Better Internet for a Better Kentucky
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
February 2023
Analysis
Analysis
The Power of Big Tech Over American Democracy
I want to share some broad observations about the Internet’s dominance—and in particular, the dominance of the biggest digital platforms—over our economy, our society, and our democracy. It’s easy to forget how different the world was just 20 years ago. At the time, General Motors topped the Fortune 500 list. Apple was 285 on that list, and Amazon didn’t even make the cut. Twitter was still an idea somewhere in the recesses of Jack Dorsey’s head.
Fiber Broadband Association’s Where's The Funding? is a free-to-attend 12-part webinar series to help members understand, navigate, and obtain matching funds for broadband grants.
Episode 2 will welcome Evan Feinman, who serves as director of BEAD for the NTIA. Before joining the NTIA, Evan served the Commonwealth of Virginia as the governor's chief broadband advisor for nearly four years, from 2018 to 2022.
Closing the Digital Skills Divide: The Payoff for Workers, Business, and the Economy
Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, policymakers, businesses, and workforce advocates were already recognizing that workers were not being replaced by robots, but rather, being called upon to work hand-in-glove with rapidly evolving technology. Now — as leaders design labor market policies to drive a thriving and inclusive economy — it is imperative to understand this digital transformation. The analysis finds the following:
Kwikbit: Fixed Wireless Comes to Mobile Home Parks
Kwikbit is a network operator with a unique business model.
Rise Broadband gets scooped up by private equity firm GI Partners
Fixed wireless and fiber provider Rise Broadband has been acquired by private equity firm GI Partners – a move that will propel Rise’s fiber-to-the-home deployments in the rural US, the companies said. GI Partners and Rise aim to “execute a multi-year, fiber-based network expansion effort,” according to Brendan Collins, managing director and co-head of GI Data Infrastructure.
Grants Help Fund Surf Internet Fiber Expansion
As federal and local government agencies award funding to cover some of the costs of deploying broadband to unserved and underserved rural areas, one company that has used that funding from a variety of sources to fuel its deployment efforts is Surf Internet. The company—which serves parts of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan—has been around since 2001 and initially focused on using fixed wireless broadband to serve rural areas.
Comcast’s workforce shrank, Charter’s grew in 2022
Comcast exited 2022 with several thousand fewer employees than it had the year prior, but cable rival Charter Communications significantly expanded its own workforce over the same period. The changes highlight the different approaches the operators are taking to cut costs and drive efficiency as macroeconomic challenges mount. It’s not necessarily a surprise that Comcast’s employee count dropped given the operator confirmed layoffs in its cable field organization and media divisions in recent months.
President Biden Announces Appointments to the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
President Biden announced his intent to appoint highly qualified and diverse industry leaders as members of the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. The National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) advises the White House on the reliability, security, and preparedness of vital communications and information infrastructure. Appointees will join previously appointed NSTAC members to provide national security and emergency preparedness solutions by providing innovative policy recommendations backed by a unique industry perspective.