Tuesday, April 11, 2023
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Broadband in Kansas: The Challenges of Digital Access and Affordability
Open access networks could give T-Mobile a seat at the fiber table
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Broadband Funding
Biden-Harris Administration Officials, Senator Casey Announce Approval of Federal Funding to Connect 44,000 Pennsylvanians
The US Department of the Treasury’s Chief Recovery Officer Jacob Leibenluft joined White House American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coordinator Gene Sperling and US Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) to announce the approval of $200 million for high-speed internet projects in Pennsylvania under the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF). The state will use its funding to connect approximately 44,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet. Pennsylvania’s Broadband Infrastructure Program is a competitive grant program designed to fund two types of projects: large-scale regional projects and line extensions. Eligible large-scale regional projects will provide reliable broadband to broad areas of the commonwealth, while eligible line extension projects will extend existing last-mile networks to areas that lack adequate internet service. The plan submitted to Treasury and being approved today represents 72 percent of the state’s total allocation under the Capital Project Funds program. In accordance with Treasury’s guidance, each state’s plan requires service providers to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) announced that Gila Local Exchange Carrier d/b/a Alluvion Communications (GLEC) and Fond du Lac Communications (Fond du Lac) have notified the FCC of their decisions to withdraw from the Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction support program. Fond du Lac’s and GLEC’s letters constitute notification to the FCC that they are defaulting on their obligations to meet their service milestones. At WCB’s direction, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) suspended future support payments for these support recipients, and we now direct USAC to recover CAF Phase II support from GLEC and Fond du Lac pursuant to the Commission’s rules.
US Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and John Thune (R-SD) introduced the Accurate Map for Broadband Investment Act, bipartisan legislation to ensure that the Federal Communications Commission has time to update and fix the National Broadband Map before the Department of Commerce fully allocates broadband infrastructure funding. This mapping plays a major role in determining the state-by-state allocation of broadband infrastructure funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's (IIJA) $42 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, and the current version of the map could cause many states, including Nevada and South Dakota, to lose out on potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding they are owed under the law according to the Senators.
Governments and local nonprofits have dedicated billions of dollars to bring broadband internet to millions of Americans who don’t have it. The gaps don’t just include whether or not broadband internet is available at individual addresses, but the availability of devices, affordability, and the tools and skills to not get scammed while online. Federal funding has been designated for each state through both the Broadband Equity, Access, & Deployment (BEAD) Program in the amount of $42.45 billion, and the Digital Equity Act with $2.75 billion. Additionally, the Affordable Connectivity Program has a dedicated $14.2 billion intended to help families with their internet bill. National attention has been placed on broadband in recent years, as both the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased digitization of healthcare, business, education and other sectors has left communities without high-speed internet lacking. Particularly affected are those live in rural areas or low-income areas where running fiber doesn’t make sense, or isn’t profitable to private companies.
Governor Ron DeSantis Awards More Than $22 Million to Eight Florida Communities Through the Broadband Opportunity Program
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced a second round of awards through the Broadband Opportunity Program to expand broadband Internet access in Florida’s underserved communities. More than $22 million was awarded for eight projects across eight Florida counties for broadband Internet expansion that will impact more than 33,200 unserved residential, educational, business, and community locations. These awards are in addition to the $144 million the Governor awarded in February, bringing Florida’s total investment to $166 million for the expansion of broadband Internet in Florida’s rural communities. Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the Broadband Opportunity Program funds the installation and deployment of broadband internet infrastructure in unserved Florida communities, providing valuable access to telehealth, economic, educational, and workforce development opportunities to offer a brighter future for all Floridians.
The Institute for Policy & Social Research (IPSR) at the University of Kansas received funding from the Economic Development Administration at the US Department of Commerce under the CARES Act to study broadband access in the state of Kansas. To conduct this study, IPSR examined existing data, fielded our own survey of broadband speeds and access, conducted focus groups, and commissioned a chapter on the digital divide within the state of Kansas. The report discusses available data sources and introduces the speed test data collected by IPSR in order to map the broadband access landscape in Kansas. The Kansas broadband survey collected information regarding broadband access, adequacy, affordability, satisfaction, and speed tests. The report also investigates digital equity using surveys and interviews conducted at public libraries that revealed the challenges faced by library patrons, including lack of digital access and literacy. The report indicates a rural-urban digital divide in terms of access, affordability, and satisfaction with broadband services. The data in this report indicate that up to 1,000,000 Kansans live in regions lacking access to high-speed broadband services, now considered 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload (100/20). Close to half of the survey respondents (46%) report dissatisfaction with broadband services.
The Center for Digital Equity, a local hub operating from Queens University of Charlotte working to bring critically needed technology, computers and digital literacy to residents in Mecklenburg County (NC). But being without a laptop is only part of the issue. The lack of technology can hinder residents from being able to take care of daily tasks like paying bills, checking the bus schedule or making health appointments. According to CDE, more than 14 percent of homes in Mecklenburg County, almost 56,000 households, do not have internet access. The Center for Digital Equity is an evolution of two key community initiatives: Digital Charlotte and the Charlotte Digital Inclusion Alliance. Their mission is to make Mecklenburg County a more digitally equitable area. This includes having digital navigators help local residents with learning new digital skills, figuring out basic device and connectivity issues, signing residents up for affordable home broadband internet service and buying affordable technology.
T-Mobile appears to be eyeing a serious move into the US fiber market, confirming plans to offer service in two Colorado cities in addition to its original pilot market of New York City. Open access networks could offer the operator one of the fastest ways to expand its fiber reach. While open-access networks aren’t nearly as prevalent in the U.S. as in Europe, they are slowly beginning to proliferate. Indeed, T-Mobile is working with an open-access player – Intrepid Fiber – on its Colorado launch. Open-access networks could give T-Mobile the opportunity to become a major player in the fiber broadband market, enabling them to offer high-speed internet services to residential and business customers. Open-access networks allow multiple service providers to use the same fiber infrastructure, creating competition and lowering costs. T-Mobile has already begun experimenting with fixed wireless broadband services and is interested in expanding into the wired broadband market. The company has also acquired a number of small cable companies that provide broadband services in rural areas. With the deployment of open-access networks, T-Mobile could potentially become a significant player in the broadband market.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and David L. Clay II (dclay AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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