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The state of Oklahoma has tentatively announced $374 million in broadband funding awards to AT&T, Cox and 29 smaller providers. Funding came through the federal American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Awardees will contribute an additional $90 million to project costs. More than 55,000 locations are expected to get high-speed service. As with many other state broadband funding programs, competition was intense. Applicants requested a total of more than $5.1 billion in funding. Awards were made through the Oklahoma Broadband Office.

It’s unfortunate that this couldn’t have happened sooner, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released a public notice seeking input on the challenge process for the Broadband Data Collection that the commission undertakes twice yearly. Broadband providers are required to report on broadband availability, and the data ultimately is used to update the National Broadband Map.

Several organizations, led by the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, are working on Broadband Breakthrough, a pilot program that aims to help bring federally funded high-speed connectivity to five rural Illinois counties. The idea behind the program, which is funded by United Soybean Board, is to increase the percentage of farmers with broadband by preparing a wide variety of stakeholders to apply for grant money from the federal government.

AT&T sees opportunities to apply for funding in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program in Texas and some other states, but likely will not apply for funding in many others, said the company’s CEO John Stankey. Noting that each state will set up its own rules for the program, Stankey said, “I point to a state like Texas. Policy-wise, they had a pretty sound approach to things. . .

“We’re set up to attract, expand, and create new businesses and job opportunities while at the same time be unimpeded by government red tape and mandates,” said Sandip Bhowmick, state broadband director and vice president of infrastructure at Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). Arizona’s broadband office is housed within the ACA, a unique government organization overseen by a public-private board of directors and chaired by the Arizona governor.

In comments to the Federal Communications Commission, associations representing rural broadband providers pushed back on a proposal to expand funding through the Universal Service Fund (USF) Schools and Libraries program (E-Rate) to include Wi-Fi hotspots at other sites outside of school and library buildings. Other commenters, however, said that the hotspots could connect students in low-income families, which they said should be a higher priority. The dispute began in October when the FCC adopted a Declaratory Ruling allowing E-Rate to fund school bus hotspots.

AccessParks—which provides broadband connectivity to RV parks, national and state parks, and manufactured housing communities—received additional funding from M/C Partners, a private equity firm focused on the digital infrastructure and technology services sectors. The amount of the investment was not disclosed, but was described as “significant.” AccessParks’ campground division provides outdoor connectivity using fiber-optic, microwave, 5G, and Wi-Fi services.