by Pivot
Author: Randy Sukow
A Data Center Middle-Mile Solution Could Also Serve Rural Broadband Providers
The middle mile has been a problem for rural broadband service providers (BSPs) since early DSL services in the 1990s. Even today, the distance between a rural BSP’s service area to the nearest connection to…
Supreme Court Takes a Close Look at USF Contributions
It was to be one hour of oral arguments about the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Universal Service Fund (USF) program, considering whether Congress delegated too much of its authority when it created the program in…
Rural Electric Cooperative Introduces AI as a Service
Editor’s Note: This article about the VoltWrite AI platform involves our friends in the rural electric industry. But it’s a fascinating use case for a trend that could develop in the rural broadband industry, too.…
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Will Not Reconsider FCC Title II Decision
UPDATE, March 12: Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati refused to reconsider its January 2 opinion striking down the FCC Title II regulations on net neutrality. The decision is…
Congress and Commerce Department Begin Major BEAD Overhaul
Almost simultaneously, newly installed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC) announced initiatives to change the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Both complained that…
Supreme Court Will Hear Universal Service Case on March 26
The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in the case of FCC v. Consumers’ Research — a case regarding the Universal Service Fund — for Wednesday morning, March 26. T The court will decide on a ruling…
Report From Congress Summarizes AI Effect on Vital Industries
In the early days of the new session of Congress, the House of Representatives has outlined the items of general agreement surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). The recently released Bipartisan Task Force Report finds that the…
Broken USF May Require a Congressional Solution
It is not controversial to say that the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) program is unsustainable. Something must change. “The current system is broken… It’s a problem that Congress is ultimately going…
Program Consolidation, Audits, Alternative Technologies Could Be Among BEAD Changes
With the Trump Administration set to take over on January 20, 2025, the future of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program and how it might change is an issue high in rural broadband…
Comments Tie Data Center Needs to Infrastructure and Workforce
Earlier this year, the National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) called for public comments on the issue of internet data centers in the wake of soaring demand for online access, especially for artificial intelligence (AI)…
Supreme Court to Consider Universal Service Fund: Panelists Say It’s a Good Time to Redesign
The FCC’s Universal Service Fund (USF) continues to be a highly important program to rural homes and businesses in need of broadband connectivity. But its future is in doubt for both financial and legal reasons.…
Sixth Circuit Title II Oral Arguments on FCC Definitions Center on Major Questions
The three-judge panel hearing the case over the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) now-stayed order to regulate the internet using Title II rules peppered the parties in the case with questions about the definitions of “information…
