October 2024

NTCA's Shirley Bloomfield on the future of the Universal Service Fund

On Light Reading's The Divide, Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, talks to host Nicole Ferraro about the fallout from the fifth circuit court's ruling this summer on the constitutionality of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and what comes next.

FCC and the broadband industry argue net neutrality’s future

Attorneys for the Federal Communications Commission and groups representing the broadband industry argued about the future of net neutrality to a panel of appeals court judges on October 31. The hearing was part of an endless political ping-pong game over net neutrality rules—which reclassify internet service providers (ISPs) as common carriers, barring them from selectively throttling web traffic. After being enacted under President Barack Obama and repealed under his successor, Donald Trump, they were reinstated by Joe Biden’s FCC in April.

Fiber Broadband Driving Home Sales and Value

Not only does fiber increase the power and capability of the home, but it also adds to the overall value of the real estate and its ability to be sold more quickly as buyers look for reliable high-speed broadband for work-from-home, telehealth, gaming, streaming, and smart home devices such as security cameras and personal assistance. According to Adtran, consumer needs for more broadband are growing every year. U.S.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves and Recommends for Award New York’s Digital Equity Capacity Grant Application for More Than $36 Million

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award an application from New York, allowing the state to request access to more than $36 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. New York will use its $36,984,641 in funding to implement key digital equity initiatives, including:

Election outcome has two different worlds for AI

Artificial intelligence, like everything else in the U.S.

Silicon Valley vs. American politics

Tech-world insiders are getting more involved than ever in national politics this year—and it’s not just Elon Musk. But as the presidential election looms, there’s a major disconnect between American politics and Big Tech when it comes to their visions of America’s future.