Julia King

Fixed wireless is "absolutely part of the equation” for Colorado’s Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding plans, according to Brandy Reitter, executive director of the state’s broadband office.

As global economies race to curb climate change, the telecommunications industry is positioned to make a substantial difference.

Fiber network provider Underline Infrastructure launched its Opportunity Program to provide low-cost, high-tier internet service for households that qualify for the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). “If a family qualifies for the ACP—and we're honored to serve them—we will serve up no less of a performance or a service tier than what a 'paying family' would receive,” Thompson said.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) presented a draft five-year plan to connect the state’s unserved with broadband using the $1.86 billion it received through the federal government’s Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. But the CPUC’s plan comes with a warning that the total $4 billion available in state and federal broadband funding won't be enough to completely bridge the digital divide in California. There is a significant need for broadband across all of California, said the Wireless Internet Service Provider Association’s (WISPA) state advocacy manag

Land O'Lakes (yes, the butter company) is bridging the digital divide in the rural US. During the height of COVID, Land O’Lakes expedited its budding plans to help close the broadband access gap in rural America, said Vice President of rural services Tina May. As a cooperative owned by around 1,700 farmers, Land O’Lakes is situated in over 10,000 rural communities in the US, touching about half of the harvested acres in the country. In 2020 Land O’Lakes collaborated with local partners in rural, low-access areas to set up free Wi-Fi in parking lots.

Colorado secured a whopping $826 million in funding from the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which according to state lawmakers will help connect over 99% of Coloradan homes by the start of 2027. The collaboration of federal agencies, namely the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission, along with Colorado’s local stakeholders, served as a model for “how work gets done,” said Brandy Reitter, the Executive Director of the Colorado broadband office. As of now there are around 190,000 Colorado ho

Broadband experts are condemning an amendment to Ohio’s latest budget bill that restricts fixed wireless access (FWA) grants with claims that it could curb the state’s efforts to bridge the digital divide. Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed the bill without vetoing the amendment which means FWA grants from the state will now only be considered in “extremely high-cost” areas of Ohio. Mike Wendy of the Wireless Internet Service Provider Association (WISPA) said Ohio State Senator Rob McColley (R-OH) proposed the amendment to the budget bill, “ostensibly grounded in his belief that only fiber

Now that Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program allocations have been announced, each state has 180 days to submit initial proposals describing how they plan to run their grant programs. Initial proposals can be submitted beginning July 1, 2023. Once the National Telecommunications and Information Administration approves a state’s initial proposal, that state will be able to request access to 20% of its BEAD allotment. But as states pull together plans for the NTIA, there is still apprehension surrounding the extensive broadband buildouts needed across the country.

The Federal Communications Commission is once more facing pressure to go back on its decision allowing Ligado to deploy a 5G network using L-Band spectrum in the US, after rival satellite company Iridium filed a complaint in June 2023.

In a surprising move AT&T has mandated that 60,000 managers return to work in person to one of nine of the company’s offices, despite many employees living far away from any of those locations. While the company said restructuring will help cost savings and “increase collaboration,” it has ignited outrage among employees who see it as a disguised staff reduction effort. AT&T CEO John Stankey estimated that around 15% (9,000) of the affected managers will have to choose between relocating or leaving the company.