Industry groups are urging FCC to reject long-term symmetrical speed goals.

These locations will remain eligible for fiber deployment under BEAD.

The $94.7 billion investment reported in 2023 came from leading wireline, wireless, and cable providers.

Raising the benchmark could have unintended consequences for the BEAD program

Broadband experts cautioned against alternative technologies under BEAD.

FBA encouraged further development of fiber network speeds

The $1 billion federal middle mile program received $7.5 billion in applications.

Do consumers need fiber to their door? Or would wireless or satellite service suffice?

The company hasn't yet found an area it's excited about, an altafiber executive said.

A letter to the NTIA suggested steps to decrease low-cost service option burden on ISPs.

Despite initial federal support, funding programs are not supportive of municipal broadband.

The network will connect over 260,00 addresses in the state.

A Maine Community College is adopting the FBA's certification program to address expanding need following federal grants.

Fiber providers declare victory: 'The market has spoken.'

Objective is to support high-speed internet packages priced at $30 per month.

While supporting the momentum behind open access networks, Sumofiber president lays out some challenges.

Fiber connectivity – particularly middle mile connectivity – is the future of rural communications.

Quantum computing represents a fundamental shift from classical computing, which relies on solving problems through rapid trial and error.

Tightening connections between network operators, asset owners, and contractors catches surprises earlier.

The nonprofit Connect and Literacy Fund is planning to increase ACP adoption in Mississippi.

Lifeline Awareness Week has been broadened to include National Digital Connectivity

Nearly $50 million will go to middle mile projects in four states.

The model allows states to test various inputs and visualize the implication of different cost thresholds.

Convicts are given transferable hard and soft skills in the system, says expert.

States are ramping up to submit their five-year broadband plans.

Migrating into a full utility may take decades, but municipalities should be prepared.

The Federal Trade Commission wants stricter guidelines for mergers after losses in court.

Capping the number of providers could solve price war problems, one telecom exec said.

A crucial step would be for the NTIA to provide Buy America waivers for BEAD-funded projects, panelists said.

25G PONs are ideal to connect customers to 10G or higher speeds, a Nokia rep said.

How are fiber technologies evolving to adapt to ever-higher capacity, and how do alternative technologies compare?

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

The middle mile waiver comes ahead of the awarding of grants from the $1B program.

Broadband Breakfast evaluated 14 submissions to the White House’s proposal on Build America, Buy America rules.

Industry groups urged Congress to codify 100 Mbps.

Broadband access and privacy policies present opportunities for bipartisan collaboration, Broadband Breakfast panelists agreed.

Will Congress have anything new to say about infrastructure investment, wireless communication or net neutrality?

The FBA report shows an unprecedented rate of new fiber deployments in 2022.

Quantum technology is not merely a stepwise improvement on current technologies, but a seismic leap, said Qubitekk’s Duncan Earl.

Between supply chain disruptions and the rising price of goods, the increased costs of fiber deployment could be pushed onto consumers.

The FCC and industry have said there is a shortfall in rip and replace funding.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided the foundation case for why fiber’s symmetrical capabilities have became so central.

One of the biggest challenges in creating training programs is finding experienced trainers to lead them.

Cox’s Brian Rose said he welcomes market challenges from pure fiber players.

The coalition sent a letter to NTIA head Alan Davidson urging the agency to reconsider the policies outlined in the BEAD NOFO.

‘Red tape really does have the possibility to kill project,’ argued a House subcommittee chief counsel.

How can states sustain and expand the dwindling broadband workforce?

‘The way you close the digital divide is you build fiber to every single rural home,’ Jonathan Chambers said.

Louisiana enjoys ‘absolute alignment’ between the governor, legislature, and local officials on closing the digital divide.

On the surface, satellite seems like the ideal way to close the rural-urban digital divide.

There is a ‘massive difference’ between federal Form 477 data and state maps in Georgia and North Carolina

‘Using the right information at the right time, we’re going to get to a better place.’

The Fiber Broadband Association has said there is up-to 60 weeks of wait for materials necessary for fiber deployment.

Better and more up-to-date information can come from harmonizing existing data sets, updated whenever a given map has new information.

Fiber to the home costs $0.52 per Megabit per second, on average.

The cooperative’s executive director said it has at least 70% of Arkansas covered by its network.

Regional Fiber Connect conferences are bringing the industry’s technology and community leadership together.

The commission said it is helping communities prepare to apply for some of the $42.5B NTIA BEAD program.

Poles should be assessed for integrity to carry additional equipment, says director at engineering consulting firm.

‘The playbook [is] really a starting point to have these conversations with your state broadband offices.’

A study by Futurum Research found organizations expect more remote work long-term.

Fiber networks have a unique capacity to keep broadband prices low for low-income communities, proponents say.

Attendance at the fiber show jumped from 2,041 attendees last June to 2,854 registrants as of Friday.

Join conference attendees in conversation on key connectivity issues.

A star-studded cast will take the stage next week as part of the dozens of events slated to take place.

Such state action could potentially the delay the implementation of the broadband policy, says Fiber Broadband Association counsel.

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson broke news on infrastructure implementation during his conversation with Broadband Breakfast this week.

Gary Bolton and Shirley Bloomfield called on NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson to prioritize applicant investing in “future-proof” fiber.

The state broadband director said its position on neutrality has led to diverse solutions that caters to community needs.

The playbook was discussed in a webinar Friday afternoon.

Amid internet blackouts in Ukraine, Starlink is providing internet to keep Ukrainians connected during the invasion.

The FCC proposes a $45-million fine against Interstate Brokers of America.

Those interested in federal money should engage in outreach, build solid teams, Broadband.Money head Jase Wilson said.

The agency’s results over these years indicate the versatility of fiber in critical infrastructure projects.

Ernesto Falcon of the EFF says the state’s current plans, assisted by the IIJA, will connect everyone in the state.

The Fiber Broadband Association and the NTCA Rural Broadband Association said it will release the book before May 2022.

According to data from Ookla, Starlink’s median speeds in the U.S. dipped below 100 Mbps download, the speeds required for federal infrastructure bill money.

Businesses should think about inventory purchases beyond next year.

Gary Bolton and Nicol Turner Lee debated technology use to tackle the digital divide.

The infrastructure bill’s tech neutrality is concerning critics who say money will go to satellite, not enough to fiber.

The Chinese telecom manufacturer is looking at licensing its designs to another company amid cratering profits.

Funds made available by the infrastructure bill will not need solid maps to make spending efficient, experts agree.

Largest single federal investment ever in broadband will enable communities to invest in fiber as critical infrastructure, says industry group.

The passage of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act presents an unparalleled opportunity for advocates of Better Broadband, Better Lives.

Concerns about labor shortages, supply chains and rising costs are inescapable.

Simington also raised idea of Big Tech contributing to Universal Service Fund.

Conference, which hosted the Digital Infrastructure Investment show, digs into pressing connectivity issues.

Panel with broadband and wireless industry lobbyists wrestle with need for symmetrical internet, and press for fiber.

The bipartisan infrastructure framework faces hurdles before it because law. We’ll discuss the process in Congress.

And lawmakers hope to iron out some wrinkles in infrastructure bill.

In the U.S. UTOPIA Fiber has pioneered the open access model for the rest of the industry.

At Fiber Connect, Garry Bolton said he is optimistic fiber will prevail over other tech for connectivity.

White House announced infrastructure bill to include $65B, Fiber Connect 2021 wraps up, Washington State community broadband bill becomes law.

Company head says scalable, gigabit future is a priority now to deal with future broadband challenges.

Industry association reps discussed changing attitudes in Washington about broadband and concerns about political action.

Companies disagree about what fiber providers should prioritize, and whether hard standards should be set.

Hu Meena argued for fiber as preferred technology, as debate rages about what Congress should focus on.

Fiber Connect 2021 panel breaks down how open access models work, and how discussion can be framed.

The FBA doled out numerous awards during its first general session of the event.

The Broadband Breakfast team will interview several attendees from Fiber Connect in this special on-the-scene report.

New, easier fiber installations could address shortage in trained staff.

AT&T is now labelling over 1 billion spam calls, NTIA updated broadband guide, FBA says speeds inadequate.

Ernesto Falcon of the EFF says expansion of fiber is the only way California keeps up with demand for broadband.

It remains to be seen if Starlink services will have a large-scale detrimental impact on rural service providers.

Experts at the Broadband Breakfast Live Online event debated what “future-proofing” broadband would look like.

March 4, 2021 – Amid claims that the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund chose winners that may not be able to fulfill their broadband commitments, Vantage Point CEO Larry Thompson said his whitepaper contributing to the discussion wasn’t intended to be critical but to figure out what’s best for quick de

February 16, 2021—While SpaceX touts Starlink as the answer to the world’s dearth of broadband coverage, experts are not convinced that it will be able to meet increasing demand. Elon Musk’s SpaceX began launching a constellation of small satellites early in 2018 with the goal of providing affordabl

December 29, 2020 — Smaller internet service providers were critical to fiber growth in 2020, accounting for 88 percent of total capital expenditure, according to the results of the latest annual study of network operators and consumer research, conducted by Mike Render, CEO of RVA LLC, for the Fibe

December 23, 2020 — The last five years have boasted massive strides towards closing the urban-rural broadband and utilities divide, according to individuals speaking at Fiber Connect in December. In the last fiscal year alone, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service delivered a

November 3, 2020 – Broadband networks have had their greatest challenges during the coronavirus pandemic, and sometimes fail in meeting the challenge of upstream speed needs, said Gary Bolton, vice president of ADTRAN, speaking during the kickoff event of Broadband Breakfast Live Online’s “Tools for

See “At Launch of #BroadbandLive Series on ‘Tools for Broadband Deployment’, Panelists Tout Symmetrical Fiber,” Broadband Breakfast, November 4, 2020 Tools for Broadband Deployment: This series explores the way that geospatial data and asset management are shaping the future of rural network deliver

October 20, 2020 – There are many viable options for deploying fiber that should be explored, stressed John Burchett, head of public policy and community affairs at Google Fiber, as part of Fiber Broadband Association’s “Connecting Consumers” event series on Wednesday. After four years of pausing on

August 27, 2020 — Infrastructure monitoring is a growing industry, with potential for vast market size, especially as cities across America are becoming more reliant on critical infrastructure. To discuss the benefits fiber optic sensing technology has to offer, Lisa Youngers, CEO of the Fiber Broad

August 20, 2020 — The Wireless Infrastructure Association recently published a new report, entitled “Fiber: An Essential Facet of the Connected Community,” which finds that ubiquitous fiber is an essential backbone to 5G connectivity. WIA’s report (PDF) recognizes that in order to maximize the advan

During this pandemic, broadband networks across the world have been put to the ultimate stress test, expected to support an overnight transition to work-from-home for most businesses, multiple video users from households for two income knowledge worker families plus distance learning sessions for ch

May 28, 2020 — Not all internet infrastructures are created equal, and some are more susceptible to cybersecurity attacks than others. According to panelists on a Fiber for Breakfast webinar hosted Wednesday by the Fiber Broadband Association, fiber optic internet infrastructure is far less vulnerab

May 7, 2020 – Current passive optical network technology will have to transform if it wants to survive, said Adtran product line manager Javier Lopez in a Thursday webinar hosted by the Fiber Broadband Association.   The coronavirus pandemic has created a traffic surge that gives a glimpse into the

April 20, 2020— There are aspects of fiber-optic cabling that make the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction “very favorable” to the technology, said Kara Mullaley, a market development manager at Corning Optical Communications at a webinar hosted by Corning on Thursday. The Rural Digital Opportuni

April 9, 2020 – Local broadband speeds may be impaired by upload speed, says analyst at a webinar hosted by the Fiber Broadband Association on Wednesday. While overall broadband usage during the coronavirus may have leveled out, networks that use symmetrical technologies, in which users require the

WASHINGTON, January 22, 2020 – Senators and witnesses from government agencies and technology firms agreed Wednesday at a hearing that the lack of a skilled workforce remains a major barrier to widespread 5G deployment. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss, said that in the race t

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration released a comprehensive database of federal broadband programs on Monday. (See also this PDF for the 109-page guide of programs.) The database was created under the American Broadband Initiative’s mandate to expand connectivity for all