Internet/Broadband

Industry lawyers and consultants predict the recently enacted $1 trillion infrastructure measure is likely to create more investment opportunities for private-equity firms in areas they already favor, such as telecommunications, while doing little to expand their presence in the government-dominated transportation sec

Ting Internet geared up to tackle its largest market yet, striking a deal with Colorado Springs Utilities to become the anchor tenant on a city-wide fiber network the electric, water and gas company plans to build. The forthcoming fiber network will pass upwards of 200,000 addresses, with construction set to begin by Q3 of this year. Ting said it plans to hire a dedicated team to serve Colorado Springs (CO) customers and expects to begin providing service in the city in 2023.

AT&T opened enrollment for its discounted internet service plans that are being offered as part of a federal program designed to lower the cost of internet access for low-income Americans. Called the Affordable Connectivity Program, the initiative is overseen by the Federal Communications Commission and funded through the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law, passed in November 2021. AT&T said the benefits can be applied to a variety of eligible AT&T internet plans, as well as eligible AT&T and Cricket Wireless plans.

The Federal Communications Commission released draft rules for the Affordable Connectivity Program. If adopted, the released Report and Order would finalize rules for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which builds upon the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program), and will offer eligible low-income households discounts off the cost of broadband service and connected devices.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced the ConnectALL initiative, the largest ever investment in New York's 21st-century infrastructure. Under the new initiative, New York State will use over $1 billion in public and private investments to connect New Yorkers in rural and urban areas statewide to broadband. This includes:

The US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is requesting public comment on a wide range of policy and program considerations associated with new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, and the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program.

On December 23, 2021, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) highlighted the accomplishments of its new Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth over the past year and begins what will be annual tracking of investments in federal broadband support programs and Universal Service Fund programs. In the ACCESS BROADBAND 2021 Report NTIA also makes recommendations to improve efforts to track broadband spending and outcomes. The law also requires the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth to submit a report to Congress each year that i

The US Department of the Treasury started disbursing State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to state, local, territorial, and Tribal government recipients on May 10, 2021. A subset of these recipients were required to submit initial reports on August 31, 2021. Treasury is processing these reports and will make them publicly available soon. In the meantime, highlights from the Recovery Plan Performance Reports submitted by recipients include both immediate and long-term plans across eligible use categories.

In November 2021, the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau sought comment on a range of issues related to modifications and changes in transitioning the EBB Program to the Affordable Connectivity Program established by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. To create a record that would allow the FCC to promulgate rules by the statutory deadline of January 14, 2022, and consistent with congressional directive, the Bureau established a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding with comments due December 8, 2021, and reply comments due December 28, 2021.

Lumen plans to increase locations reached by fiber from the current 2.5 million to 12 million, representing a five-times increase over the company’s traditional deployment rate according to President and CEO Jeff Storey. Those deployments target the 16 states that Lumen will retain after plans to sell its local exchange business in 20 states to Apollo Funds are completed.