Funding
BEAD Could Spur Private Investment in Network Expansion: Experts
BEAD efforts to stimulate private investment may hinge upon the availability of the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Funding
RDOF Winners Seek Supplemental Funding for Covid-related Costs
The group attributes surging costs to unforeseen post-COVID challenges
Fiber
Community Broadband Networks: Huntsville, Alabama, Shows Benefits of Dark Fiber Networks
Huntsville Utilities has constructed a fiber network to nearly every residence and business but not directly connected the properties.
Broadband Live
State Broadband Authorities Play Crucial Role in Mapping, Planning and Educating for Digital Inclusion
April 2, 2021 – State broadband authorities working close to the ground say that the key to tackling the digital divide are states and local communities. Accurately mapping where broadband is available has been a challenge for many years, and the latest Federal Communications Commission effort is cr
Rural Utilities Service
USDA’s Rural Utilities Service Says it Finances the Most Utility Construction Programs in a Decade
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
Federal Agencies
Four Failures of the FCC’s Broadband Policy, According to University of Virginia Professor
November 12, 2020 — The failure to connect the rural-urban digital divide in the United States is not one of technology, but of markets, politics, and policy, argued Christopher Ali, associate professor in the Media Studies Department at the University of Virginia, during a virtual presentation whic
FCC
After Changes, FCC Approves Rural Digital Opportunity Fund For More Than $20 Billion
WASHINGTON, January 30, 2020 – The Federal Communications Commission voted in favor of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund on Thursday in spite of concerns voiced from the democratic commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, the successor to the Connec
Broadband Mapping & Data
Broadband Roundup: More on the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, 5G National Advocacy, and Policy Hackers
In advance of a Federal Communications Commission vote on the proposed Rural Digital Opportunity Fund on January 30, the agency released an analysis of areas eligible for the new federal subsidies. The new fund, a crafted version of the Connect America Fund, is expected to disperse $20.4 billion in
Broadband Mapping & Data
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Announces Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, Highlighting 25 Mbps Download Speed Requirement
WASHINGTON, January 8, 2020 – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Wednesday announced that the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, with $20.4 billion over the next 10 years, will be voted on by the agency at its January 30 meeting. Pai announced further details about the opportunity f
Digital Inclusion
FCC Commissioner Starks Touts High-Speed Internet as the ‘Great Equalizer’ at Broadband Communities Event
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, November 1, 2019 – High-speed broadband has the potential to be the “great equalizer,” said Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks at a regional Broadband Communities event Thursday. However, more work needs to be done in connecting and empowering underserved commu
Broadband Roundup: FCC Authorizes More Connect America Funding, NextLink Expands Coverage, Connected Nation in Ohio
The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday authorized more than $61.8 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband to nearly 22,000 unserved rural homes and businesses in 14 states. This funding marks the sixth wave of support from last year’s Connect America Fund Phase II auc
FCC Spends $524 Million for Rural Area as House Subcommittee Highlights Problem, New Public Knowledge CEO
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday announced more than $524 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband access to 205,520 unserved rural homes and businesses in 23 states. Providers will begin receiving funding this month. “High-speed Internet provides access to opportun
broadband mapping
Consumer Groups Oppose Project Libra, Comcast on Shapefile Mapping, Windstream Goes Wireless
The Hill reports that dozens of consumer advocacy groups have called for congressional committees and regulatory agencies to impose a moratorium on Facebook’s cryptocurrency project. Among the 33 groups include Public Citizen, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Economic Policy Institute
Education
Universal Service Administrative Corp. Unveils ‘New Look,’ Will Address Programs at Rural Telecom Congress
DALLAS, April 18, 2017 – The Universal Service Administrative Corporation may not grab broadband headlines, but the once-obscure federal agency is central to helping rural America and other stakeholders get Broadband Broadband, Better Lives. USAC’s programs, plus its “new look,” will be the subject
Digital Inclusion
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s First Action is Approving Connect America Fund Dollars to New York State
WASHINGTON, January 26, 2017 – In his first substantive action since being named to his position on Tuesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced approval of the petition by New York State’s broadband program to access the Connect America Fund. The agency’s full press releas
Broadband's Impact
Fiber Optics Now Seen as Default Technology Even for Deployment of Rural Broadband, Says FCC Official
LEXINGTON, Kentucky, September 16, 2015 – Fiber-optics is now the default mode for deploying high-speed internet throughout the country, even including rural areas, said the head of the Federal Communications Commission’s office of strategic planning. “Everywhere the country [that] has been able to
