Fierce
CEO Brian Roberts admits Comcast hasn’t competed well for low-end broadband
Billions of dollars are about to flow from the Broadband Equity Access & Deployment (BEAD) Program, which is driving all kinds of interest in delivering fiber broadband to unserved and underserved areas of the US. In addition, the wireless carriers, T-Mobile and Verizon, are deploying fixed wireless access (FWA) in many underserved areas where people have never been happy with their choices of low-speed cable or DSL. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said, “I don't think we competed as well for the lower end of the market.
Frontier CFO: Cost per passing “not the most important value driver” of fiber build
Frontier Communications said it expects its cost per passing to fall in the $1,000 to $1,100 range in 2023.
Google Fiber seeks volunteers to test 20-gigabit product (Fierce)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Wed, 05/17/2023 - 12:51Microsoft amplifies Airband globally
Microsoft will expand its Airband Initiative partnerships with service providers across Latin America and Africa to provide high-speed internet access for nearly 40 million people. The Airband Initiative, launched in 2017, initially focused on tapping into unused broadcast frequencies between TV channels (or TV white spaces) to help deliver enhanced connectivity coverage and advance digital equity in the U.S.
Nebraska broadband chief dishes on bureaucratic roadblocks for mapping and BEAD
Patrick Redmond, Nebraska’s interim broadband director, described his workspace as “an office of one.” Given the Nebraska Broadband Office was just created in January 2023, he said “there’s a big learning curve” in tackling the broadband landscape. One order of business is to get the state’s broadband maps up and running. Redmond said Nebraska has been working with a vendor since February 2023 to develop a map prototype.
Anterix sells 900 MHz spectrum to the Lower Colorado River Authority (Fierce)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Mon, 05/15/2023 - 15:32Lifeline in crosshairs as Senate weighs USF reforms
Is the Lifeline program effective? Should E-Rate be expanded to cover school-related connectivity outside of campuses? Would it make sense to fold the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) into the Universal Service Fund (USF)? These were some of the questions asked and answered at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the state of universal service. Sen John Thune (R-SD) claimed the Lifeline program is “riddled with waste, fraud and abuse” and chided the Federal Communications Commission for failing to evaluate whether the program is functioning as intended.
Ohio ‘ahead of the game’ with broadband workforce training, says Lt. Gov
Like most states, Ohio has its own approach to bolstering broadband accessibility. One area where Ohio is seeing progress, Lt. Governor Jon Husted (R-OH) said, is in enhancing its broadband workforce. Lt. Gov Husted, who also leads Ohio’s Office of Workforce Transformation, explained Ohio State University (OSU) has developed a curriculum for 5G and high-speed internet expansion, which can be used by other colleges and universities as well as the private sector.
Private equity firms discuss the business model of fiber deployments
WIA Connect(X) show panelists were asked if there is a magic number that developers should target for the cost per home passed with fiber. Beth Hoffman, managing director with Berkshire Partners, said that a lot of it depends on the density of the market. The cost per home passed in a dense city like San Francisco (CA) could be as low as $700.