Federal

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) launched a request for comment on how U.S. government policies can support the development of next-generation 6G technology. Secure and reliable communications services are vital to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. The wireless industry is beginning to plan for the development of 6G, and the U.S. has already joined like-minded partners in establishing joint principles to shape the future of this technology.

NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), in collaboration with the Department of Defense’s FutureG Office, recently hosted the RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) Forum in Dallas, Texas. The demonstrations and high engagement from attendees underscored why the RIC Forum is drawing such a high level of international attention and interest.

Lidar, a sensing method that uses light waves, has been around since the 1960s when the United States developed it as a military technology for defense and aerospace uses, but the advent of publicly-available lidar data has made it a crucial tool for helping radio scientists inside and outside of government better predict where objects like trees and buildings will likely interrupt a wireless signal.

Rep Brandon Williams (R-NY) has introduced a bill to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) through Fiscal Year 2024. H.R. 8466, the Affordable Connectivity Program Improvement and Extension Act of 2024, will replenish the Affordable Connectivity Fund with $6 billion by amending Section 521(4)(a) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024.

The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health voted to pass a two-year Medicare telehealth extension along with other legislation that expands reimbursement for health tech. The sponsor of the telehealth extension bill, Rep Buddy Carter (R-GA), said he sees no obstacles to the telehealth extension passing the full committee, nor any significant issues for the Commerce and Ways and Means Committees to come to an agreement on a two-year telehealth extension.

An appealing way to finance fiber builds is through asset-backed securities (ABS). However, this is only available to established companies that actually have fiber assets, which they can leverage to secure a lower cost of debt. It’s not something available to new entrants in the fiber space. Since the introduction of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, many private equity (PE) investors have entered the fiber market.

The pace of US broadband subscriber growth slowed considerably in the first quarter of 2024 as fiber, fixed wireless access (FWA) and cable broadband service providers collectively turned in results that were worse than what they posted in the year-ago period. Total industry net additions, including or excluding FWA and geosynchronous (GEO) satellite broadband providers, decelerated noticeably in Q1 2024.

Lawmakers are butting heads over a provision within the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program that allows states to require low-cost service options from participating service providers. Democrats are calling it an affordability policy. Republicans say it's heavy-handed government regulation. As part of the BEAD planning process, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is considering each state’s definition of a low-cost option, provided that it meets the standards laid out in the program’s statute.

Evan Feinman, director for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, provided an update on the program. All states have submitted their Volume 1 proposals to NTIA, and Feinman said that nearly all Volume 1 proposals are approved. A check of NTIA’s Progress Dashboard today shows that only Florida, Maryland and Minnesota have yet to have their Volume 1s approved.

I have been asked my opinion several times about Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) amnesty—letting RDOF winners walk away from their obligations without big penalties. There is no easy answer to the question. It’s certainly a timely topic, since we are seeing internet service providers (ISPs) walk away from RDOF. There are several good arguments to be made that favor some kind of amnesty.