FCC Told No to C-Band Changes, New Tribal Entity Grants, Surfshark Report on Internet Value

November 21, 2022 – UScellular told the Federal Communications Commission last week not to make changes to its C-band spectrum rules, following concerns that 5G signals would interfere with aircraft around airports.

The telecoms and the Federal Aviation Administration have been working together to mitigate concerns about 5G deployments around airports using the C-band spectrum causing interference with radio aircraft equipment. As such, telecom UScellular urged the FCC not to amend any of the spectrum’s rules.

“Uscellular recommended that the FCC reject calls for modifications to its C-band rules, as changes at this stage will certainly cause deployment delays despite making progress with the FAA, harming Americans who need 5G service the most,” the letter, dated November 19, said.

In May, UScellular said it would work with Swedish telecom equipment provider Ericsson to build out its 5G network using the C-band spectrum.

NTIA announces tribal grants

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration said Thursday in a press release that it awarded 18 grants worth about $225 million through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.

The new money is expected to connect over 21,000 unserved Native American households, businesses and anchor institutions. The states that received the new grants are Alaska, Arizona, California, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, South Dakota and Virginia.

“These grants – made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – highlighted the Biden administration’s unprecedented commitment to close the digital divide in Native communities,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in a statement.

With the latest grant, the program has awarded $1.5 billion to 112 tribal groups.

Surfshark study shows Mississippi’s internet is overpriced

Mississippi is reported to have the most overpriced internet in the country, according to a report from VPN provider Surfshark.

The company’s “Internet Value Index” is calculated by dividing each state’s internet speed by internet affordability to determine the states that are overpaying for internet access, according to a press release. The IVI is influenced by factors such as economic position, population density, percentage of urban area, and if a state is landlocked.

While the US average is near 0.6, Mississippi ranks below 0.4 on the IVI. New Jersey is 72 percent above the US average, ranking as having the most affordable internet that is fairly priced for residents. New Jersey’s IVI is precisely 1.0, according to the data from Surfshark.

“3 out of 4 rural states are at a disadvantage when it comes to getting fair internet prices, further isolating them from the opportunities that wealthier and more urban states have,” said Agneska Sablovskaja, lead researcher at Surfshark.