Nvidia Halting Chip Production to China, Fiber in Hawaii, Broadband Data Deadline Today

Thursday is the deadline for providers to file their broadband availability data for FCC maps in the Broadband Data Collection.

Nvidia Halting Chip Production to China, Fiber in Hawaii, Broadband Data Deadline Today
Photo of Hawaiian Telecom President Su Shin from HawaiiBusiness from July 2020

WASHINGTON, September 1, 2022 – The U.S. told Nvidia Corp to stop exporting two of their top computing chips to China and might dramatically affect the production in China, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This would directly impact the Chinese’ progress on advanced items such as image recording. The U.S. told Nvidia that this action will prevent and mitigate the Chinese involvement in military use, according to Reuters.

The U.S. Department of Commerce would not say what new criteria it has laid out for AI chips that can no longer be shipped to China but told Reuters it was reviewing its China-related policies and practices to “keep advanced technologies out of the wrong hands.”

Nvidia is a technology company that designs graphics processing units.

Keith Strier, vice president of AI initiatives at Nvidia, in May 2021 expressed his concerns about businesses’ failure to leverage  AI.

“AI is the new critical infrastructure” and must be better understood to maintain safety and keep all personal information away from bad actors.

Hawaiian telecom to extend high-speed service on Kaua’i

Hawaiian Telecom is expanding fiber on Kaua’i to almost 10,000 homes and businesses.

Earlier this year, Hawaiian Telecom company expanded high-speed internet service to areas of Anahola, Kapa’a, Kawaihau, Kōloa, Moloa’a, and Wailua, according to a Tuesday press release. In the second half of this year, the company said they plan to extend fiber internet to parts of Kālaheo and Lawai.

Hawaiian Telecom also participates in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, and  because Hawaiian territory is considered Tribal lands, eligible households may receive a discount of up to $30 off internet service monthly and $75 for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

Hawaiian Telecom uses its Fioptics brand to deliver ultra-fast internet service. “Since 2010, Hawaiian Telcom has invested more than $1 billion to expand its fiber footprint, maintain and increase capacity of its communications network, and to support its integrated communication solutions for its business, residential and wholesale customers. Hawaiian Telcom invested more than $100 million last year alone,” the company said.

Deadline closes Thursday for broadband availability data to be filed with the FCC

Thursday is the deadline for providers to file their broadband availability data for FCC maps with the Broadband Data Collection.

The Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric is the dataset that includes all U.S. locations in where a fixed broadband internet access service has been installed or has the capability to be installed.

The FCC and broadband filers could work from one list of locations for the Broadband Data Collection.

The FCC says, “Most filers need to submit data in both systems. The only category of providers who do not need to submit in the BDC system would be entities that only provide fixed voice service – these entities should continue to submit in only the 477 system for now.”

“The FCC is in the process of updating its current broadband maps with more detailed and precise information on the availability of fixed and mobile broadband services.” FCC officials say they are working to make current and existing maps more accurate and will use the submitted information to update maps necessary for eligibility under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.