A new Congressional Research Service Report offers a wealth of information about the state of broadband deployment and adoption, along with summarizing current broadband federal assistance programs. The report, titled “Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs,”…
When decision makers consider who should receive some of the $600 million allocated to the USDA ReConnect rural broadband pilot program, the agency will use a scoring system that awards points based on a range of factors, including the number…
Like other open access networks, the Downeast Broadband Utility open access fiber network aims to minimize the investment required for service providers to offer fiber-to-the-premises services by building a portion of the end-to-end network to act as a platform that…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should consider using a reverse auction to award funding for the $600 million USDA E-connectivity pilot, said FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly in a letter to Christopher McLean, acting administrator of the USDA Rural Utilities…
Electric cooperative gigabit is becoming more commonplace, as news today about four electric cooperative gigabit deployments illustrates. The four cooperatives include two Tennessee companies (Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative and Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative), along with two Alabama cooperatives (North Alabama…
As lawmakers consider making new funding available for infrastructure initiatives, which could include broadband, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly argued in a blog post today that any new federal broadband funding should be directed to the high-cost Universal Service Fund (USF)…
Could ongoing controversy in Vermont involving network operator VTEL be a precursor of controversies to come involving broadband funding for unserved areas? Local media outlet VTDigger reports that the state of Vermont will allow network operators to collect public funding…
At least one state has thoroughly embraced the idea that everyone deserves high-speed broadband. The State of New York has allocated $500 million in the New NY Broadband Program to help cover the costs of making broadband available throughout the…
The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) is winding towards a close, according to the latest quarterly update from NTIA, which highlights broadband stimulus program results. The report dated October 2015 but only released publicly last week, provides a summary of…
Smaller rural power companies are a lot like small rural telcos in that they tend to be heavily vested in their local communities. If residents are clamoring for faster Internet, the local power company or telco generally will try hard…
It’s hard to believe the Broadband Stimulus Program was first announced over six years ago. The $7.2 billion program was part of the broader American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which aimed to stimulate the economy after the Great Recession of…
Updated later July 30 and again on August 2 with additional information The Politico website has published a scathing yet apparently heavily researched post criticizing the Rural Utilities Service’s role as administrator of the $3.5 billion broadband infrastructure program (BIP)…
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