Fierce
Municipalities can apply for BEAD. Will it matter?
In spite of all the public broadband haters, municipalities will be allowed to vie for money from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Fastwyre revs up network upgrades as it reaches 120,000 passings (Fierce)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Mon, 03/18/2024 - 16:56Maybe speed isn’t everything when it comes to connectivity
Speed is but one thread in the tapestry of connectivity and user experience. To address bandwidth-constrained households, some ISPs and vendors are exploring alternative routes to enhance network performance. Traffic prioritization tools within the home, for instance, offer a potential solution for the bandwidth-constrained. The key to driving user adoption of tools like this is to make the interface easy to use, and automate where possible. Speed has become “less relevant,” said OpenVault CEO Mark Trudeau, now that the industry has reached multi-gig levels.
Dish marks 5G drive test milestone, validating its network speeds (Fierce)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Fri, 03/15/2024 - 16:37RDOF defaulters hinder state BEAD programs
There’s a lot of talk about how the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) might make a mess of things with the Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) program. That’s because if a location is covered by an RDOF award, then it’s ineligible for a BEAD grant. Unfortunately, many RDOF awardees have officially defaulted on their obligations to build fiber, or they just haven’t made any progress in deploying the fiber.
Monetizing fixed wireless access is the next big thing
Consumer fixed wireless (FWA) access growth using 5G networks has been one of the bright spots of the move to the new cellular standard. Both T-Mobile and Verizon in the United States have seen success offering the latest wireless technology to replace cable internet for the public stateside and it is spreading across the world. The reason?
NTIA’s spectrum implementation plan elicits mostly praise (Fierce)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Thu, 03/14/2024 - 14:35DIY public broadband guide gives power to the people
In news that's probably not sitting well with public broadband naysayers, communities now have a handy guidebook to build their own networks.
Questions emerge about Mercury Broadband's coverage in Michigan
Chris Scharrer, founder and CEO of DCS Technology Design, claims that Mercury Broadband has overstated its ability to provide fixed wireless access (FWA) in 12 Michigan counties on the FCC’s broadband map. And he says this is deterring other providers from competing for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grants. Scharrer has mapping data that shows Mercury has claimed it provides practically ubiquitous coverage across 12 counties in Southern Michigan.