Marginalized Populations

Rep Dusty Johnson (R-SD) introduced legislation to streamline the permitting process for broadband infrastructure projects. The Facilitating Optimal and Rapid Expansion and Siting of Telecommunications (FOREST) Act will cut down bureaucratic red tape to improve broadband access in rural America. The lengthy permitting process on federal lands has prevented the federal government from improving broadband access, even though billions of dollars are available to improve broadband deployment.

Spectrum announced the launch of Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to more than 550 homes and small businesses in Crawford, Crane, Eden, Jackson, Marseilles, Richland, Ridge, Salem and Tymochtee Townships (OH). Spectrum’s newly constructed fiber-optic network buildout in Wyandot County is part of the company’s approximately $5 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund-related investment in unserved rural communities, partly offset by $1.2 billion in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) RDOF auction.

On May 9, the US Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization package without a proposed amendment to provide $6 billion to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).  Without this injection of new capital to the ACP, the broadband-access subsidy that has helped more than 23 million households get and stay online will expire in May. Free Press Action Internet Campaign Director Heather Franklin said “Free Press Action is deeply disappointed in Congress for failing to pass funding for this essential and successful internet-access subsidy ... While the program’s days

Los Angeles County has started work on a wireless broadband network that will deliver high-speed connections for as little as $25 a month. The county signed a contract with WeLink of Lehi, Utah, to build the network and offer the service in East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles.

In 2021, Los Angeles County leaders decided they wanted to close the digital divide in some underserved areas. So, the county issued a request for proposal, soliciting bids from broadband providers. Surprisingly, WeLink, a relatively unknown fixed wireless access (FWA) provider, won the contract, beating out incumbents such as AT&T and Charter Communications.

Sen Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, announced additional co-sponsors for his amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 to strengthen the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), complete the equipment removal of China-based companies, Huawei and ZTE, and allow the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reauction certain spectrum licenses to create more responsive networks for consumers.

Sens Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), JD Vance (R-OH), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 to strengthen the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), complete the equipment removal of China-based companies, Huawei and ZTE, and allow the Federal Communications Commission to reauction certain spectrum licenses to create more responsive networks for consumers. Access to broadband provides vital connections to education, health care and economic opportunity.

On behalf of The National Domestic Violence Hotline, we write to request robust additional funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Access to affordable high-speed internet is not a luxury in 2024. This ACP is the largest broadband affordability effort in our Nation’s history which has successfully allowed more than 23 million households to get—and stay—connected to robust broadband service at home.

Generative AI is set to be a game-changer for the hyperscale data center landscape, prompting companies to build in new areas and benefiting rural America in the process. Data center companies have historically built hubs in urban areas for access to power and water, deeply integrated fiber networks, and proximity to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. However, the processing dynamics of generative AI and the enormous power requirements of AI models are turning that model on its head.

As a national leader in developing the broadband workforce, the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) is proud to announce it has launched a new Connecting Minority Communities Apprenticeship Consortium (CMCAC) with three HBCUs: Central State University, Tennessee State University, and Virginia State University. Apprenticeships are a proven model for building a diverse and highly skilled workforce to meet the demands of broadband and 5G buildout.