Internet/Broadband

The US Department of the Treasury issued the Final Rule for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, enacted as a part of the American Rescue Plan, which delivers $350 billion to state, local, and Tribal governments to support their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 230 communities have applied for National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program grants. But community leaders increasingly say they’re facing costly, unnecessary challenges from incumbent broadband providers, who are exploiting unreliable US broadband maps to overstate existing coverage and defend the status quo.

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Adrianne B Furniss named Adam Echelman a new Benton Fellow. Over the next two years, Echelman will create unique and diverse narratives that explore how low-income adults are grappling with the digital divide. The narratives will appear as a mix of photo essays, video shorts, radio interviews, feature articles, and op-eds. "Adam Echelman's exciting and much-needed work is exactly what the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund was created to support," said Furniss.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the January 2022 Open Commission Meeting:

AT&T CEO John Stankey revealed the operator is conducting market tests of a multi-gig fiber service and plans to capitalize on an industry shift to bundled connectivity. Stankey stated rising bandwidth demand for use cases like video will require a robust fixed connection and highlighted a positive consumer response to a multi-gig fiber pilot it is running.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs released the Alabama Broadband Map, the official broadband map for the state of Alabama.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel reflected on the accomplishments of the agency in 2021. The chairwoman highlighted a number of programs, funding opportunities, auctions and new initiatives enacted by the FCC, including:

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sent letters to 12 members of Congress on December 13, 2021, regarding the July 2021 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on small business broadband speed needs. "I do not believe the FCC’s current speed benchmark for broadband, 25 megabits per second download and 3 megabits per second download, is adequate," said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. "As GAO points out, the FCC’s speed benchmark has remained at 25/3 Mbps since 2015, despite major changes in demand for broadband in the intervening years.

New research shows high-level broadband data for each US state, offering a visual representation of average maximum broadband download speeds available in each county in the state, along with state-wide changes in availability, adoption, and speed time.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded to Rep Brian Higgins (D-NY)'s letter asking for a progress update on the agency's broadband data collection process. Rosenworcel's response noted the formation of the Broadband Data Task Force, progress on the new Broadband Data Collection systems and processes, work on the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric, and the FCC's efforts to encourage people to use its Speed Test app as part of the agency's Measuring Broadband America program.