Mountain Connect
BEAD Weariness and AI Ambition Collide at Mountain Connect
BEAD delays left Mountain Connect panelists weary, while AI pushes compute toward an edge rural economics struggle to reach.
Rural
Because Rural America is often the least-connected region in the country, ensuring coverage is central to BEAD.
Rural
The Farm Bill Fight That Will Shape Rural Broadband
Republicans were unable to move their bill forward. The measure will determine the future of the USDA’s ReConnect Broadband program.
Rural
Rural Broadband Pays Off Only When Communities Decide, Panelists Say
Rural broadband is now table stakes for economic development, panelists said on a Broadband Breakfast Live Online panel.
Rural
Rural Carriers Appeal FCC for Deadline Relief
Rural providers participating in a federal program say ‘unforeseen circumstances’ are making a 2028 deadline unworkable.
Rural
Rural Stakeholders Oppose AT&T Petitions that Threaten Universal Telephone Service
Coalition says FCC lacks authority to override California phone service obligations.
Rural
Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Cut ISPs’ Red Tape Filings with Financial Regulators
The bill would cut compliance costs for small broadband providers.
Tribal
Navajo Nation Council Approves $244.6 million Broadband Investment
The plan pairs immediate Starlink service with a 1,265-mile fiber and 5G buildout.
Rural
Rural Utility Cooperative Awarded Grant to Study Broadband Needs in Northern New Mexico
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative will identify broadband gaps in three rural New Mexico communities
Rural
Capito Says Rural Broadband Protection Act Will Bring Connectivity to West Virginia
The senator says the new law will strengthen vetting of companies participating in federal broadband programs.
Fiber
Grain Management to Combine Ritter, Great Plains Into 20-State Fiber Platform
The pending deal would create Rightfiber and expand Grain’s regional fiber reach
Rural
GCI Partners With Starlink to Bring Connectivity to Alaska
The partnership will bring reliable service to multiple communities in Alaska.
Expert Opinion
Evan Swarztrauber: Congress Needs to Step In on Broadband Expansion
Aggressive FCC enforcement and congressional action is necessary to establish a uniform national standard on pole-attachment cost-sharing and timelines, the author writes.
Rural
Great Plains Communications Says Rural Providers Will Need Support Beyond BEAD
Executive says rising bandwidth demands and sparse population make long-term support necessary.
Expert Opinion
Jill Marx: The Marketing Fix Behind Multi-Gig Adoption
The number of homes a network passes is not the same as the number of homes that can realistically receive multi-gig service.
Expert Opinion
Chip Pickering: Data Centers are America's Most Misunderstood Infrastructure Asset
The case for data centers rests on meaningful tax revenue, durable jobs, grid investment and the digital infrastructure that lets rural communities share in the AI economy.
Rural
Rural Adirondack Broadband Customers Lose Service Over Pole Dispute
The company is under fire for its use of telephone poles without authorization.
