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  2. January 2024

January 2024

Looking ahead: Will Universal Service Fund reform finally happen?

The Universal Service Fund (USF) – which financially supports several of the Federal Communications Commission's high-cost and low-income broadband programs, at roughly $8 billion annually – has been going through a tough time. This past year saw the USF dragged before federal court in cases brought by a conservative public interest group questioning the fund's legality. The Fifth and Sixth Circuit courts initially ruled against the petitioners, but the Fifth Circuit then agreed to hear the case en banc in September and has yet to rule.

2023's fiber achievements: AT&T, Google Fiber and more

As the curtain begins to rise on the prospect of $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) deployments, many are looking ahead to see what the historic investment will mean for broadband expansion. But before we turn our gaze toward the future, let's pause and reflect on the fiber milestones achieved thus far. A November 2023 analysis from New Street Research revealed that the telecommunications industry collectively increased fiber locations by 1.8 million in the third quarter of this year, with “most of the increase driven by AT&T.”

Analysis

A Vision and a Mission for Digital Equity in North Carolina

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Comcast, CommScope turned cable's wheels in 2023

Although fiber was the talk of the town in 2023 – with state and federal governments doling out funding to support fiber projects – the cable industry also underwent some changes. Comcast began DOCSIS 4.0 rollouts. In October, it unveiled a new line of symmetrical multi-gig service with speeds of up to 2 Gbps. Another interesting development this year was the “relatively speedy evolution” of extended DOCSIS 3.1. Cable operators can extend DOCSIS 3.1 to buy more time before they need to upgrade to an end-to-end DOCSIS 4.0 system.

Here's what happened with BEAD in 2023

Broadband funding really got rolling in 2023, as the federal government began the process of its $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. To help states and territories with their challenge process, in April, National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) released draft guidance that expands upon the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued in May 2022. States got their BEAD allocations, with the highest funding amounts going to Texas ($3.31 billion), California ($1.86 billion), Missouri ($1.74 billion), Michigan ($1.56 billion) and North

Final Round of ConnectSD Broadband Grants

The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) awarded the final round of ConnectSD broadband grants. These awards will make quality, future-proof, high-speed internet available to underserved households across the state. GOED is awarding $32.4 million to three providers. These three projects will leverage private matching dollars for a total investment of over $40.3 million, connecting over 2,160 households, farms, and businesses. The funding is from the 2021 legislative appropriation, relinquished projects, and closed projects under budget. The awardees are:

EchoStar Corporation Completes Merger with DISH Network Corporation

EchoStar Corporation completed its acquisition of DISH Network Corporation on December 31, 2023. To complete the acquisition, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar merged with and into DISH Network, with DISH Network surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar. The transaction combines DISH Network’s satellite technology, streaming services, and nationwide 5G network with EchoStar’s premier satellite communications solutions.

Creating Digital Opportunities in Nebraska

Nebraska is both an agricultural state and a state with growing metropolitan areas. Agriculture, in particular, is important to Nebraska’s economy; Nebraska ranks second in the use of precision agriculture technologies. Nebraska ranks 3rd in percent of households with fiber internet available, with 56 percent of households having fiber available. However, Nebraska ranks 30th in the availability of 25/3 Mbps and 100/20 Mbps broadband via copper, cable, fiber or licensed fixed wireless.

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