BROADBAND LIVE

Broadband Breakfast on September 24, 2025 - Broadband Mapping and Funding Accountability

With BEAD final proposals cascading in, it’s time to check on the state of the data underlying the state proposals. What’s the basis for the most recent revisions? How have the state and national broadband maps been revised recently? With billions of dollars in public investment at stake, accountability and transparency in spending are more important than ever. Indeed, accurate broadband maps remain essential to ensuring that federal and state resources reach the communities most in need. 

Panelists

• Doug Dawson, President, CCG Consulting
• Tom Reid, President and Co-Founder, Reid Consulting Group
• Bryan Darr, Vice President of Government Affairs, Ookla
• J. Randolph Luening, founder, BroadbandToolkit.com
• Other panelists have been invited
• Drew Clark (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Doug Dawson, president of CCG Consulting, has worked in the telecom industry since 1978 and has both a consulting and an operational background. He and CCG specialize in helping clients launch new broadband markets, develop new products and finance new ventures. Dawson also writes the daily blog potsandpansbyccg.com, which covers a wide range of topics for broadband and related subjects.

Tom Reid, President and Founder of Reid Consulting Group, delivers the perspective of an entrepreneur and inventor with 40 years’ experience in the technology sector. Reid advises C-level executives at both public and private-industry clients focusing on strategic  planning, technology architecture and project management. RCG’s engagements in eight states have delivered 6,000 miles of fiber construction with a total project value of $1.6 billion and has secured over $330 million in grant funds on behalf of clients.

Bryan Darr is the Vice-President of Government Affairs at Ookla, spearheading the company’s programs for federal, state and local governments. He also leads Ookla’s advocacy efforts with lawmakers and policy organizations, promoting the value of crowdsourced intelligence to help with better data-driven decisioning. Bryan founded Mosaik in 1988 (originally branded as American Roamer) and began developing consumer roaming guides. The company ultimately built a global catalog of mobile network spectrum and coverage as well as developing and acquiring other telecom related datasets. In June 2018, Mosaik was acquired by Ookla. Bryan currently serves on CTIA’s Smart Cities Working Group, WIA’s Innovation Technology Council and the Wireless History Foundation’s Board of Directors. 

J. Randolph Luening is the founder of BroadbandToolkit.com, a leading provider of broadband infrastructure planning software and services.  BroadbandToolkit.com helps private equity investors, ISPs, and government officials make informed infrastructure investment decisions.  Mr. Luening frequently speaks and writes on topics of broadband policy and broadband economics.

Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.

Artificial intelligence is the top technology priority of the Trump Administration. The U.S. seeks to maintain its competitive edge. The administration's AI Action Plan will require a significant boost in the number of American data centers, at a time when power is straining to support the existing boom. How are data centers central to the AI action plan? Equally important, how will AI training and AI inference impact critical (telecom and energy) networks? How can we boost the resilience of our nation's critical infrastructure?  

Panelists:

• Paul Brownell, Head of Global Public Policy & Government Affairs, Equinix
• Ed d’Agostino, Vice President, DE-CIX North America
• Carol Lane, Vice President of Government Relations, X-energy
• Rishi Iyengar (moderator), Global Technology Reporter, Foreign Policy

Resiliency Becomes Watchword as AI Strains U.S. Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2025 – Artificial intelligence is straining power and connectivity systems, raising urgent questions about resiliency, experts on data centers, nuclear energy, and internet exchanges warned Thursday during a panel discussion on a topic with nationwide significance.

Speaking at the Resilient Critical Infrastructure Summit hosted by Broadband Breakfast, executives from Equinix, X-energy, and DE-CIX said AI was shifting industries into a scramble for capacity, reliability, and speed.

Paul Brownell, who leads global government affairs for Equinix, said the company plans to double its capacity within five years to keep pace with compute demand. Equinix operates 270 colocation data centers worldwide, with nearly half a million interconnections between customers.

A session on expanding broadband access by strengthening communities, driving economic opportunity, and enhancing national resilience.

Participants:

• Brent Legg, Executive Vice President, Connected Nation
• Drew Clark (moderator), CEO, Broadband Breakfast

Rural Internet Access Critical for AI Competitiveness: Connected Nation

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2025 — Connected Nation is pushing to build internet exchange (IXPs) points in underserved markets as AI applications strain current infrastructure. 

The idea for the national non-profit’s engagement with IXPs emerged after discovering Iowa schools were paying roughly 25 times the internet rates of major metropolitan areas, the organization’s Executive Vice President Brent Legg said in a fireside chat with Broadband Breakfast CEO Drew Clark on Thursday. 

Building network resilience in today's geopolitically volatile environment requires organizations and nations to develop comprehensive preparedness strategies that address both traditional threats like natural disasters and emerging challenges including cyberwarfare, electromagnetic pulse and other infrastructure vulnerabilities. Effective resilience must integrate robust backup systems for essential services, diversified supply chains, and layered security. How can our nation maintain a network of resilient critical infrastructure?

Panelists:

• Ambassador Steve Lang, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy
• Ed Mortimer, Vice President of Government Affairs, NextNav
• Melissa Newman,  Vice President of Government Relations, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
• Stephen Snyder, Partner, Womble Dickinson Bond
• Ambassador David Gross (Ret.) (moderator), Partner, Wiley

Experts Warn U.S. Needs ‘System-of-Systems’ Resilience

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2025 – Industry leaders warned Thursday that U.S. infrastructure resilience was being tested by cyberattacks, power demands, and GPS interference.

Melissa Newman, vice president at the Telecommunications Industry Association, said artificial intelligence had made cyberattacks faster and more damaging, multiplying vulnerabilities across networks and data centers.

“Cyberattacks and supply chain issues are going to keep recurring,” Newman said, speaking at the Resilient Critical Infrastructure Summit, hosted by Broadband Breakfast. “The key performance indicator going forward is how quickly you can recover.”

POLICYBAND

Carr Defends FCC Role in Kimmel Case, Points to Democrats in Past Censorship Efforts

Jimmy: FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is staying in the Jimmy Kimmel fight, and he’s not backing down. Carr defended his agency’s role in the Jimmy Kimmel Live! controversy during remarks Monday at a Concordia event in New York, saying Democrats had misrepresented the facts and accusing them of engaging in censorship themselves. Carr rejected reports that the FCC pressured Disney or ABC to suspend Kimmel, calling them baseless.

“There’s a lot of Democrats out there engaged in a campaign of projection and distortion,” he said. “I saw there was a letter from some Senate Democrats that said the FCC threatened to revoke the license of Disney and ABC if they didn't fire Jimmy Kimmel, and that did not happen in any way, shape, or form,” Carr said. (More after paywall.)

South Dakota also posted its draft plan Friday, bringing the total to 45 states.

NTIA Administrator Roth on Strategy for Federal Spectrum Reallocation

Arielle Roth outlines agency approach to identifying 500 megahertz of federal spectrum for commercial access.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin emphasized that spectrum for space-related services must be managed through global cooperation.

New lease agreement will expand rural broadband in Arizona.

BROADBAND LIVE

Broadband Breakfast on October 1, 2025 - Looking Toward World Radio Congress 2027

Every three to four years, the International Telecommunication Union holds a World Radiocommunication Conference to review and – if necessary – revise the international treaty governing the use of radio frequency spectrum. The next conference is scheduled for 2027, and space communications is expected to be on the agenda. While the location of the 2027 Conference is still unconfirmed by the ITU, the American broadband community widely believes it will be held in Shanghai, China. Hence, the competition between American and Chinese technologies forms the backdrop for the conference. How will the United States react?

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2025 – Tarana announced G2, the company’s newest advance in next-generation fixed wireless access product. The company went as far as saying its newest product “marks the end of ‘fiber-only’ thinking in access networks.”

U.S.–UK Tech Pact Spurs $350B in Cross-Atlantic Deals

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2025 – President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a bilateral agreement Thursday, pledging deeper U.S.–UK cooperation on artificial intelligence, nuclear power, and quantum computing.

Comcast to Cut Jobs at Its Largest Unit: Reports

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2025 – Comcast will cut jobs at its largest unit, Connectivity & Platforms, which houses Xfinity’s internet, mobile and pay TV services, according to several news outlets.

T-Mobile Wants Rehearing in $92 Million Location Data Fine Case

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2025 – Judges upheld a $92 million fine against T-Mobile last month, leaving the Federal Communications Commission penalty in place and affirming the agency’s ability to levy fines. The carrier is asking judges for a new hearing.

Broadband Breakfast on October 8, 2025 - The Next Wave of Applications: Do Gigabit Speeds Matter?

As next-generation tools – like artificial intelligence – become more deeply intertwined with daily life, providers and regulators alike must grapple with the question: Can our internet infrastructure support these tools? For a long time, gigabit speeds have been a luxury needed by few. Are they – or are they not – emerging as a digital necessity? What role will edge computing play in the march toward higher bandwidth?

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2025 – Rural carriers and labor unions said the Federal Communications Commission relied on a flawed view of competition when staff approved T-Mobile’s $4.3 billion purchase of UScellular assets.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2025 – Two more states announced tentative spending plans under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program on Friday, bringing the total to 45.

FCC Auction Authority Renewal Sparks Debate on Spectrum Design, Federal Reallocation

Congress extends FCC auction authority through 2034 with 800 MHz mid-band requirement.

Experts warned that holding WRC-27 in China could cause complications, requiring preparation and a unified U.S. strategy.

Broadband Breakfast on October 15, 2025 - Libraries, Schools, and Telehealth: How Anchor Institutions Bridge Gaps

Anchor institutions—libraries, schools and healthcare facilities—serve as critical digital equity hubs in communities where reliable broadband access remains limited. These crucial community spaces often secure high-capacity fiber connections through federal programs like E-rate, then extend those benefits to surrounding communities through public Wi-Fi, digital literacy training, and essential online services. During the pandemic, these institutions proved indispensable as emergency access points for unemployment benefits, remote learning, and telemedicine appointments. America’s anchor institutions are still helping people get connected, highlighting their potential to help close the digital divide. Join us for an important discussion of anchors two weeks in advance of AnchorNets by the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition!

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2025 – Consolidated Communications is changing its name to Fidium, the company’s fiber brand, and is planning to hit about 2 million fiber passings by the end of 2027, the company announced Monday.

That’s about 80 percent of the company’s total footprint. Currently about 60 percent of that has been upgraded to fiber, about 1.56 million passings.

Johannes Maassen: After September 4, Pole Accuracy Becomes BEAD's Real Test

The true test for BEAD will lie in whether projects can move from paper to poles without preventable delays.

Leadership handoff from Mike Sievert set for Nov. 1

NTIA Administrator Roth on Strategy for Federal Spectrum Reallocation

Arielle Roth outlines agency approach to identifying 500 megahertz of federal spectrum for commercial access.

DATELINE ASHBURN SERIES

Dateline Ashburn: The Thirst for AI Raises Alarms in Virginia

💡Editor’s note: This is the fourth article in a series by Broadband Breakfast about the security, energy and internet infrastructure issues associated with data centers in Ashburn. Interested in more? Attend the Resilient Critical Infrastructure Summit in Washington on Sept. 18. 

ASHBURN, Va., Sept. 12, 2025 – Already strained by drought and restrictions, Virginia’s “data center alley” watches as the rise of artificial intelligence accelerates demand for fresh, potable water.

Dateline Ashburn: Data Centers Drive New Energy Disputes in Northern Virginia

ASHBURN, Sept. 11, 2025 – Just outside our nation’s capital, thousands of metal boxes housing the computer servers that process cloud storage, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence applications sit behind wired fences.

Dateline Ashburn: The Interplay Between IXPs and Data Centers

ASHBURN, Va., Sept. 9, 2025 – Ashburn, Virginia rose to prominence as the internet’s capital in part because of its unusually dense cluster of internet exchange points, the neutral hubs where networks trade traffic.

Dateline Ashburn: How to Break the Internet

ASHBURN, Va., Sept 5, 2025 – This former bedroom community is home to the world’s densest cluster of data centers. But U.S. officials warn that concentrating so much of the world’s digital infrastructure in one place has created a tempting target for attack.

Broadband Breakfast tracks subscriber numbers reported each quarter by publicly traded Internet Service Providers.

These companies make up the majority of the U.S. broadband market.

Specifically, for the past year and a half we have tracked residential and small and medium business broadband subscriptions and net adds over time, beginning in 2024.

The tables are a repository of that information, allowing users to compare subscriber trends in the industry from quarter to quarter. Think of it as an easy place to go find this information if one needs it for something.

Wireline Broadband Subscribers 

Wireline Subscribers - Net Ads by Quarter

Fixed Wireless Access Subscribers - Net Ads by Quarter

States Accepting BEAD Grant Applications