Incompas submitted comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s Public Notice that seeks input on the state of the communications marketplace to inform the FCC’s required assessment of the state of competition in the communications marketplace in its upcoming Communications Marketplace Report to Congress. Incompas states, in its comments:
Imagine Idaho Foundation is working to bring better internet connection and access to the state. This non profit organization is doing so by trying to bring broadband infrastructure to all of Idaho. They believe this way of connectivity will create stronger, stable communities across the state while improving economic, telehealth and education benefits. Idaho will receive $100 million through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program at a minimum; however, they say they have seen estimates of up to $1 billion for funding.
The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking taking measures to improve the reliability and resiliency of mobile wireless networks that are a significant lifeline for those in need during disasters and other emergencies.
In eastern Idaho, two relatively small towns, Idaho Falls (population 62,000) and Ammon (16,000) have begun treating broadband as an essential service. These fairly conservative communities offer residents access to lightning-fast internet at low cost. They rely on variations of the same theme to achieve these results: public network ownership. It’s a model that’s gaining steam nationwide, with Detroit (MI) set to begin construction on a $10 million network explicitly modeled after the one engineered in tiny Ammon.
A new reverse auction by the Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) will allow telecommunication companies to bid on funds. The PSC’s order for the auction, NUSF-131, was entered on June 28. It sets the procedure for the reverse auction to bring broadband services of at least 100 megabits per second to certain census blocks in the state. The affected areas are primarily in northeast and south-central Nebraska, with none of them venturing farther west than McCook (NE). This will be a first-of-its-kind effort for a state to pull off.
With billions of dollars both public and private on the table, new fiber players are springing up left and right. Some are small, rural telecom companies who have decided to make the technology leap from DSL. Others are entirely new entrants targeting strategic pockets of certain states, as Wire 3 is doing in Florida. It seems almost impossible that all will survive in the long run. But is the fiber industry destined for a rollup akin to what’s already been seen in cable and wireless? And if so, when will it happen and who will be doing the buying?
One of the city of Portland (OR)’s smallest bureaus is beefing with some of the nation’s largest companies. It’s a fight that might sound abstract but could touch the wallet of every household in town. At issue are the franchise and utility fees that the Portland Office for Community Technology levies on corporate behemoths—AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, NW Natural, and many others—for access to the city’s right of way.
© 1994-2025 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.
