Frontier may soon exit bankruptcy, with news that the FCC has approved the company’s restructuring plan. Frontier now has approval from 13 states and reports it will emerge from Chapter 11 in “early 2021.” Frontier needs approvals from 4 additional…
By: Bernie Arnason
Verizon Consumer CEO Hedges a Bit on 5G Home Fixed Wireless Aspirations, Looks to 4G
Verizon first launched its 5G Home fixed wireless service across 4 markets in 2018. The carrier has been adding new markets since then and had a stated goal of eventually reaching 30 million homes with the cable broadband alternative in…
Outgoing FCC Chair Opens Door to New 5G Spectrum in 12 GHz Band
On his way out the door, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is teeing up the potential of adding significant new 5G spectrum to the marketplace. The FCC chair has circulated an NPRM for a fresh look at spectrum in the 12…
New COVID-19 Relief Plan Funds Several Important Broadband Initiatives with a Budget of $7 Billion
The new COVID-19 relief plan agreed to by Congress over the weekend includes several funding initiatives for important broadband issues. A total of about $7 billion was earmarked for broadband issues, according to several media reports. The $7 billion in…
5G Fixed Wireless Included in Verizon NaaS Pact with Walgreens
Verizon announced a deal yesterday with Walgreens Boots Alliance, the parent company of Walgreens and Duane Reade drug stores. The deal is broad and includes a Verizon NaaS (Network-as-a-Service) platform for 9,000 store locations. Signaling the scale of this deal,…
New Frontier CEO Named, Will Face Headwinds in Post-Bankruptcy Frontier
A new Frontier CEO was announced today as part of a post-bankruptcy plan for the company. Nick Jeffery will join the company, effective March 21, 2021. The new Frontier CEO comes from Vodaphone UK, where he served as CEO. Vodaphone…
Latest Streaming TV Blackout Has Roku Removing the Charter Spectrum App
Removing channels from a TV lineup over carriage disputes is common in the pay-TV business. That legacy has found its way into the streaming TV business, but the blackouts are now about apps, with Roku removing the Charter Spectrum app…
RDOF Analysis Reveals Surprises and Growing Controversy
Now that the dust has settled a bit, it’s time to do some RDOF analysis. And there is no shortage of things to analyze. RDOF is a historic shift in public policy for rural broadband. What was once the funding…
Consolidated Fiber Expansion May be an Example of RDOF Halo Effect
Consolidated Communications announced a major fiber network expansion that will add 300K new gigabit capable locations. This Consolidated fiber expansion is funded in part by the recently concluded $9B RDOF auction. Consolidated won close to $59 million to bring broadband…
North Dakota Carrier Steps on Gigabit Gas by Offering 5 Gbps Service
North Dakota fiber provider MLGC, based in Enderlin, North Dakota is introducing a 5 Gbps broadband tier to several rural markets in the state. The 100+ year old provider operates an all-FTTP network to several communities across east-central North Dakota….
Latest COVID-19 Relief Plan Includes Billions for Broadband Funding
The latest proposal for a COVID-19 relief plan to be introduced in Congress has a $900 billion price tag, with billions allocated towards broadband. The bi-partisan and bi-cameral effort introduces a framework for stalled pandemic relief efforts in Congress. The…
Republicans Call for Audit of $1.4 Billion ReConnect Rural Broadband Program, Citing Overbuilding
Republican members of the Congressional Commerce Committee are calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the USDA’s Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program, commonly referred to as the ReConnect program. The ReConnect audit request came in the form of a…
