Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021
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.
USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is a cabinet agency, and includes several broadband-related funding programs.
Infrastructure
NTIA Urging Partnerships with Local Broadband Officials for Infrastructure Money
The NTIA held a webinar urging local partnerships for applicants of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act.
Broadband Live
Broadband Breakfast for Lunch on March 9, 2022 — Preparing for the IIJA’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program
We will explore what the government, states and infrastructure builders – public and private – should be doing to prepare.
Tribal
ReConnect Rep Warns of ISPs Asking for More Subsidies Than Needed for Builds
Shekinah Pepper said Wednesday tribal communities should be on alert for service providers asking for chunks of subsidies upfront.
USDA
USDA Hires Lumen, Ligado Marketing Services, IRS Facial ID, New Public Knowledge Hire
The Department of Agriculture awarded Lumen a $1.2-billion, 11-year contract for data services.
USDA
USDA Announces $120 Million in Broadband Infrastructure Loans and Grants
Money comes from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Community Connect programs.
Ziply
Agriculture Plowing $167M in Broadband, Ziply Deploys More Fiber, TikTok Takes Over
USDA putting money to expand broadband in 12 states, Ziply expands in 14 markets, TikTok most downloaded app in 2020.
Infrastructure
Funding Should Focus on Fiber, and Deployment is Critical to Improving User Experience
February 2, 2021—With new leadership at the Federal Communications Commission, there is a strong probability that more agency focus and aid will be directed towards broadband deployment, advocates for broadband deployment said on January 26. They said that there is currently a great need for direct
Cloud
COVID-19 Disinformation and Contact Tracing Discussed at DNC, Rural Cloud Initiative, NTIA Internet Use Survey
The Democratic National Convention prime-time convention kicked off Monday night. Much of the production was driven by testimonies from Americans. The way in which their hardships have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic were detailed. Kristin Urquiza, the daughter of an Arizona man who lost hi
Infrastructure
Michigan Broadband Cooperative Calls Report Saying Municipal Broadband Has an Unfair Advantage ‘Laughable’
June 30, 2020 — The Michigan Broadband Cooperative is hitting back at a report from the Free State Foundation that claims that local governments in Michigan frequently abuse broadband restrictions placed on them. Theodore Bolema, professor of economics at Wichita State University, wrote that the gov
Expert Opinion
Dan Nordberg: Small Business Administration is Delivering Support to Telephone Co-ops
The devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic has tested the will of millions of businesses and cooperatives throughout our nation, but help is on the way. Congress recently passed an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which includes over $310 billion in new funding to help smal
precision agriculture
Precision Agriculture is About Harvesting Data as Well as Harvesting Fields, Say Experts at FCC Task Force Meeting
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2020— “We won’t be calling it precision farming anymore, we’ll just be calling it farming,” announced Ken Sudduth, an agricultural engineer at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Sudduth spoke Wednesday at a monthly electronic meeting of the Federal Communication Commissi
House Agriculture
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
Tribal
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
FCC
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
Expert Opinion
Deborah Simpier: Big Telecom Isn’t the Answer to Bridging the Digital Divide
When the 4G networking protocol improvements rolled out, I was a Verizon Wireless dealer in a small town in rural America. The 4G marketing echoed today’s 5G promises of fast “fiber like” speeds and improved, “nationwide” coverage. 4G was going to revolutionize broadband. Verizon Wireless even offer
