Temporary Spectrum Auction Bill, Inflation Impact on Internet Bills, Omni in Pennsylvania

September 20, 2023 — Senator John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, introduced legislation that would provide the Federal Communications Commission temporary authority to release already auctioned 5G spectrum to winners.

Congress failed in March for the first time in history to extend the FCC’s spectrum auction authority, leaving winners of the 2.5 GHz spectrum without their licenses.

Kennedy’s 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act, introduced Thursday, would give the FCC “one-time” temporary authority to release licenses purchased in auctions that occurred prior to March 9, 2023.

“My 5G SALE Act offers a simple solution for providing rural Americans with access to broadband by giving the FCC the authority to finish transferring already auctioned spectrum to companies who offer 5G coverage,” Kennedy said in a press release.

These licenses are “the only way companies can legally use the radio waves that bring 5G to customers.”

T-Mobile, which won 7,156 out of roughly 8,000 in 2.5 GHz spectrum licenses for over $304 million last summer, and other winning parties have been unable to obtain access to the spectrum, hindering their ability to expand 5G into rural communities.

Survey finds inflation making it hard for adults to pay internet bills

A survey Tuesday found that 61 percent of U.S. adults said inflation has led to difficulties in paying their internet bill, while 39 percent cut their personal expenses to continue paying for their monthly internet service.

The U.S. News & World Report survey, which canvassed in August 3,500 U.S. adults on cost, speed, and value of their internet services, found that 53 percent paid between $20 and $60 a month when they initially signed up with their current internet service; now, 48 percent are paying between $41 and $80.

The survey gathered data to find out the costs of internet service, the increase of their internet cost, and the overall impact the rise in internet costs had on their budget and ability to pay other bills. It also examined the quality of speed and value to consumers.

With internet speed, 36 percent reported having a download speed of 100 megabits per second or less per second, with 8 percent having less than 25 Mbps. The most common download speeds gathered were 101-300 Mbps at 31 percent, 25-100 Mbps at 28 percent, and 301-1,000 Mbps at 25 percent. For uploading, the most common speed was 21-50 Mbps at 30 percent, 11-20 Mbps at 25 percent, and greater than 50 Mbps at 20 percent.

For provider speed and value, the survey concluded that 45 percent would pay $5 to $10 a month for a reliable and fast high-speed internet connection whereas 62 percent would pay $5 to $20, and 17 percent would pay $11 to $20.

Survey participants consisting of customers who utilized a “long list of internet service providers (ISPs)” revealed that the top five ISPs used in order were: Comcast’s Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

Ohio-based internet provider expands services to Pennsylvania

Omni Fiber announced its expansion of internet services into the state of Pennsylvania on Monday.

The Ohio-based internet provider will be servicing western Pennsylvania’s North Uniontown, South Uniontown, Uniontown, Connellsville and South Connellsville.

Construction is also set to begin shortly in Ohio towns Ashland, Ballville Township, Catawba Island, Crestline, Mansfield, Marblehead, Mount Vernon, New Washington, Norwalk, Ontario, Pataskala, and Upper Sandusky and have already broken ground in, Bucyrus, Defiance, Eaton, Fremont, Greenville, London, Monroeville, Mount Gilead, New Philadelphia, Perkins Township, Perrysburg, Sandusky, and Wooster.

Residents and businesses are expected to have access to “affordable and high-speed broadband with fiber Internet plans up to 2 Gbps (2,000 Mbps), as well as traditional and streaming TV options, and phone service,” a press release said.

Omni Fiber will be fully funding the multimillion-dollar build without any government funding or grants.