Analysis

In September, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Census Bureau announced an ambitious new initiative to improve our understanding of Internet use at a local level. Local Estimates of Internet Adoption (Project LEIA) is aimed at producing more granular Internet adoption estimates using a combination of existing data and statistical modeling techniques known as “small area estimation.” Improved and more timely estimates of Internet adoption will

It’s been interesting to watch cable companies downplaying FWA cellular wireless. For example, in September, Comcast President Mike Cavanaugh said that FWA wireless is a ‘near term’ issue that is competing for the lower end of the market. CEO Brian Roberts was quoted this year about competing against FWA saying, “Three companies are all simultaneously within a short period of time are all offering a home connectivity product by their own admission a lower speed, more easily congested network.” And yet, the carriers selling FWA continue to sell at astounding numbers.

It’s been apparent for some time that Elon Musk and Donald Trump align on more than politics. Each has a, let’s say, robust sense of his own importance and an apparent need for others to recognize that importance. Both have a large fan base happy to offer that recognition.

In Forest County, Wisconsin, where the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest spreads out for miles and the population is around 9,500, life appears to move a bit slower. But thanks to the efforts of local hero Steve Watson, things are speeding up—digitally, that is! Located along the state’s northeast border, Forest County faces significant challenges with internet access, particularly for older residents and members of the Forest County Potawatomi and Sokaogon Chippewa Communities. The region’s dense trees and rugged terrain complicate the installation of broadband infrastructure.

The fiber broadband market is likely headed for more consolidation in the coming year, according to research from consulting firm AlixPartners. In a survey conducted in August 2024, AlixPartners found there are over 400 small fiber providers that are likely to merge or be acquired by larger providers and private equity firms.

The State of New York recently awarded $140 million in grants to support publicly-owned open-access networks.

This week, Congress passed the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, this year's version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The law authorizes $895.2 billion for Department of Defense programs, defense-related activities, and national security programs in the Department of Energy and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) recently made it possible for homes and businesses in remote locations of the state to become eligible to receive low-Earth orbit satellite internet service from Starlink. According to Ookla data, Starlink Speedtest users in Maine are able to get median download speeds of 116.77 Mbps, which surpasses the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) threshold for broadband. Maine is a Top 10 state in Ookla’s U.S.

In late October, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a “Notice of Inquiry that seeks information on current customer service practices to build a public record on the current state of customer support and ways that the FCC can “protect families and businesses that rely on these critical services.” The FCC sought comments from the public about broadband, cable, and telephone providers. The associations for the big internet service providers (ISPs) responded to the docket and basically said that their member companies offer great customer service.

A week before he was nominated by Donald Trump to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr issued an extraordinary letter to the chief executives of Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple.