An authoritative study commissioned by the Internet Innovation Alliance contains valuable information about mobile vs. fixed internet preferences. Researchers at CivicScience surveyed 10,000 people for the study and the researchers appear to have been quite diligent about ensuring an appropriate mix of respondents. But beware...Learn More

The FCC is seeking to establish a $100 million “Connected Care Pilot Program” to support telehealth for low income Americans. The FCC connected care pilot program will be a focus on rural residents and veterans. The announcement was made in an op-ed with FCC Commissioner...Learn More

The cost to deploy fiber to unserved U.S. rural areas is about $61 billion, said Jim Stegeman, president of CostQuest Associates, an economic consultancy that specializes in telecom. Among CostQuest’s credentials: the company created the cost model used to determine broadband deployment costs for the...Learn More

The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), the Computer & Communications Industry Association,  ITTA – The Voice of America’s Broadband Providers (ITTA), and NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) have filed joint reply comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in opposition of the Commission’s proposed...Learn More

More than 200 companies (220) have qualified to participate in the Connect America Fund II (CAF II) auction scheduled to begin in late July, including large incumbent carriers such as Verizon, Cox, Windstream, Frontier, Cincinnati Bell and Hawaiian Telcom and dozens of rural telcos. Also...Learn More

The USF rural healthcare fund appears set to get an increase in its budget cap of $171 million annually, which would bring its annual budget to $571 million from its current $400 million. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai issued a press release today stating that a...Learn More

Rural rate of return (ROR) carriers that have had to pay into the Universal Service Fund (USF) based on internet as well as voice revenues will now have to pay only based on voice revenues. Other carriers pay into the fund only as a percentage...Learn More

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to extend the Connect America mobility fund challenge process by 90 days. At issue is a map issued by the FCC that shows certain areas having LTE coverage where some say that coverage does not exist. Pai’s action came in...Learn More

The FCC has a lot on its agenda for its next monthly meeting – including three items involving rural telecom issues. The FCC rural telecom issues pertain to rural carrier contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF), potential access charge rule changes and a possible...Learn More

The FCC this week released lists of companies that have submitted complete and partially complete applications to participate in the upcoming $2 billion Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II reverse auction to award broadband funding rejected by the nation’s largest local service providers in 20...Learn More

When the Universal Service Administration Company issued budget figures for the Universal Service Fund high-cost program yesterday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai took the opportunity to blame USF funding cuts on the previous administration and attempted to drum up support for alternative budget control mechanisms proposed...Learn More

Minnesota-based regional carrier Arvig said today that during the first quarter of 2018, more than 30 schools or school districts chose the company to provide high-speed internet, transport and voice services funded, in part, through the Universal Service Fund (USF) E-rate program, also known as...Learn More