Universal Broadband

Minnesota's Office of Broadband Development announced the public comment period for the State's Draft Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, Initial Proposal (Volumes I and II) for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Public comments on the BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1 & 2 can be submitted online by completing this form. All comments must be received by 4:00 p.m. CDT, Tuesday, December 12, 2023.

From November 1 to December 2, 2023, all Maryland residents are encouraged and invited to read the State’s draft Digital Equity Plan​ to share their feedback and recommendations. Maryland’s Digital Equity Plan will serve as the state roadmap to achieve digital equity over the next five years. The Office of Statewide Broadband will incorporate feedback received from the public during the open comment period, and will publish the final plan afterwards.  

Palisade Infrastructure has successfully concluded the acquisition of Mashell, the parent company of Rainier Connect. Ranier Connect, a fiber and hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) broadband provider in Washington State, will now operate under Palisade’s new Lightcurve brand. The rebranding represents the “beginning of significant investments in the fiber optic internet infrastructure.” The infrastructure investment company originally announced its plans to acquire Rainier Connect in December 2022. Lightcurve currently serves Tacoma, Eatonville, Centralia, Chehalis and Graham in Washington.

Henderson County (TX) Commissioners approved an agreement with Brightspeed LLC to enhance broadband services within the county. The project will combine $2.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds with other state money to connect all of Henderson County to high-speed broadband internet when the projects are completed. Ultimately, the projects are expected to total $8 million and combine federal and state money. Brightspeed will deliver 114.7 miles of fiber and connect nearly 5,000 locations within Henderson County.

The Federal Communication Commission’s new Democratic majority is up and running and firing in all directions. The FCC plans to vote on a proposed “digital discrimination” rule. In the name of equity, Democratic Commissioners will make internet service worse. The agency will hold broadband providers liable for actions or “omissions” that result in a disparate impact on an identity group.

Healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients are increasingly relying on telehealth services (healthcare provision over the internet) to provide and seek care. It turns internet access disparities into a health equity concern, i.e., poor internet access can contribute to poor health. In response, two Federal Communications Commission programs in the United States—Healthcare Connect Fund and the Telecom Program—subsidize internet access for HCPs in rural or remote areas.

Three local providers were the big winners in the latest round of Minnesota’s Line Extension Connection broadband funding program. Two larger companies—Mediacom and Midco—also won funding in this round of the program, which awarded a total of almost $4.4 million. Mediacom won $190,501 to extend service to 37 locations and Midco won $166,800 to extend service to 21 locations.

Internet speeds have come a long way since the days of the dial-up modem, but sometimes you can’t beat the millennia-old method of carrier pigeon. At certain data volumes and distances, the pigeon is a quicker option for large swaths of rural America, where internet speeds can lag far behind the national average. Whether a pigeon can best the internet depends on three things: internet speed (check your own here), distance and data. It doesn’t make a difference online whether you’re sending a file across town to your neighbor

Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) launched North Carolina’s Digital Champion Grant program, which will help North Carolinians afford high-speed internet, obtain digital devices, and access digital literacy resources.

The Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) released the state's draft Digital Equity Plan with one goal in mind: to fulfill Oklahoma's Digital Promise. That promise, more specifically, is to ensure all Oklahomans can access and use affordable internet to advance health care, education, business, agriculture, public safety, and community development.