Broadband Breakfast Club Exclusive Report
May 2023
In a late April Senate appropriations committee hearing, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the department and its telecom agency, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, are aiming to get money from its $1 billion Enabling Middle Mile Infrastructure grant program out of the door by the end of June — in line with its goal of spring for release.
More Internet Exchanges Necessary for Rural Areas: Experts
Latency experienced by users is dependent in part on their distance from internet exchange points.
Earth, Ether, Fire and Water: An Elemental Data Center Story
A convergence of interest between the energy-hungry needs of major Internet players and the Trump administration's 'energy dominance'
Data Centers and the Environment
These vast, climate-controlled facilities, housing thousands of servers, support cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data-driven decision-making.
Nokia Selected in New York for Ethernet Upgrade
Need to upgrade driven by data center growth
New ISP Halo Fiber Leveraging ARPA Grants to Help Bridge Alabama’s Digital Divide
Company hopes to use $188 million in middle mile broadband grants to connect unserved Alabama households.
NTCA Report Finds Middle Mile Costs Dropping for Rural Providers
High last-mile deployment costs, permitting delays, and inflationary pressures continue to hamper rural broadband expansion.
Open Access ErieNet Fiber Network Gets Underway In Western New York
'Construction has already begun for ErieNet with underground conduit installations, and utility work necessary' for pole attachments.
Plumas-Sierra Telecom Nabs $67 Million In Middle Mile Grants Across 4 California Counties
The investment in the cooperative could be a game-changer for rural connectivity in the Golden State.
Internet Pioneer Says Interconnection Relevant to Last-Mile Access
Internet Exchange Points are distinct from data centers, and affect latency, cost and resiliency of a network.
Green Energy and the Democrats
Just as crypto has emerged as a tech and infrastructure issue with a heavily Republican tilt, advanced energy may serve a similar role for Democrats.
Artificial Intelligence and Copyright
As AI technology adoption increases, legislators are looking at cracking down on copyright concerns.
Garland McCoy: State Broadband Officials Must Be Prepared to Defend Deployment
Will you be prepared to defend your BEAD deployment at a future state or federal hearing?
Crypto and Republicans: Navigating the Digital Currency Landscape
During the Trump era, GOP lawmakers emerged as vocal advocates for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
$53.3M Grant For Alabama's Middle Mile Network
The money comes from the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
Understanding 'Junk Fees' in Broadband
President Joe Biden has made attacking 'junk fees' a key focus of his administration.
California Middle-Mile Initiative Prioritizes Connecting Local Grant Applicants
The $3.8-billion program's director said 107 grant applicants intend to connect to its infrastructure.
Mark Monroe Guides Ahead-of-Schedule Middle Mile Program
A proposed budget from the governor's office steps back from guaranteeing more money amid rising costs.
Challenges of Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Rights of way, pole attachments, environmental permitting and other hurdles to broadband infrastructure deployment.
Navigating the Landscape of U.S. Data Privacy Regulations
There is a renewed focus on how best to protect personal information in an increasingly digital world.
Middle Mile Program With Fruits for Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
An Omaha Tribe representative shared the impact middle mile development has had on his community.
The Smart City Blueprint for Urban Innovation
At play in Smart Cities: Data collection, smart infrastructure, IoT, communications technologies, regulations and more.
Unraveling the Complexities of Net Neutrality
Top controversies include 5G network slicing, paid prioritizing and exempting broadband providers from Universal Service Fund contributions.
The Challenge of Spectrum Sharing
At the center of the battle over the airwaves in the United States is the question of spectrum sharing.
The Policy and Law Behind 'Rip and Replace'
The policy and law surrounding the program to remove Chinese telecommunications equipment from U.S. networks.
The FCC's Digital Discrimination Rules
The controversies and details surrounding the FCC's rules to prevent and eliminate digital discrimination.
Bill Long: How Middle Mile Investments Close the Digital Divide
Internet for all: Zayo’s mission to connect what’s next.
A Hidden Issue Potentially Impacting BEAD Implementation: Pole Attachments
Problems accessing poles could delay fiber builds funded by the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
A Deep Dive into the BEAD Program’s Matching Funds
Will the program’s matching funds requirement stretch federal dollars, or hinder smalller providers?
States Should Use BEAD Funds to Finance Internet Exchange Points
Internet traffic points will create a ‘better ecosystem for interconnection.’
Precursors to BEAD Implementation: A Deep Dive Into Prior Broadband Programs
How will prior broadband programs impact BEAD Implementation?
A Deep Dive into Allocations Under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program
What’s next for BEAD implementation?
Impacts of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022
When President Biden talks about his economic program, the CHIPS Act is the star of the show.
Johnny Kampis: Broadband Industry Hopeful to Get Waivers from Biden Administration Protectionist Policies
The Buy America mandate could seriously hamper the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
Green Energy Provisions Meet Smart Grid and Broadband Infrastructure
Advances for the green economy in the Inflation Reduction Act rely upon smart grid infrastructure.
Content Moderation, Section 230 and the Future of Online Speech
Our comprehensive report examines the extremely timely issue of content moderation and Section 230 from multiple angles.
In State of the Union Address, Joe Biden Underlines Importance of ‘Buy America’ Rules for Broadband
President links longstanding provision of federal law, strengthened in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to ‘fiber optic cables’
What to Know About Build America, Buy America Provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Will providers be required to use equipment that is not readily available within the United States?
What You Need to Know About the FCC’s Maps and the Challenge Process
The Broadband Breakfast Report for January 2023 lays out the things to know about the challenge process.
FCC Breach Notifications, More 6 GHz Testing?, Alaskan Middle Mile Options
FCC looks to strip time to notify and expand definition of breach for telecom reporting.
The 12 Days of Broadband (2022 Edition)
Broadband Breakfast presents the first of its annual '12 Days of Broadband' series about the top 12 stories of the year.
Premium Reports
The Breakfast Club produces exclusive, Premium Reports on actionable topics of broadband policy and internet technology.
Broadband Breakfast on September 7, 2022 – Assessing the NTIA’s Middle Mile Grant Application Process
The event will be headlined by Sarah Bleau, middle mile program director at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
NTIA Says Primary Awards For Middle Mile Grants to Fall Between $5 Million and $100 Million
The long awaited notice of funding opportunity laid out the system for how each applicant program will be scored.
Broadband Breakfast for Lunch on April 13, 2022 — Preparing for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Join Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson on April 13 at Broadband Breakfast for Lunch
NTIA Pressed on Existing Middle Mile Connections at Infrastructure Listening Session
Commentators concerned existing middle-mile infrastructure not used to drive last-mile home.
NTIA’s Larry Strickling Recounts Broadband Stimulus Gains, Seeks to Continue Efforts Without Federal Funds
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2014 – The president’s chief adviser on telecommunications, the head of the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, on Thursday heralded the first of a series of workshops designed to find ways to “build on the momentum of our successful
Strickling Addresses NTCA Legislative and Policy Conference
WASHINGTON March 22, 2011-The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association [https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/NTCA/], a rural telecommunications association, kicked off their Legislative and Policy Conference Monday with a speech by National Telecommunications and Information Administration
An Organized Broadband System at the State Level
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
Round Two Broadband Stimulus Fundamentals
WASHINGTON, February 17, 2010 – The two branches of the government responsible for doling out grants and loans to improve the nation’s broadband connections announced on Jan. 15 revised parameters for their second round of funding.
Wireless Broadband Challenges Include Rolling Up WISPS and Obtaining Stimulus Funding
GERMANTOWN, Md., January 31, 2010 – Two of the biggest challenges facing the expansion of wireless broadband in this country include the disparate number of rural and remaote wireless carriers, and how to ensure that stimulus funding goes to wireless carriers. The Wireless Internet Service Provider
The Rise of the Middle Mile in Obama’s Theory of Broadband Stimulus
WASHINGTON, December 21, 2009 – Last Thursday’s announcement of broadband stimulus – even if it was about two-and-a-half percent of the total broadband stimulus funding – was like manna to broadband industry. Whether or not broadband activists and broadband builders believe that the federal governm
