1. Monthly archive
  2. July 2022

July 2022

How many satellites are too many?

Broadband internet satellites are set to sweep the skies over the next decade at a scale never before seen. Just don’t ask policymakers today how exactly we’re going to manage the fallout. The story is a familiar one to longtime watchers of technology. Companies hooked up homes with electricity, with phone lines, TV signals and the internet — miracles of modern connectivity — but not without communities inheriting a cityscape loaded with hanging wires and accompanying fire hazards.

Cable Subscriptions Continue to Dive

Leichtman Research Group (LRG) recently released the cable customer counts for the largest providers of traditional cable service at the end of the first quarter of 2022. LRG compiles most of these numbers from the statistics provided to stockholders, except for Cox, which is privately held and estimated. Leichtman says this group of companies represents 96 percent of all traditional US cable customers. The industry continues to bleed customers, losing over 1.4 million customers in the fourth quarter, up from 1.3 million customers the previous quarter.

FCC Proposes a $220,000 Fine for Apparent Wire Fraud in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

The FCC proposes a forfeiture of $220,210 against Kyle Traxler and Cleo Communications for apparently willfully and repeatedly engaging in conduct that violated the federal wire fraud statute and the FCC’s rules between on or about May 14, 2021 and on or about August 11, 2021. Cleo made apparent misrepresentations to gain FCC authorization to be a participating provider in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program and then apparently used that authorization to defraud consumers using interstate wires.

FCC Consumer Advisory Committee Seeks Applications for Membership

The Federal Communications Commission announces the anticipated rechartering of the Consumer Advisory Committee and solicits nominations for membership on the Committee, subject to renewal of the Committee’s charter on or before October 16, 2022. Nominations for membership are due on August 1, 2022. The Committee’s mission is to make recommendations to the FCC regarding topics of particular interest to consumers, to be specified by the Commission, and to facilitate consumers’ participation in proceedings before the Commission.

FCC Announces Data Specifications for Bulk Fabric Challenge Data

The Federal Communications Commission announced the release of Data Specifications for Bulk Fabric Challenge Data, which sets forth the requirements for filing bulk challenges to broadband serviceable location (BSL) data in the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric. The Bulk Fabric Data Specification is available here. The FCC also provides further details on which locations are considered BSLs in the production version of the Fabric.

States Must Ease Zoning, Permit Regulations for Broadband Buildouts

States must ease regulations surrounding local building permits and zoning that may prevent internet service providers from building broadband infrastructure, according to experts in community and stakeholder engagement at a June 28 Rural Broadband Conference. “If you want to attract private industry or want to bring fiber to your community, you have to take a serious look at red tape,” said Bob Knight, CEO of marketing firm Harrison Edwards Strategic Communications.

Status Update: Mapping Where Broadband Is—and Is Not—Available in the US

For as long as people have been talking about the digital divide, there have been complaints that we lack detailed maps to tell us exactly where broadband is—and is not—available. I wanted to give people a brief of the latest key developments:

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