Joan Engebretson

The million-plus veterans who live in rural America without broadband at home are the target of a new program. Microsoft and its partners will work with the Department of Veteran Affairs to provide “capital, technology expertise and training resources” to bring broadband access to underserved rural communities with veterans in need. Microsoft has devoted considerable attention to rural broadband and the new program joins at least two other ongoing Microsoft rural broadband programs.

Two dozen entities, including several broadband associations, are stepping up their T-Mobile Sprint merger opposition, sending a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and to a Department of Justice official arguing that the proposed merger would harm rural areas and reduce wireless competition. Most of the entities signing the letter to the FCC and DOJ are in the 4Competition Coalition, an alliance formed to oppose the merger.

Verizon needs mid-band spectrum for 5G, but could have difficulty obtaining it, argues a new research note from telecom financial analysts at MoffettNathanson.

When Microsoft announced plans in 2017 to work with network operators to bring broadband to rural areas lacking broadband service, the company had no problem finding network operators to participate in the program, dubbed Microsoft Airband. Microsoft’s initial plans called for 12 rural broadband projects in 12 states, with a strong emphasis on fixed wireless technology. The company later extended the timeframe and raised the goal to 25 states.

Nearly half of the US population (45%) lacks access to a low-price wired broadband offering, according to a new broadband affordability report from BroadbandNow, the organization that maintains a detailed database of broadband offerings throughout the US. The research also showed that people in rural areas pay higher prices and that, ironically, people in areas with higher average income pay less for service. Other key findings from the BroadbandNow research:

C Spire and T-Mobile have been duking it out in dueling letters to the Federal Communications Commission concerning T-Mobile rural plans which, according to T-Mobile, are contingent on its planned merger with Sprint being approved by regulators. T-Mobile has said it would broadly expand fixed wireless service to rural areas if it obtains Sprint’s vast spectrum holdings.

The Federal Communications Commission issued a public notice stating that it is “ready to authorize” $140 million in rural broadband funding for a portion of the entities that had winning bids in the Connect America Fund CAF II auction. The FCC is still reviewing required information submitted by auction winners and said other winners that meet all requirements to be deemed “ready to authorize” will be included in a future public notice.

The Federal Communications Commission will vote in Feb on proposed procedures for phasing out traditional Universal Service Fund (USF) support for areas served by price cap carriers in which the carrier did not accept funding through the Connect America Fund (CAF) to deploy broadband service. Those areas were subsequently made available for auction, with funding going to the network operator that offered to deploy broadband for the lowest level of support.

Next Century Cities, the American Action Forum, and Public Knowledge held a bipartisan discussion about tech policy priorities for the new Congress. 

Here are 10 questions about broadband we hope to find answers to in 2019: