Reporting
Zayo releases a flurry of fiber upgrades
Zayo Group unveiled a slew of upgrades to its fiber infrastructure, including the acquisition of a new long-haul dark fiber route connecting Washington, DC and Atlanta. Zayo acquired the route through a secretive "technology partnership," but Chaz Kramer, Zayo's VP of product management, said the name of the company and price tag for the acquisition “aren’t being disclosed." In things that are being disclosed, the company announced that it built a dark fiber route connecting Columbus, Ohio to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
US broadband customer growth stalls in Q1
New customer sign-ups in the US broadband industry slowed down dramatically in the first quarter of this year, according to a pair of analyst groups.
Streaming services really want you to buy stuff while you watch TV
For streamers like Paramount, Disney, Netflix, and Peacock, it’s not enough that you watch TV on the platform—they want to own what you do on your phone, too. Paramount announced today that it would launch a new “mobile shopping experience” during this weekend’s CMT Music Awards red carpet.
Analyst says return of net neutrality rules unlikely to spark big changes at ISPs
Ahead of the confirmation from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the agency plans to vote to restore network neutrality on April 25, a top policy analyst weighed in to say that he doesn't expect a return of the rules to alter the way that broadband service providers operate. Like its 2015 predecessor, this version of the rules will again attempt to reclassify broadband as a more heavily-regulated "Title II" commu
Copper decommissions spread across the US
Some smaller US telecommunications providers are toying with the notion of shutting down their copper networks, following years of pioneering efforts by bigger network operators like AT&T and Verizon. According to the financial analysts at New Street Research, Frontier and TDS Telecom are eyeing the savings they might be able to derive from shuttering legacy network technology. To be clear, virtually all of the US market's telco operators are shifting from copper to fiber for their new network buildouts and upgrades.
This Massachusetts program is giving free digital equity advice
In Massachusetts a consulting program is helping local municipalities navigate digital equity planning. There is no flow of money to municipalities under said program. Instead, the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program, spearheaded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), pairs towns and cities with consultants to develop strategic plans for digital equity within their communities.
Biden administration asks Republicans to extend popular broadband discount program
President Joe Biden’s administration called on Republicans in Congress to extend funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a consumer broadband rebate program used by more than 23 million households. The the $14.2 billion ACP was signed into law in November 2021 and began accepting enrollments at the end of that year.
Public and private fiber operators tap asset backed security
One tactic that both private and public fiber companies are using to raise capital is to tap asset backed security (ABS), according to the analysts at TD Cowen. ABS is a type of financial investment that uses income-generating assets as collateral and is an alternative to other ways of raising capital, such as corporate bonds.
Without federal internet subsidies, state efforts to offer low-cost broadband could be impacted
According to state broadband officials in Michigan, Vermont and Pennsylvania, the termination of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) could not only impact the 23 million households on the program, but also those who live in areas where broadband is being built out. In Michigan, for instance, the state wants to require broadband companies receiving grants under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to charge lower-income people no more than $30 a month.