Diana Goovaerts

Inflation is wreaking havoc on several broadband operators’ rural build plans, making financially tough projects even tougher. A number of operators with Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) commitments stated that the cost estimates for their builds have skyrocketed. Some are finding it difficult to find banks willing to lend them the money needed to complete their projects. That means those broadband providers without a hefty amount of cash on hand could be at risk of defaulting on their obligations.

Hexvarium is hoping to make it easier for service providers to understand the long-term costs and revenue associated with prospective broadband builds using a new software mapping tool. CEO Gerry Lawlor said that the tool will provide detailed data insights that have hitherto been lacking in the industry, and, ultimately help close the broadband gap. The company’s HexMAPP software breaks the entire US down into hexagonal blocks.

Nokia has been pushing hard on the fiber front, unveiling a new platform that will eventually support 100G capabilities. But President of Network Infrastructure Federico Guillén said that fixed wireless access is a key tool in the toolbox for areas where fiber may not reach. “Let’s face it. Fiber is going to reach 50%, 60%, 70% of the population with time.

Frontier revealed it has built 500,000 fiber locations in Connecticut and is aiming to add another 300,000 by the end of 2025. The operator is planning to invest $800 million to cover 800,000 locations in the state. That figure is consistent with previous statements from the company that its cost per passing falls between $900 and $1,000. Frontier has already covered portions of more than 70 towns across Connecticut, including Hartford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, West Hartford, North Haven, Glastonbury, Union, and Stafford Springs.

Wireless internet service providers (WISPs) have hit a breaking point. With fiber players gaining steam and both public and private funding fueling overbuilds of their territories, the heads of several fixed wireless providers say that they don’t expect WISPs to survive beyond the next five to 10 years—at least not in their current form. WISP executives said they are up against rising construction costs, staffing struggles, spectrum questions, and the impending retirement of long-time CEOs.

AT&T has made a point of pursuing public-private partnership agreements in recent months, striking deals in Indiana, Kentucky, and Texas. AT&T President of Broadband Access and Deployment Jeff Luong cites the company's ahead-of-schedule project in Indiana as a template for what might be achieved through future projects funded by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The executive noted that in addition to the publicly announced partnerships in Indiana, Kentucky, and Texas, AT&T has won a handful of other deals it hasn’t disclosed.

MetroNet's focus on building quickly and considerately is helping it win over mayors and other local officials in an increasingly competitive fiber market. The operator currently has construction underway in all 14 of the states where it operates, with work covering more than 90 cities.

After more than a year of waiting, Brightspeed finally closed on a $7.5 billion deal to acquire Lumen Technologies’ telecommunications assets in 20 states via its parent company Apollo Global Management.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) wants to let broadband grant winners from two key programs sidestep “Buy American” requirements currently tied to the money. In proposals submitted to the US Department of Commerce, the NTIA sought waivers for its $1 billion Middle Mile grant and $268 million Connecting Minority Communities Pilot programs.

Wireline operators are battling to bring residents in Florida back online as quickly as possible in the wake of Hurricane Ian, but conditions on the ground are making it hard to get to all the sites in need of repair. According to Federal Communications Commission data, the storm knocked out wireline service for nearly 526,000 people after it made landfall on September 28.