December 2018

Muni Broadband’s Ominous Threat to the First Amendment

As a staunch supporter of limited government and free speech, I have regularly objected to government attempts to own and control the nation’s communications networks. I have been a staunch critic of government projects to build and operate broadband networks. Beyond flirting with a perverse form of socialism, municipalities’ overbuilding of private providers creates market inefficiencies, distorts competitive outcomes, encourages regulatory favoritism towards state-owned networks, and can be a waste of taxpayer money. Even in instances where municipal, or muni, broadband reaches unserved a

The Racial Digital Divide Persists

In 2016, Free Press released Digital Denied, which showed that disparities in broadband adoption — commonly known as the digital divide —stem not only from income inequality, but from systemic racial discrimination. The report found that nearly half of all people in the country without home-internet access were people of color. Much of that gap was indeed the result of income inequality.

More States Launch Lifeline National Verifier

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces that effective January 15, 2019, the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) will fully launch in five states – Hawaii, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and South Dakota – and one territory – Guam.

Department of Agriculture Launches New Program to Create High-Speed Internet e-Connectivity in Rural America

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering up to $600 million in loans and grants to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. Telecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and utilities, internet service providers and municipalities may apply for funding through USDA’s new ReConnect Program to connect rural areas that currently have insufficient broadband service. Answering the Administration’s call to action for rural prosperity, Congress appropriated funds in the fiscal year 2018 budget for this broadband pilot program.

Sponsor: 

Federal Communications Commission

Date: 
Mon, 01/14/2019 - 16:00 to 22:00

FCC Releases Form 477 Data on Broadband Deployment as of December 2017

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) released updated data on fixed broadband deployment and mobile voice and broadband deployment as of December 31, 2017. These data were collected through FCC Form 477 and are available on the FCC's website.

Proposed First Quarter 2019 Universal Service Contribution Factor

The Federal Communications Commission's Office of Managing Director (OMD) announces that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the first quarter of 2019 will be 0.200 or 20.0 percent. Total Projected Collected Interstate and International End-User Telecommunications Revenues for First Quarter 2019: $12.289162 billion.