A Community Approach to Broadband in Vermont: CUDs
In Vermont, a thinly-populated rural state, private providers have often shown little interest in investing in broadband improvements.
July 2024
Video | California School Districts and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (Public Policy Institute of California)
Submitted by benton on Thu, 07/18/2024 - 16:56T-Mobile might spy another fiber joint venture, this time for Metronet (Fierce)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Thu, 07/18/2024 - 16:55NTIA will discuss the next stage in the Digital Equity Act grant programs and how states, local governments, tribal entities, and other stakeholders can reduce barriers to digital equity in their communities. Speakers will discuss what resources are available to them and how we can ensure Internet for All.
If you would like to request an accommodation to participate in this webinar, please email your request to InternetForAll@ntia.gov by Monday, July 15.
Older Home Networks Bottleneck Gigabit Services
Next-generation gigabit fiber speeds are running up against the limits of trailing-edge home Wi-Fi gear and other in-home factors, much to the chagrin of service providers and their customers, according to the latest research insights from Ookla.
Technician expert: stay adaptable in broadband and it will 'take care of you'
As people increasingly look to trade jobs in pursuit of more financial stability (without debilitating debt), one role worth considering is the broadband technician, according to Keith Busby. Currently a service technician for AT&T, Busby largely works on fiber installation, maintenance and
Accelecom, Franklin EPB Form Another Strong Broadband/Electric Partnership
The latest example of a broadband/electric partnership — pairing a fiber provider with a utility company for a broadband deployment — comes from Accelecom and the Franklin Electric Plant Board (Franklin EPB). They are joining forces to enable Franklin EPB to deliver high-speed internet services to the businesses and residents of Franklin, Kentucky.
FCC Caps Exorbitant Phone & Video Call Rates for Incarcerated Persons & Their Families
The Federal Communications Commission voted to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades. Under the new rules, the cost of a 15-minute phone call will drop to $0.90 from as much as $11.35 in large jails and, in small jails, to $1.35 from $12.10. The new rules also, for the first time, address the exorbitant cost of video visitation calls, dropping those prices to less than a quarter of current prices and requiring per-minute rate options based on consumers’ actual usage.
Benton Institute Marks a Major Milestone on Road to Prison Phone Justice
July 18 marks a major milestone on the long road to right a market dysfunction that has wronged incarcerated persons and their loved ones for decades. The Federal Communications Commission’s vote on Bringing Common Sense and Fairness to Correctional Facility Phone Rates will lower rates for voice phone calls including, perhaps most importantly, local and intrastate calls. Among the many other long overdue reforms, the agency’s Report and Order will end kickbacks, euphemistically called “site commissions,” to carceral facilities. No less significantly, the new measures are forward-looking