The FCC today said it is ready to authorize $311 million in rural broadband funding to 48 companies that had winning bids in the RDOF (Rural Digital Opportunity Fund) auction. Also today, the commission released a list of RDOF defaults…
Rural Broadband
Report: Black Rural South Less Likely to Have Broadband Access
Nearly 40% (38%) of the Black Rural South population lacks home internet service, according to a new report from Joint Center, which calls itself “America’s Black think tank,” focusing on policy solutions to “eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the…
FAIR Act Would Task FCC with Studying if Netflix, Google, Others Should Pay into USF
A group of three U.S. Senators has introduced the Funding Affordable Internet with Reliable (FAIR) Contributions Act. The FAIR Act would direct the FCC to study expanding the base of contributors to the USF fund. It’s not a new idea…
Charter Selects Gibson Technical Services for RDOF Buildout in 3 States
Gibson Technical Services has been selected by Charter Communications to build out 8,600 miles of full service construction across Louisiana, Alabama and North Carolina in an initiative partially funded by the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program. Gibson, a subsidiary…
Virginia Accelerates Universal Broadband Goal with $700M from ARPA
The Commonwealth of Virginia has accelerated its self-imposed deadline for universal broadband from 2028 to 2024. Late last week, the Commonwealth said it will use $700 million in ARPA funding to accelerate broadband deployment. The $700 million comes from $4.3…
WISPs Warn Congress Against 100 Mbps Symmetrical Speed Target
As Congress considers an infrastructure funding bill, wireless internet service providers (WISPs) are asking legislators not to be too aggressive in setting broadband speed targets. Doing so would delay broadband deployment and could be anti-competitive, more than 400 WISPs argue…
Senators Ask FCC Why RDOF Application Review is Taking So Long
Two senators have sent a letter to FCC Acting Chair Jessica Rosenworcel questioning why the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) long-form application review process is taking so long and asking for details about why and how much longer it’s going…
GAO: FCC Broadband Definition May Not Cut It for Small Business Broadband Speed Needs
The FCC should analyze small business broadband speed needs and incorporate the results of this analysis when establishing speed targets for broadband support programs and other broadband programs, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). In…
USDA ReConnect Program Resurfaces, Awards $21.4M for Fiber Projects
The USDA ReConnect program has granted $21 million to two providers to deploy FTTP networks in rural New York State. The awards are part of the second round of the program. The last announcement for the program was back in…
Rosenworcel Gets Labor Union Endorsement for Permanent FCC Chair
Five key labor unions sent a letter to President Biden this week urging him to change Jessica Rosenworcel’s status from acting FCC chair to permanent. “Her focus on greater opportunity, accessibility and affordability in our communications services and her tireless…
Starlink Update: Musk Sees Mobile Backhaul Future and CPE Equip Costs Cut in Half
During a keynote address at the Mobile World Congress, taking place in Barcelona, Spain this week, Elon Musk offered an update on SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service. Citing the service as “[f]illing in the gaps between 5G and fiber,” Musk…
Levin: FCC May Be Locked Out of Proposed $65B Broadband Infrastructure Plan
Just days after Republicans and Democrats reportedly reached an agreement to allocate $65 billion for broadband infrastructure as part of broader infrastructure investment legislation, Blair Levin, senior fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Project and Washington D.C. insider, shared what he…
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