Fierce

The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing on spectrum policy entitled "5G and Beyond: Exploring the Next Wireless Frontier." The hearing covered a range of spectrum topics, including the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to conduct spectrum auctions. The FCC’s auction authority, which has been extended several times since originally granted in 1993, is set to expire on September 30, 2022.

After a year of trialing gigabit-class fixed wireless access technology from Tarana Wireless, Resound Networks has decided to deploy that service to around 12,000 locations it was originally planning to cover with fiber as part of its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF)-fueled expansion. Resound Networks was one of the top 10 winners in the RDOF auction, walking away with $310.7 million in government funding to cover around 219,000 unserved locations with broadband.

Rhode Island is partnering with Cox Communications to bring some of the fastest internet speeds to the state. Cox plans to invest more than $120 million over the next three years to ensure everyone in the state has access to affordable and efficient internet access. More than $20 million will go towards 100% fiber-optic buildouts on Aquidneck Island to support the communities of Newport, Portsmouth, Middletown and Jamestown.

AT&T CEO John Stankey revealed the operator has set up a dedicated internal team to focus on chasing its fair share of the billions in government funding being allocated for broadband deployments. This effort is being led by President of Broadband Access and Adoption Jeff Luong. Luong has been with AT&T for more than 15 years, assuming his current role in June 2021. Before that, he spent five years as the operator’s VP of access construction and engineering.

Mediacom became the latest cable operator to boost internet speeds on its lower-tier plans, following earlier moves from Comcast, Charter Communications and Cable One. The changes apply only to download rates, with speeds on its entry level plan rising from 60 Mbps to 100 Mbps and its Internet 100 tier doubling from 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps. Speeds on its Internet 300 plan will jump to 400 Mbps. It is also doubling speeds to 100 Mbps on its Connect2Compete Plus tier for low-income consumers.