1. Monthly archive
  2. July 2022

July 2022

Why Fiber Is the Key to Getting Faster 5G Everywhere

While we're still a long way from seeing any of the much-hyped futuristic applications that 5G was supposed to bring, like autonomous vehicles or augmented reality, even the promised higher download speeds and super responsive networks have been inconsistent or simply unavailable to most people, especially those who live outside big cities or dense suburban communities. But there's a potential answer to the 5G coverage issue: more fiber. There's reason to be hopeful on the fiber front.

Planning for Churn

One of the factors that need to be considered in any business plan or forecast is churn – which is when customers drop service. I often see internet service providers (ISPs) build business plans that don’t acknowledge churn, which can be a costly oversight. There is a maxim among last-mile fiber networks that nobody ever leaves fiber to go back to a cable company network. That’s not entirely true, but it’s a recognition that churn tends to be lower on a last-mile fiber network than with other technologies. I wrote a recent blog that asked if broadband is recession-proof.

Vermont Announces More Than $48 Million in New Broadband Investments

Gov Phil Scott (D-VT) joined the Vermont Congressional Delegation, the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB), and several Cpmmunications Union Districts (CUDs) to announce an additional $48.8 million in broadband construction grant awards. This will bring the total investment in broadband buildout in Vermont to nearly $100 million since the launch of the VCBB in August 2021.

How the Capital Projects Fund Can Help Your State Close the Digital Divide

On July 14, the U.S. Department of the Treasury approved the plans of Kansas, Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota to use Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund support to help close the digital divide. Combined with the approval of Louisiana's, New Hampshire's, Virginia's, and West Virginia's plans in June, Treasury has announced nearly $1 billion in support to connect nearly 250,000 locations in the eight states.

Why suspected Chinese spy gear remains in America’s telecom networks

The US is still struggling to complete the break up with Chinese telecom companies that Donald Trump started four years ago. The problem: Small communications networks, largely in rural areas, are saddled with old Chinese equipment they can’t afford to remove and which they can’t repair if it breaks. The companies say they want to ditch the Chinese tech, but promised funds from Congress aren’t coming quickly enough and aren’t enough to cover the cost.

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