Internet/Broadband

To accomplish the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's broadband goals, Congress made states the key decision-makers, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration providing oversight. This piece lays out nine actions every state should take in the development and implementation of its broadband plan:

Hopefully by now, most communities with poor broadband will have heard about the gigantic federal grants on the way to provide broadband solutions. The largest is the $42.5 Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that will be administered by states, with the funding and the rules established by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The federal grants give priority to locations that are unserved (broadband speeds under 25/3 Mbps) and can also be used to fund underserved locations (speeds between 25/3 and 100/20 Mbps).

A regional, municipal-owned broadband internet utility in Maine is viable according to a report from Axiom Technologies, a consultant hired by the local communities. The January 2022 report focuses on the creation of a utility to serve the four core communities of Rockland, Camden, Rockport, and Thomaston (ME). In June 2021, the charter towns of Camden and Rockport formed, by an inter-local agreement, a non-profit, regional broadband utility called the Midcoast Internet Development Corporation.

The Vermont Community Broadband Board launched a $116 million broadband construction grant program that is set to fund projects beginning spring 2022. Vermont’s nine communications union districts, plus the small communication carriers and internet service providers that are working alongside the communication districts, can all apply for the funding.  “These grants are important to drive down the entry cost,” Christine Hallquist, executive director of the Community Broadband Board, told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.

Faster internet access has significantly weakened civic participation in Britain, according to a study that found involvement in political parties, trade unions and volunteering fell as web speeds rose. Volunteering in social care fell by more than 10 percent when people lived closer to local telecom companies' exchange hubs and so enjoyed faster web access. Involvement in political parties fell by 19 percent with every 1.8 kilometer increase in proximity to a hub.

Despite growing interest in broadband provided by municipally-owned and operated fiber-to-the-home networks, the academic literature has yet to undertake a systematic assessment of these projects' financial performance. To fill this gap, we utilize municipalities' official reports to offer an empirical evaluation of the financial performance of every municipal fiber project in the US operating in 2010 through 2019.

Remember the bit about the 12 GHz band that 5G proponents were using to advance their argument at the Federal Communications Commission? The one about “no federal encumbrances”? That seems to be rising to the top in the wake of all the recent problems associated with C-band spectrum. Granted, the 12 GHz band has its own set of challenges for the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition, which represents Dish Network, among others.

This $14.2 billion investment, a byproduct of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is the biggest program we have ever had to help ensure that every family can afford the broadband that is now essential for full participation in modern life." The chairwoman highlighted a number of additions to the Affordable Connectivity Program's rules, including "updated income qualifications" for the program, which "will open the door for more families to receive support." Chairwoman Rosenworcel stressed the importance of outreach to ensure the efficacy of the Affordable Connectivity Program, sayi

The rules repeatedly affirm our decision to spend that money in ways that advance our digital equity goals. I am proud that my colleagues adopted my recommendation to commit to deploying the new tools Congress gave us with 'particular emphasis on reaching people of color, persons with disabilities, persons who live in rural or Tribal areas, and others who are or have been historically unserved, marginalized, or adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.' I intend to make sure we follow through on that commitment.

For the most part, I am very satisfied with the resulting order, which incorporated extensive feedback from all commissioners’ offices, industry, and other groups outside of the FCC.