The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) has sent a letter to the governors of all 50 states asking them to ignore a prohibition against using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) broadband funding for fixed wireless deployments. “This approach will…
There might be a business case for AT&T to deploy fiber to more than the 30 million locations that the company has forecast to have fiber broadband available to them by 2025 — especially if the Senate infrastructure bill becomes…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and utility regulators are highlighting the Lifeline and Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) telecom programs for low-income consumers as part of Lifeline Awareness Week, which runs through Friday. Part of the reason the regulators may be…
Verizon Public Sector and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are partnering on a new digital inclusion program designed to help close the digital divide in Massachusetts, eight neighboring states and the District of Columbia. Verizon will provide turnkey connectivity, devices and…
A new report recommends that the Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution base should be expanded to include broadband internet access service revenues. The current methodology is unsustainable, the report argues. The “USForward” report, from Carol Mattey, founder of Mattey Consulting…
The vast majority of parents with K-12 children (93%) say their children had some online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new homework gap research from Pew Research. And while 70% of those parents said it has been very…
At least 98 counties and cities are planning or considering broadband projects to be funded, at least in part, through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), according to a new database from the Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR). The…
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has established two new offices designed to help expand internet connectivity, particularly in minority communities. The Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) was established under the Consolidated Appropriations…
In the first case under the TRACED Act’s Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) rules, the FCC has proposed a $5.1 million robocalling fine, continuing its attempts to reign in unlawful robocalls. In March, the FCC issued a $225 million fine…
The Affordable Connectivity Fund proposed in the Senate infrastructure bill would likely see wider enrollment in comparison with the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, according to a report from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that passed the Senate…
If the infrastructure investment act passed by the Senate last week is signed into law, it should be possible for every American to have access to broadband, said Blair Levin in a blog post published Friday by public policy organization…
Schools and libraries have until 11:59 p.m. ET tomorrow August 13th to complete their applications for the FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund for remote learning resources, the FCC reminded eligible parties today. The $7.17 billion program’s application window opened June 29….
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