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  2. March 2023

March 2023

Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Rural Broadband

On March 28, lawmakers from both the House of Representatives and US Senate reintroduced bipartian legislation to expand broadband access to rural communities. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act would strengthen funding mechanisms for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans.

TDS is More Excited About Universal Service Fund's ACAM Extension Than BEAD Program

At a time when some service providers are revving up to get funding in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, TDS Telecom President and CEO Jim Butman had a surprising take on it. The company already has upgraded a large part of its traditional local service territory to fiber broadband but has about 500,000 locations that are served by DSL, including about 200,000 or fewer that do not have service at speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) available to them. Those locations would be considered unserved and eligible for BEAD funding.

Proposed Supplementary Broadband Guidance

As provided for in each Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and Capital Projects Fund (CPF) award agreement, the Uniform Guidance applies to all uses of funds made available under those awards unless provided otherwise by the US Department of the Treasury. In response to questions from recipients and internet service providers, Treasury is proposing to issue the following guidance regarding the application of the Uniform Guidance to broadband infrastructure projects.

T-Mobile asks for temporary authority to use its new 2.5 GHz spectrum

Although T-Mobile paid $304 million for 7,156 licenses of 2.5 GHz spectrum in 2022's summer auction, it now finds itself in the awkward position of not being able to deploy this spectrum. The reason is that Congress recently allowed the Federal Communications Commission's auction authority to lapse.

Five Massachusetts towns band together in redundant broadband network

A new broadband network for Colrain, Charlemont, Heath, Leyden, and Rowe (MA) that prevents major outages and improves the resiliency of internet access will be completed by June 30, 2023. The system creates three backhauls and a 10-gigabyte circuit connection shared between the towns: one in Rowe, one in Charlemont, and one in Leyden. The project also increases redundancy to prevent internet outages caused by downed utility poles, fires, or other natural disasters.

Syracuse lawmakers approve free broadband for 10 city Census tracts

Some of Syracuse’s poorest neighborhoods will soon have free broadband service. City lawmakers approved a $3.5 million plan to build a new city-owned wireless network. Syracuse will use federal stimulus money to provide service in 10 Census tracts on its south, southwest, and near west sides.

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