Joan Engebretson

Michigan Operators Seek $1.3 Billion in Broadband Funding: $231 Million Available

Over 150 network operators applied for funding in a broadband program operated by the state of Michigan. The operators requested $1.3 billion in funding through the program, which has a budget of $231 million. Applications were due on March 15, 2023, in the Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks (ROBIN) program. The $1.3 billion in funding would have covered some of the costs of broadband deployments estimated to cost a total of $2.3 billion. The applications proposed to connect approximately 380,000 locations.

Despite RDOF Rejection, Cal.net Gears Up for FWA, Fiber Builds

Cal.net, a service provider focused on offering fixed wireless access (FWA) and fiber broadband to California’s Central Valley and rural northern California, has a new CEO and new funding.

Consolidated Communications Begins Offering Broadband Through Maine Public Private Partnership

Consolidated Communications now offers 2 Gbps symmetrical service to more than 3,000 homes and small businesses in parts of rural Maine. The deployment was funded, in part, through money awarded to the company and to the Maine Connectivity Authority. The funding came through the Broadband Infrastructure Program administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

CostQuest Breaks Its Silence on Broadband Map Issues

The Federal Communications Commission's update of the National Broadband Map has received considerable criticism.

5G Revenue Analysis: Fixed Wireless Ranks Last Out of 8 Services

Fixed wireless access (FWA) generates the least revenue of eight 5G service types studied by professional services giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in a 5G revenue analysis. The researchers estimate that FWA service generates just 14 cents of revenue per gigabyte (GB) based on a price of $50 a month. The service type that generates the most revenue per GB, according to the researchers, is internet of things (IoT) connectivity for low-usage plans.

Bloomfield Urges NTCA Members to “Take Back” the Rural Broadband Narrative

In a reference to all the attention and funding that is being focused on rural broadband, NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield said, “We need to be making hay while the sun is shining.” Bloomfield highlighted two new initiatives aimed at helping members make hay.

BEAD Director to States: You Can Fix Broadband Map Problems

Evan Feinman, director of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, said states have the opportunity to correct some of the deficiencies of the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map by running their own challenge process. He noted, for example, that “communities will be able to bring forward large numbers of speed tests” – a move that could address concerns about the accuracy of the availability data that service providers are reporting.

How to Line Up BEAD Matching Funds: Experts Offer Advice

The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program has $42.5 billion to invest in rural broadband. But that funding is not expected to cover the full cost of making broadband available to unserved areas. That’s where matching funds come in. Program rules call for network operators seeking BEAD funding to use other funding sources to cover at least 25% of project costs, except in the highest-cost areas. States have the option of setting the minimum even higher. Where can networks get matching funds? 

AT&T Gets Set to Cohabit in Frontier Central Offices

AT&T and Frontier have signed a deal that will enable AT&T to deploy wireless infrastructure in Frontier's central offices. The deal also calls for AT&T to purchase fiber connectivity to connect with cell towers that are in Frontier’s network.

Alaska Communications Expansion

Alaska Communications expanded broadband availability and boosted speeds to almost 5,000 homes in the Interior region of the state in 2022. The company used a wide range of last-mile technologies – from XGS-PON to fixed wireless, even some DSL — to achieve that. The Alaskan Interior can be thought of as the center of the state – the area most removed from the state’s lengthy coastline. Much of the area is wilderness.

Comcast to Spend $36 Million on Indiana Fiber, State Will Chip in $13.6 Million

Comcast plans to spend $36 million to deploy fiber broadband to unserved and underserved areas of 19 Indiana counties. The company has signed contracts with the state, which will contribute $13.6 million toward total project costs of $50 million. The state's funding comes through the Indiana Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program.

Big RDOF Winner Nextlink Internet Buys Nebraska Fiber Operator

Nextlink Internet, which was one of the top 10 winners in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) rural broadband funding auction, has purchased most of the assets of Bluestem Network, a fiber broadband provider based in Lancaster and Seward Counties in Nebraska. Nextlink said it plans on using Bluestem’s assets as “a base to continue growing our fiber internet presence across southeast Nebraska.” Nextlink is already deploying fiber in nearby Gage County.

Fiber Vs. DOCSIS 4.0: How Long Will Fiber’s Edge Last?

Telephone companies (telcos) that have been deploying fiber broadband are having a moment in the sun, finally reversing years of broadband subscriber losses to the cable companies. But will this last? What has given telcos an edge is fiber broadband’s ability to support gigabit and even multi-gigabit speeds bi-directionally. With traditional technology, cable companies can offer gigabit and multi-gigabit speeds but only in the downstream direction.

New Iridium “Companion” Acts More Like a Wi-Fi Hotspot Than Previous Generation Did

Satellite operator Iridium is calling its new Iridium Go Exec device a “satellite access companion.” The device is designed to act more like a Wi-Fi hotspot in comparison with the previous generation device called simply Iridium Go. The new device is also more compact and connects more quickly, according to Iridium. End users will be able to use up to four smartphones and other Wi-Fi devices simultaneously with the device, which is available for sale now.

Charter Shares Rural Broadband Take Rate Success

Charter President and CEO Chris Winfrey hopes to complete the company's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF)-funded rural broadband deployment ahead of time. Charter made broadband available to 200,000 new rural locations in 2022, according to Winfrey. The Charter rural take rate for “passings open at least six months” is “ahead of expectations at about 40%,” he said. Charter was one of the largest winners in the RDOF rural broadband program.

Mending the Fabric: FCC Says to File Broadband Location Challenges by March 15- What About BEAD?

The Federal Communications Commission is encouraging state and local governments and broadband providers to file bulk challenges to the commission’s broadband serviceable location database by March 15, 2023.

AT&T Expects to See BEAD Projects Awarded This Year, Shares Gigapower Vision

AT&T expects to see Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding flow from the federal government to the states and expects the “more aggressive” states to award some of that funding to broadband projects before the end of 2023, said AT&T CEO John Stankey. Citing the 80/20 rule, Stankey said, “The bigger states that are going to have the bulk of the funding are pretty zoned in on this and are moving pretty aggressively to get the process underway." Smaller states, he said, may “take a little bit longer to get their act together” and may be waiting to see what the more agg

Alaska (Still) Aims to Use State Broadband Map to Get Its Fair Share of BEAD Funding

Engineering firm Dewberry Alaska—in collaboration with mapping company Ecopia AI, Rasmuson Foundation, and the State of Alaska—is working on a broadband map based on what Ecopia AI is calling “an accurate, up-to-date and complete map of every building, in both rural and urban areas, in the state.” Ecopia AI’s specialty is applying artificial intelligence (AI) to satellite imagery to identify buildings.

As Stakeholders Rush to File Broadband Availability Challenges, Is It Already Too Late for Location Challenges?

January 13, 2023 was the date set by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for challenges to be made to the National Broadband Map, which will be used to determine how much money goes to each state in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) rural broadband funding program.

MoffettNathanson: Why Charter’s Network Upgrade Budget is Less Than Comcast’s

Comcast is targeting “less than $200” per location to upgrade its network to support higher and more symmetrical broadband speeds, but Charter is only targeting $100 per location with the same goal, note financial analysts from MoffettNathanson. The analysts delved into the differences between what the two companies are planning and speculated about the difference in cost estimates. The number of locations targeted for the two companies are similar – 50 million for Comcast and 55 million for Charter. The key differences between the anticipated costs, according to MoffettNathanson:

Community Phone Aims to Cash in on Simple Landline Replacement

More than 20 million businesses have a landline phone as their main business number. Three-quarters of people over the age of 75 rely on a landline phone. And one-third of US households have a landline phone.

FCC Finds 11 Broadband Providers That Cover 5% or More of the U.S. Population, Number 11 is a Surprise

JAB Broadband, also known as Rise Broadband, is a fixed wireless provider with a geographical footprint that reaches about 5.4% of the US population. JAB is one of just 11 US broadband providers that   cover 5% or more of the population. Its presence on the list underscores the importance of fixed wireless beyond the metro areas, which are the primary markets for Verizon and T-Mobile. Many of the nation's 2,201 fixed broadband providers are small fixed wireless providers, some serving just a handful of customers. But JAB/Rise has been acting as a consolidator in that market.

Frontier Has Received $440 Million in Broadband Grants; Spillover Impact Expected, says CFO

Frontier has received $440 million in government grants for broadband deployments, said the company’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Scott Beasley. Most of that money came from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). Frontier was one of the top 10 winning bidders in the RDOF auction, which awarded funding to the company that committed to deploying service to an area for the lowest level of support.

What’s Missing from Comcast Symmetrical Multi-Gigabit Live Connection Announcement

Comcast said that it successfully completed a trial of 10G and full duplex DOCSIS 4.0 technology delivering symmetrical multi-gigabit speeds on a live connection. The company said it will continue to trial the technology “over the next several months in preparation for offering 10G-enabled services to customers in the second half of 2023.” The cable industry uses the term “10G” for a range of technology advances aimed at enhancing internet connectivity. Full duplex DOCSIS 4.0 is one of those advances.