Nicole Ferraro

BEAD's high-cost threshold 'key area' of concern for fiber advocates

While the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's notice of funding opportunity prioritizes fiber builds for those applying for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants, a "high-cost threshold" exception has been a point of concern for fiber advocates like the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) CEO Gary Bolton. That threshold is a cost, to be set by the states, at which they may choose not to prioritize end-to-end fiber deployment. FBA is trying to make sure the states and territories writing up their funding plans keep that threshold as high as pos

LTD Broadband may lose Rural Digital Opportunity Fund dollars in Minnesota

LTD Broadband, the top bidder in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) that can't seem to hold on to its funding, may see its dollars revoked in yet another state. This time the company is being challenged in Minnesota, where the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in that state has ordered an investigation to determine if the company can deliver on the $311 million it was designated by the Federal Communications Commission to build out in the state's rural areas.

Skeptics fret over federal broadband map

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared an update on July 1 announcing the FCC had opened its new system to collect information on where 2,500 broadband providers deliver service. Providers have until September 1 to submit data. The new federal broadband data is supposed to make up for the Form 477 flaw, or the fact that the FCC has historically relied on coverage data per census block, as submitted by internet service providers.

Broadband administration jobs abound across US

The flood of funding coming down from the federal government to address the digital divide is spurring a range of broadband administrative hires in federal and state offices. At the federal level, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told a Senate committee in February 2022 that the department expected to make at least 100 new hires for broadband alone and to have one staffer at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) assigned to each state.

Here's what's changed for internet service providers under new FCC rules for apartments

With a 4-0 vote, the Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules banning revenue-sharing agreements for internet service providers (ISPs) and multi-tenant environments (MTEs), requiring disclosure of exclusive marketing arrangements and closing loopholes around indoor cable wiring regulations. The FCC has banned revenue-sharing agreements that it says inhibit competition.

For tribes, crucial broadband grants come with hurdles

However challenging it is to solve the digital divide across the US, it's even harder for Tribal communities. According to a 2021 report from the Federal Communications Commission, 79.1 percent of the population on Tribal lands can access broadband at the minimum speed of 25/3 Mbps. That compares to 82.7 percent of the rural US and 98.8 percent of urban areas.

The 'full fiber' versus 'tech neutral' debate heats up in the US

The US federal government's $65 billion broadband program is the country's single-largest commitment to achieving universal Internet access nationwide, and a funding deluge that people across the industry never expect to see again. With that in mind, technology and policy stakeholders are eager to get it right. "We will never be in a position to have this much funding available to get fiber to every American," said Gary Bolton, president of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA).

Where Biden's FCC pick Gigi Sohn stands on broadband

With the Biden administration on the cusp of passing the infrastructure bill with $65 billion in broadband funding, here are a few things we know about where Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] stands on crucial broadband issues: