Analysis

On July 24th the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) launched the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity. As applicants work on their applications, it is critical to keep in mind the importance of sustainable project planning and meaningful change. Meaningful change can create a lasting, measurable impact that resonates for years to come. Successful Digital Equity Projects should be designed with both the present and future in mind, ensuring that the benefits extend well beyond the initial grant period.

In May 2023, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the minority leader of the Senate Commerce Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an examination of how the Federal Communications Commission administers the Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF consists of money collected from telecommunications companies that is dedicated to fulfilling the goals of universal service.

Communities looking to leverage American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for broadband or other local infrastructure need to act soon or risk losing access to a once-in-a-generation funding resource. Most ARPA recipients seem well aware of the deadline, but data suggests more than a few communities could drop the ball. The Treasury Department tracks allotted ARPA awards and projected budget plans via a massive database.

Nokia recently announced that it is introducing radios that will increase both the capabilities and performance of fixed wireless access (FWA) cellular broadband. The technology that probably will have the most impact on wireless performance is the use of MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) antenna arrays. Nokia recently announced that it will be deploying Massive-MIMO antennas that will allow for 16 layers of data transmission, up from 4 layers deployed in today’s cellular antennas. These coming improvements are going to mean better performance for FWA.

Once considered only a place to borrow books, libraries are emerging as a resource to educate Californians on how to navigate the Internet, providing access to employment and training opportunities, online services like telehealth, and much more. To ensure that library patrons can make the most of these opportunities, libraries also provide in-house digital navigators trained to assist patrons in getting online and acquiring necessary digital skills.

The results of a recent Technology Policy Institute study feed into the narrative that is rolled out every year by the lobbyists for the biggest internet service providers (ISPs)—that broadband prices are getting cheaper. The big ISPs mean that the price per megabit is getting cheaper—but the study says the absolute prices are getting cheaper. The easiest way to understand my objection is to consider the price of a 100 Mbps broadband product from 2013 to 2024. 

With Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding, the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) will deploy broadband infrastructure to un-connected, unserved, underserved, and community anchor institution (CAI) locations throughout the state. Maine’s long-term broadband deployment goals are established by statute and include: "Secure, affordable, reliable, competitive and sustainable forward-looking advanced communications technology infrastructure that can meet current and future needs." Cost is a significant barrier to broadband adoption for many Mainers.

A recent federal court ruling is unlikely to mean the permanent end of the E-rate program that funds school telecommunication services, but the program's future is still uncertain. On a recent webinar, attorneys Sean Lev and Andy Schwartzman emphasized the recent ruling will have no near-term effects on E-rate.

We’re finally seeing many consumer-friendly initiatives from the Biden administration coming to fruition. The White House recently announced a Time is Money initiative that would require corporations to implement customer-friendly practices to eliminate long hold times and excessive paperwork for customers. This is a follow-up to a proposed rule from the Federal Trade Commission in March that would require companies to make it as easy to cancel service as it is to subscribe.

The digital divide in Illinois remains wide and deep. At least 2.9 million individuals in 1.3 million households (roughly 28 percent) do not have a subscription to high-speed internet. This gap is driven by gaps in infrastructure availability, affordability of subscriptions or devices, and/or limited digital skills. The state of Illinois is committed to changing this picture. Digital equity requires affordable broadband.