Association, called for delivering universal home broadband access to assist in online learning initiatives during an interview for C-SPAN’s The Communicators series, a weekly series examining the people and events sh

October 15, 2020 — Millions of Americans remain unconnected today, even as broadband connectivity remains vital to countless aspects of our daily lives, including health, work, and education. At a “fireside chat” hosted by ALLvanza, a Latino advancement group, panelists asserted that tackling the di

September 20, 2020 – Sens. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, and Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, argued that the fastest way to close the homework gap is through Federal Communication Commission funding. “We have a homework gap that is leading to a learning gap that will lead to an opportunity gap for 16 mi

The first day of school has always come with a mix of joy and anxiety as students transition from summer fun to books and bells. But the start to this new school year certainly did not look like the last—even for those headed back into the classroom. By the end of the 2019-20 school year, […]

September 3, 2020 – With no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, students and academic institutions are cautiously beginning the fall semester either in person, online, or somewhere in-between. Cole Ridgway, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University, was notified days before his classes began t

August 19, 2020 — Members of the Rural Caucus and the Native American Caucus of the Democratic Party made calls for modernizing broadband and energy infrastructure during caucus meetings on Tuesday. As part of the Democratic National Convention, members of the Rural Caucus opened their meeting by ob

August 4, 2020 — Open Radio Access Network technologies have a bright future and a diverse range of applications, said participants in an Open RAN Policy Coalition webinar Tuesday. The webinar, titled “Open RAN 101: Promoting a Diverse and Competitive Market for 5G and Advanced Wireless Technologies

August 3, 2020 — The economic fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically worsened the financial condition of the United States Postal Service, necessitating financial relief if it is to continue operating through fiscal year 2020. Analysts predict that the agency will run out of m

The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated just how dependent we are, as a world, upon high-quality broadband. Broadband networks are a lifeline — for working, for education, for telemedicine, for dance recitals, for conversations in the public square and simple human connectedness. We can’t solve al

July 15, 2020 — 5G technologies will eventually revolutionize government, said panelists on a Wednesday webinar sponsored by AT&T. Owen Rodgers, federal government chief architect at AT&T, said he expects to see 5G innovation in the areas of defense, health and education throughout government. The U

June 26, 2020 — Maintaining learning initiatives as the COVID-19 pandemic forced a hasty transition to virtual education was a challenging adjustment for schools, teachers, and students across the country. Even schools that were considered relatively well-connected, with a device to student ratio of

June 18, 2020 — The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting shift to primarily-online learning have placed students’ privacy in jeopardy, said participants in a Thursday webinar hosted by the Center for Democracy and Technology.   The shift to online schooling in the wake of the pandemic has left mil

June 2, 2020 — Libraries consistently adapt to serve the essential education needs of surrounding communities, and their reliability and capacity to transform has only been amplified since the spread of COVID-19, said speakers in a panel hosted by Gigabit Libraries Network on Friday. Gigabit Librari

May 19, 2020 — The current methods of telework are not sustainable, said Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel in a webinar Tuesday. In a conversation with App Association President Morgan Reed, the commissioner highlighted some of the ways that students without high-speed broadban

Panelists at an FCC roundtable on Monday stressed the importance of narrowing the digital divide that makes distance learning difficult for some students from historically black colleges and universities. The roundtable, hosted by FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and moderated by David Johns of the

April 22, 2020—In order to curb the homework gap in the age of coronavirus, Congress must not focus on providing one particular broadband technology but instead should employ “whatever works,” Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said Tuesday. Speaking in a webinar hosted by the I

April 21, 2020— Chief Intelligence Officer of the Boulder Valley School District Andrew Moore oversees 100 miles of private fiber that connects all but two of his district’s schools. He expressed the need for all 100 miles of this fiber to be shared equally at a webinar hosted by the Western Governo

April 10, 2020 – Participants in a Brookings Institution meeting on Zoom expressed interest in an off-hand comment FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel made about deploying Wi-Fi-enabled buses to provide hot-spots for rural students. Nicol Turner Lee, a fellow at Brookings’ Center for Technology Inn

BOCA RATON, Florida, April 6, 2020 – Remote learning for elementary-aged children is a tall order, and teachers are working harder than ever while parents essentially try to manage a one-roomed schoolhouse. While universities and colleges across the United States promptly responded to coronavirus co

April 2, 2020 – “It’s really unfortunate that it has taken a national emergency, a worldwide pandemic, for people to realize how many people don’t have access to broadband internet,” said Georgetown Law Distinguished Fellow Gigi Sohn on a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Tuesday. When she testi

March 31, 2020 – Private-public partnerships are coming to the rescue in the fight against the digital divide and homework gap, writes Kim Hart and Margaret Harding McGill for Axios. Internet Service Providers, non-profits, and companies across the United States are donating devices, providing broad

March 27, 2020 – Before the coronavirus pandemic, the nation’s dialogue about appropriate screen time was so focused on time instead of substance, said author Lisa Guernsey, speaking during a “Social Distancing Social” hosted by Slate author Dan Kois. Guernsey expressed hope that social distancing a

March 26, 2020 – Broadband access is both an affordability and availability issue, and it is one that undeniably affects school-age children during the coronavirus school closures, said Virginia Department of Education Learning Infrastructure Coordinator Susan Clair during the Broadband Breakfast Li

The Senate on Wednesday night officially passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act—including funding for telehealth. The CARES Act allocates $200 million to the Federal Communications Commission to bolster telehealth and telemedicine. “The CARES Act would support this

March 25, 2020 – Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., along with several other colleagues, announced the Keeping Critical Connections Act to help rural America connect to broadband during the coronavirus crisis. “The Keeping Critical Connections Act would help small broadband providers continue offering fre

March 24, 2020 – In another “Social Distance Social” held over Zoom on Tuesday, Future Tense Editor Torie Bosch interviewed Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Dean Chris Callahan, who said students are encouraged to “report from home” as they adapt t

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2020 – As the United States deals with spreading cases of the novel coronavirus, some major universities are turning to online courses in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. Still, university-wide adoptions of online classes are still in the preliminary stages. Columbi

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2020 – House Energy and Commerce subcommittee chairman Mike Doyle, D-Penn., Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr all took turns addressing the homework gap and bad broadband maps at the Incompas policy summit Tuesday. “I play

WASHINGTON, February 5, 2020 – The chancellor of a key land-grant university system on Wednesday proposed a way to modernize these universities through a system of digital inclusion aimed at revitalizing the heartland. Speaking at the New American think tank, Chancellor of the North Dakota Universit

What makes one community flourish while another one struggles? Lack of jobs and essential amenities are often cited as reasons why people move on from rural and midsized communities. In our connected world today, access to technology is a difference-maker. In 2020 and beyond, high-speed broadband-dr

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday that his office reached a settlement with T-Mobile, resolving the state’s antitrust claims against the proposed merger of mobile wireless telecommunications service providers Sprint and T-Mobile. The terms of the agreement commit the new T-Mobile to

WASHINGTON, November 6, 2019 – High-speed internet access is essential for improving pedagogical approaches and broadband equity, and that means access to devices both at school and at home. Technology disruption is “game changing” for the education sector, said SETDA Deputy Executive Director Chris

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2019 — The Federal Communications Commission will vote in July on whether or not to auction off unused portions of the 2.5 GigaHertz (GHz) spectrum band to advance the deployment of 5G wireless networks. Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement that the order would “modernize an ou

Currently, 1.45 million residents of rural Texas lack high-speed internet connections, but a program launched on Wednesday by Connected Texas, a subsidiary of the national nonprofit Connected Nation, will attempt to change that. Connected Texas is taking a three-step approach over the next two years

On Thursday, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission awarded almost 8 million dollars to fourteen counties across rural Virginia for the development of broadband services, reported The News & Advance. Commission Chairman Kathy Byron highlighted the essential role increased broadband ac

“The lack of adequate broadband has become a crisis in rural areas,” Isanti County Broadband Task Force Member Greg Carlson said at a field hearing in the rural Minnesota town of Scania on Thursday. The hearing, entitled “Small Businesses and Their Limitations Without Reliable Access to Rural Broadb

On May 31, 2019, the Federal Communications Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes imposing an overall cap on the Universal Service Fund. USF programs provide subsidies that make telecommunications and broadband services more available and affordable for millions of Americ

WASHINGTON, August 16, 2018 – New measures to improve broadband education and access in schools and libraries were among the innovations in broadband data touted on the second day of a conference last week on Measurement Lab. The 10 year anniversary conference was hosted on August 7 and 8 by the New

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2017 – Rural areas of Tennessee have lost business because they don’t have access to high-speed internet, Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn said Monday at a panel on broadband infrastructure hosted by the Brookings Institution. Trump was aggressively pushing new infrast

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2017 – Champions, partnerships and flexibility are necessary to bring fiber-optic networks to less-populated communities, said participants involved in launching such a network in Kent County, Maryland. Speaking at a Friday panel was hosted at the Schools Health and Libraries Bro

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The best time to release a budget? When the president is away on a foreign trip! Trump to Propose $1.4 Trillion in Cuts to Non-Defense Agencies, from GovExec President Trump, in budget documents to be released on Tuesday, will propose shrinking spending at non-defense ag

DALLAS, May 5, 2017 – Open access networks are becoming more real for gigabit connectivity in the United States, according to panelists attending the Broadband Communities Summit here this week. The conference was notable in having numerous, positive discussions of the “three-tiered” model: One enti

DALLAS, April 18, 2017 – The Universal Service Administrative  Corporation may not grab broadband headlines, but the once-obscure federal agency is central to helping rural America and other stakeholders get Broadband Broadband, Better Lives. USAC’s programs, plus its “new look,” will be the subject

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2017 – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai defended his very vision of the agency’s role, as compared with his predecessor, during the first Senate Commerce Committee oversight hearing this year. The difference in attitude between Pai and former Chairman Tom Whe

WASHINGTON, September 16, 2015 – State broadband entities and commissions continue to plan an important role in fostering economic development and digital learning, according to a recent report from the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy. The report, “State-Level Broadband Po

Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition Conference [https://broadbandbreakfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/shlb_2015_masthead_print-1024x256.jpg]https://broadbandbreakfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/shlb_2015_masthead_print.jpg WASHINGTON, May 18, 2015 – More than five years after

AUSTIN, April 14, 2015 – The Rural Telecommunications Congress portion of the Broadband Communities Summit opens here Tuesday with a series of conference sessions focused on looking beyond conventional rural telecom. Rural Telecommunications Congress [https://broadbandbreakfast.com/wp-content/uploa

WASHINGTON, January 12, 2015 – The Schools, Health & Libraries (SHLB) Broadband Coalition’s fifth Annual Conference will be held on May 20-22nd at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia (near DC Reagan National Airport). The SHLB Conference is likely to attract 350-450 people

WASHINGTON, November 19, 2014 – Although some believe that the digital divide is not a problem, there are Americans who have not adopted broadband due to the cost or lack of access. Some states have played an active role in getting their citizens online, and one such organization is the California E

WASHINGTON, October 27, 2014 – An Alliance for Excellent Education webinar on Tuesday highlighted the integral role that high-speed internet access in schools plays in the success for both the institutions and their students. As highlighted in the Pew Research Center’s recent report, next generation

WASHINGTON, October 13, 2014 – As technology permeates society, students are growing more comfortable with learning in the technology medium. Whether it’s organizing tables in Microsoft’s Excel, learning design software, or computer programming, there are increasingly fewer excuses to avoid technolo

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2014 – The internet equity facing the nation isn’t the digital divide, but is digital readiness, according to a panel last month by internet researcher John Horrigon at an event of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation. According to Horrigan, digital literacy is rap

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2014 – Microsoft is determined to fight a recent U.S. government demand for a user’s emails on company computers in Ireland, The Wall Street Journal reported. “Congress has not authorized the issuance of warrants that reach outside U.S. territory,” Microsoft wrote in its filing

ARLINGTON, Virginia, June 9, 2014 – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler presented the third annual awards for advances in accessibility to innovators of communications technology for disabled people. The awards were presented at the M-Enabling Summit at the Renaissance Arlington C

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2014 – Four believers in municipal internet access expressed their dismay at the New America Foundation at an increasingly consolidated broadband marketplace – and promoted local government ownership as a remedy. Speaking on a panel of experts on Wednesday at the think tank, they

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2014 – The National Journal reported that the Federal Trade Commission released a report charging the data brokerage industry with collecting “troves” of information on nearly all American consumers. The agency urged Congress to push for more transparency. Believing that an invas

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2014 – Efforts to construct Gigabit Networks will be featured prominently at the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition meeting this week in Washington, the fourth annual event for this community of broadband users. The even will run from Wednesday, May 7 through Friday

Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition Finds Fault  with Study Critiquing Broadband Technology Opportunities Program WASHINGTON, November 18, 2013 – The Technology Policy Institute issued a report on Thursday criticizing the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).  Unfortunatel

November 15, 2013 – Nevada has only two metropolitan areas (Las Vegas and Reno), 80 percent of its land owned by the federal government, and no fiber-optic wires that connect the two cities, said the head of the state’s non-profit broadband initiative. A deeply rural demography and highly remote geo

WASHINGTON, August 5, 2013 – At its open meeting on July 19, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it would work to modernize the E-Rate program in order to provide greater bandwidth for schools and libraries. Reforms to be implemented to the E-Rate program include the provision of af

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2013 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration described the projects that are already underway that will help achieve the goals laid out in President Barack Obama’s ConnectEd program in a blog post on Monday. Currently, 75 percent of the NTIA’s 116 network

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 – On Friday a coalition of 36 interest groups sent a letter to Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., urging her to reconsider her position calling for the eliminating the Lifeline program, one of a handful of programs that currently make up the Universal Service Fund. On June 11, Mc

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2013 – President Barack Obama announced a new plan – dubbed ConnectEd – to expand ultra high-speed broadband access to nearly all schools in the country during a speech at Mooreville Middle School in North Carolina this afternoon. The initiative, entitled ConnectEd, aims to bring

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2013 – An infographic released by the Internet Innovation Alliance on Wednesday highlights the benefits from making broadband internet accessible in educational settings. Entitled “Not Just Generation Text,” the infographic aims to dispel the view that young people use Internet t

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2013 – At Tuesday’s oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., on Tuesday put the focus on the portion of the Universal Service Fund designed to provide connectivity to schools and libraries, as well as on the public safety network

WASHINGTON, January 24, 2013 – Broadband is about more than internet connection speeds, but now is everywhere, and affecting the way that consumers interacting with constantly-connected devices, according to a guide released by the Internet Innovation Alliance. The IIA guide highlights the usage of

LAS VEGAS, January 9, 2013 – Broadband is now so thoroughly integrated within electronic devices, and broadband providers have done so much to advance faster internet connectivity, that now has become the time to apply broadband to solve society’s toughest problems: health care, educational improvem

June 25, 2012 – Having access to broadband technology and other digital tools is a key ingredient to economic, social, and political connectedness. Yet only 69 percent of Americans have broadband internet connections at home. What vital services are the other one-third missing? One example was appar

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2012 — Last Thursday President Obama announced the launch of a new initiative, “US Ignite” and signed an Executive Order reducing the cost and barriers to broadband build out and construction along federal roadways and properties.  The Order aims to make construction 90 percent

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2012 – The increasing prevalence on high-speed internet is beginning to have a major effort on universities and they way that they approach the creation and dissemination of the “content” created in higher education, said panelists speaking at a special event of BroadbandBreakfas

WASHINGTON, Monday, May 7th, 2012 – The internet policy news and events service BroadbandBreakfast.com will hold its May 2012 Broadband Breakfast Club event “What Lessons Are We Learning in Getting Older Americans Online” on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, 707 7th St. NW, Washin

WASHINGTON, Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 – The internet policy news and events service BroadbandBreakfast.com will hold a special event at The Cable Show 2012 in Boston, MA entitled “Will Broadband Succeed in Changing the DNA of Universities?” on Monday, May 21st, 2012 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm at the Bost

WASHINGTON, Friday March 23, 2012 – On Tuesday March 20th  federal regulatory administrators, state health and broadband officials and private health IT and technology experts met in Washington to discuss “Maximizing US Health IT and Broadband Investment” at BroadbandBreakfast.com’s monthly breakfas

WASHINGTON, Thursday November 10th 2011,  The Federal Communications Commission’s Chairman Julius Genachowski announced what the Commission is touting as the “Biggest effort ever to help close the Digital Divide.”  Following up on the launch of the Connect to Compete  private and non profit sector p

If it were a piece of classical music, the “study” by Navigant Economics’ Jeffrey Eisenach and Kevin Caves could easily be titled “Variations on a False Narrative in the key of F.” They claim, after a review of three (count ‘em, 3) of the hundreds of broadband grants, the broadband stimulus cost too

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2011 – The July Broadband Breakfast Club gathered key industry experts to discuss how the Universal Service Fund could be transformed to support next generation broadband communications technologies on Tuesday. “The Universal Service Fund (USF) has done a great job in getting p

Last year, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recognized the role of technology in strengthening this country’s economy by investing 7.2 million in funding into technology and broadband adoption initiatives through the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP

WASHINGTON June 14, 2011- The One Economy Corporation, in conjunction with AT&T, announced the winners of the “Applications for Good” contest on Tuesday. “Technology is important, but today’s event shows that what really matters is how people, families and communities use technology to make their l

CARBONDALE, Illinois, June 2, 2011 – Boiled down to its bare essentials, a major research university like Southern Illinois University here needs three things to prosper: good students, great faculty, and world-class internet bandwidth. The only major research university in the southern half of Ill

DALLAS, April 28, 2011 – One Economy CEO, Kelley Dunne, and representatives from AT&T delivered a joint keynote address at the Broadband Properties Summit on Tuesday, touting the power of broadband to facilitate the innovation economy and empower minority populations. “I believe [broadband] is chan

WASHINGTON April 20, 2011- National Telecommunications and Information Administration Deputy Administrator, Anna Gomez offered the keynote address Tuesday at this month’s Broadband Breakfast panel, opening an event where panelists explored how to best to expand broadband adoption and maximize access

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2011 – Google announced Wednesday that it would launch a ultra high-speed network – which is capable of speeds more than 100 times faster than typical residential broadband – in Kansas City, Kansas, with service expected to begin sometime in 2012.

WASHINGTON March 30, 2011- The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition assembled broadband stimulus award winners and government officials for their inaugural broadband summit on Tuesday to share solutions and success in solving digital literacy and adoption issues. The SHLBC, formed two

WASHINGTON March 17, 2011 – The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation brought key former broadband plan authors together Wednesday to discuss how the federal government is enacting the plan.

WASHINGTON March 10, 2011 – Internet2, the nationwide ultra high-speed education network, announced that it will increase the network’s speed by a factor of nearly 900. The network’s existing speed is already approximately 1,000 times as fast as a the fastest widely-available high-speed residential

WASHINGTON, February 10, 2011 – President Obama drew comparisons between high-speed Internet, the railroads and the electric grid during a speech in Marquette, Michigan on Thursday afternoon, commenting on their essential nature to the economy and calling for a renewed investment in broadband infras

WASHINGTON, February 10, 2011 – President Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech at Northern Michigan University, Thursday, detailing his plan to catalyze his State of the Union pledge to deliver wireless Internet to 98 percent of Americans within five years. In addition to spurring businesses to r

WASHINGTON, February 7, 2011 – Blair Levin, head of the team that authored the National Broadband Plan and Craig Settles, a leading industry analyst, debated at the New America Foundation on Monday the best way to deploy broadband to unserved and underserved areas.

WASHINGTON, January 27, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced earlier this week the dispersal of $34.7 million in grants through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program.

WASHINGTON, January 24, 2011 – The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), released his legislative agenda for the upcoming year on Friday. The senator plans to prioritize three broad areas: economic security and growth, proactiv

WASHINGTON – A widely supported program intended to subsidize internet access for schools and libraries continues to fall short of its goals, according to a recent report from the Federal Communications Commission. The E-Rate program offers subsidies for schools and libraries to obtain broadband con

WASHINGTON, November 11, 2010 – The Justice Department revealed Wednesday that it has reached a $16.25 million civil settlement with Hewlett-Packard for alleged E-rate fraud, following an investigation with the Federal Communications Commission. The program funds internet connections in schools and

WASHINGTON, November 9, 2010 – After a year of data crunching and analysis, the Commerce Department has released a report titled “Exploring the Digital Nation Home Broadband Internet Adoption in the United States,” concluding that a digital divide still exists but is decreasing.

WASHINGTON, October 6, 2010 – The final day of the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference looked at broadband adoption and universality. The problems addressed are key in helping the government determine how broadband is being adopted and where intervention is necessary.

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2010 – The Family Online Safety Institute has announced that the Motion Picture Association of America has become its newest member.

WASHINGTON, September 24, 2010 – The Federal Communications Commission has decided to allow the E-rate program to subsidize more than basic internet service.

WASHINGTON, September 16, 2010 – The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Thursday announced two American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments, totaling $6.1 million in grants, to North Carolina and Washington.

WASHINGTON, September 13, 2010 – Hawaii has won broadband grants worth $35.9 million. The funds largely will be distributed to the University of Hawaii system.

WASHINGTON, September 7, 2010 – The Federal Communications Commission late last week laid out part of its plan to reform the universal service fund, including pushing Sprint and Nextel to live up to their commitments to surrender their high-cost universal support over five years.

WASHINGTON, September 2, 2010 – The Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights has offered its suggestions to the government on how to improve the access of low-income, minority and other underserved communities to important communications services like broadband.

WASHINGTON, August 27, 2010 – Ever wanted to know how to build your own radar or the science of signal strength? The Institute of Telecommunications Sciences has released a collection of online training and educational videos [http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/video/] for the public that explain various te

WASHINGTON, August 24, 2010 – The Federal Communications Commission is headed out to Los Angeles next week to host a forum, a consumer awareness Fair and release translations of the National Broadband Plan’s executive summary in six Asian languages.

WASHINGTON, August 16, 2010- New Mexico entities received a $10.6 million broadband stimulus grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and support for a $63.8 million project from the Rural Utilities Service of the Department of Agriculture. The NTIA grant will be g

WASHINGTON July 30, 2010- The City of Chicago has won the latest Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant for $9 million. The money will be used to upgrade and expand public computing centers across the city.

WASHINGTON July 21, 2010- More than 150 rural education stakeholders and technology experts from 26 states came together to learn from one another and provide feedback to federal officials today. “Knowledge knows no boundaries and we cannot allow distance to stand between students, education and op

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2010 – The principal author of the National Broadband Plan has several suggestions on how to achieve universal first-class digital citizenship.

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2010 – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski spoke about the United States’ broadband development and challenges regarding education at the World Telecommunications Development Conference in Hyderabad, India. He addressed the International Telecommunicatio

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2010 – The elements of an organized broadband system at the state level will vary depending upon geographic and economic characteristics. Urban and more populous areas will require middle-mile infrastructure to serve larger institutions, while existing last mile coverage may be

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2010 – Project Tomorrow, a group advocating for better availability and use of digital technology in schools, visited Capitol Hill this week to discuss results of its annual survey of thousands of K-12 students across the nation.

WASHINGTON, January 8, 2010 –President Obama on Wednesday expanded upon his “Educate to Innovate” campaign and announced an increase in funding for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. “Our future is on the line. The nation that out-educates us today is going to out-compete

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2009 – Information technology can enable 21st century schools by creating a student-centered learning environment where students learn at their own pace and help teachers guide students as they actively pursue their own learning path, rather than simply present information to a passive audience. That was the message

LAKE FOREST, Ill., July 19, 2009 – The NTIA’s BTOP program tracks the old NTIA Technology Opportunities Program. There are going to be maximum awards for those applications which attempt to solve multiple policy objectives, on the “biggest bang for the stimulus buck” theory. And states are going to

WASHINGTON, July 2 – In order for India’s phenomenal economic success to continue, telecommunications must be extended into rural areas, an Indian expert said during a Wednesday discussion about the growing economic clout of India.

WASHINGTON, June 23 – Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama should issue a statement underscoring the importance of broadband in the United States, said one proponent of a national broadband strategy.