Digital Discrimination
Rural Broadband ISPs Want Exemption From Digital Discrimination Reporting
Broadband ISP trade associations from 15 states are seeking a broad exemption from pending federal regulations.
Funding
USDA's ReConnect Program Accepting Applications
The fifth round of funding makes $700 million available for rural broadband.
Funding
RUS Launches $60M Grant Initiative for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Projects
The grant funds can be used for acquiring equipment, improving broadband infrastructure, developing instructional programming, and more.
Rural Utilities Service
White House Nominates Basil Gooden as Rural Development Chief at USDA
Gooden would be responsible for overseeing the activities of the Rural Utilities Services, an important broadband funding agency.
Rural
White House Announces Fourth Round of ReConnect: $667 Million
Announcement includes investments in 22 states for 100 * 20 Mbps speeds.
Funding
USDA Needs Greater Flexibility in Deployment of Broadband Authority, Says RUS Administrator Andy Berke
Director of RUS called for more flexibility in how it administers federal funds.
Funding
Agriculture Department Announces Fourth Round of ReConnect Funding
The announcement is the second round of ReConnect funding in fiscal year 2022.
Expert Opinion
Christopher Ali: How the U.S. Department of Agriculture is Quietly Reshaping Broadband Policy
In the 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress reversed USDA’s ReConnect criteria in three crucial ways.
broadband roundup
FCC Task Force Against Discrimination, High Fixed Download Speeds, Broadband Prices Decline
Cross-agency task force to focus on policies to combat digital discrimination and promote equal access to broadband
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
broadband mapping
In Discussing ‘Broadband and the Biden Administration,’ Trump and Obama Transition Workers Praise Auctions
November 22, 2020 – In the event that the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden seeks substantial funding for broadband infrastructure, there is a strong likelihood that such monies would be channeled through a reverse-auction mechanism, said panelists at the Broadband Breakfast Live
Autonomous Vehicles
Broadband Roundup: Tesla Cars Ain’t Driverless, Suspicious Bernie Sanders Facebook Posts, ReConnect Awards
According to a Forbes article by Alan Ohnsman, U.S. safety investigators are calling for greater regulation of Teslas following the release of several investigative reports detailing several Tesla crashes due to the cars faulty autopilot mode. In March 2018 in Mountain View, California, Walter Huang
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
Press Releases
USDA Announces Loans to Improve Rural Electric Infrastructure and Upgrade Energy Efficiency
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $858 million in loans to upgrade rural electric systems across 17 states, benefiting around 450,000 consumers. Approximately 7.5% of this funding will be used to finance smart grid technologies, allowing for more efficient el
Broadband's Impact
Rural America Needs More than Just Slow Internet Connections
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Doug Dawson once again nails it on his blog post. The 10 megabit per second (Mbps) download / 1 Mbps upload was outdated when it was announced, just as 25 Mbps/3 Mbps (“broadband”) is today. It is especially disheartening to see the same requirement in the Agriculture De
Broadband's Impact
How the Farm Bill and the USDA ReConnect Program May Help Narrow a Rural Digital Divide
Editor’s Note: The most recent edition of Broadband Communities Magazine features a special section on rural broadband, including this overview piece about the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act and the ReConnect. Incidentally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s series of webinars on the
