Lessons Learned from RDOF: Some Advice for the States as They Embark on BEAD
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
August 2023
Op-ed
Op-ed
Embracing the Digital Age – At Every Life Stage
In today’s rapidly changing world, digital literacy has become an essential skill for people of all ages. To help connect seniors to the skills they need, we’re meeting them where they are through digital literacy workshops held in communities across the country.
Senator Luján (D-NM) Leads Colleagues in Urging the FCC to Combat Digital Discrimination
We write concerning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) “Prevention and Elimination of Digital Discrimination” (Docket/RM 22-69). We urge you to take swift action to adopt final rules to facilitate equal access to broadband internet. Congress intended Section 60506 to require internet service providers to end discrimination resulting from programs and policies that perpetuate systemic barriers for people of color and other underserved groups.
Biden-Harris Administration Awards First Grants from Wireless Innovation Fund
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded nearly $5.5 million in the first round of grants from the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. This first round of funding will support research and development and testing activities related to evaluating energy efficiency, measuring performance of interoperable equipment and testing methods for sharing spectrum. The funding totaled $5,482,052 and was awarded to projects at Northe
Cable operators can get to 8 Gbps without end-to-end DOCSIS 4.0
DOCSIS 4.0 has been billed as the technology that will put cable operators on par with 10G PON service from fiber providers, but a recent CableLabs interoperability event showed cable companies can hit over 8 Gbps with a mix of new and old gear. CableLabs Principal Architect Doug Jones said that operators demonstrated speeds of “eight point something” gigabits per second downstream and 1.5 Gbps upstream. But rather than using an end-to-end DOCSIS 4.0 system, this was done using a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem termination system (CMTS) in a high split configuration and a DOCSIS 4.0 modem.
Telecommunications and the climate crisis: Solutions for cutting CO2
As global economies race to curb climate change, the telecommunications industry is positioned to make a substantial difference.
RDOF Winner Coalition Still Hopes for Additional Funding Due to Increased Costs
A group known as the Coalition of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Winners is still hoping that the Federal Communications Commission will release additional funding to the companies to help cover the large increases in deployment costs that the winners have experienced since the RDOF rural broadband funding auction was completed in 2020, just prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. One of the companies seeking extra funding is Aristotle Broadband, which won $62 million in the auction for deployments primarily in Arkansas and Mississippi, including persistent poverty cou
Tennessee Broadband Director Talks BEAD and Why the State Targeted 3 Counties for Capital Projects Fund Dollars
The Tennessee Economic and Community Development Office (TNECD) will begin accepting applications for $60 million in Capital Projects Fund (CPF) dollars for rural broadband deployments in September 2023. But not every county will be eligible for funding. “We wanted to look at counties that historically had very few applications for grant programs," Tennessee State Broadband Director Taylre Beaty said.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel's Response to Members of Congress Regarding GAO Report on Performance Goals and Measures
In January 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) publicly released a report which makes nine recommendations to assist the Federal Communications Commission enhance the Affordable Connectivity Program’s (ACP) performance goals and measures, language translation process, consumer outreach plan, and various processes for managing fraud risk. The FCC has undertaken an aggressive and robust corrective plan to address and resolve each of GAO’s nine recommendations.