SiFi Networks will go live with the first neighborhood in its Placentia FiberCity Project where homes and businesses will gain access to the company’s all-fiber open access network. The project, which will cost around $35 million, is privately funded by SiFi Networks and will eventually provide access to some 20,000 locations in Placentia, California.
At Mountain Connect, a panel discussed some of the pros and cons of open access networks. These networks are deployed by one company and then leased to multiple internet service providers, which can then offer broadband service to end customers. Jack Waters, CEO of Intrepid Fiber Networks, said open access networks give consumers a choice of providers. “The idea of choice is incredibly powerful,” he said. “It’s not something you ever got in telecom.” He also said that building open access networks can make things less disruptive for communities.
Digital literacy is widely seen as an essential skill. But Americans’ understanding of digital topics varies notably depending on the subject. For example, majorities of US adults know what cookies on websites do and can identify a secure password.
We are writing to urge [Congressional leadership] to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides families with financial assistance for broadband access, to help bridge the digital divide. Congress has a role in ensuring that high-speed and reliable broadband is accessible to every household, nationwide. We urge you to include full funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in the upcoming government appropriations bill to ensure that households can access the broadband they desperately need.
The White House convened a roundtable with civil society leaders, researchers, and policymakers on how the data broker industry monetizes personal information and actions the Biden Administration is taking to address potential harms to American consumers. The session was hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Economic Council, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice.
After an apparent lull, the effort to have broadband access across the city of Holland (MI) looks to be back on the fast track. The Holland City Council unanimously approved the authorization of selling up to $23 million in unlimited tax general obligation bonds to fund the expansion of the Holland BPW’s broadband Internet transport services. The vote comes a year after voters approved the issuance of up to $30 million over 25 years for this initiative. According to Mayor Nathan Bocks, the financial effect on property owners won’t be immediately evident.
A $10.3 million public-private partnership between Chattooga County (GA) and fiber provider Windstream will provide broadband access to 3,400 addresses in the county. Key communities covered by the agreement, which will feature 320 miles of fiber cable, are Summerville, Trion, Lyerly, and Menlo. The partnership includes $3.1 million from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program, which is part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Windstream will invest $7.2 million and cover cost overruns. Work on the project is expected to be completed in 2024.
Lumos launched a new fiber-optic broadband network in Orange County, North Carolina. The previously announced partnership between Lumos and Orange County remains one of the largest public-private partnerships for fiber infrastructure in North Carolina’s history. It was made possible by significant investments from Lumos and an Orange County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund award and will reach more than 6,300 unserved homes in the County. Lumos has also committed millions more to increase the scope of the project, enabling it to serve an additional 22,000 addresses.
West Virginia is on the verge of a $1.2 billion federally funded broadband buildout but that expansion may be held up by a problem that’s been around for years. The state Broadband Enhancement Council is considering officially intervening in a case before the state Public Service Commission involving First Energy and Frontier Communications about pole attachments. State Broadband Office Director Kelly Workman told the council that pole agreements are “our biggest source of delay in (American Rescue Plan Act) funding projects so far.” “Costs have gone up exponentially the last three years co
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