The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) updated guidance regarding location and broadband coverage in the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (Enhanced ACAM) mechanism. Specifically, to best reflect deployment as of the August 30, 2023 offer, the Bureau will use FCC Broadband Data Collection broadband availability data as of June 30, 2023 to determine deployment obligations and support for locations in the December 2023 Serviceable Location Fabric for which such availability data are available. Using Fabric data matched to the corresponding availability data collected for that vintage of the Fabric provides the most accurate picture of broadband availability for each biannual as-of date and promotes greater data integrity and transparency. However, the Bureau recognizes that some Enhanced A-CAM electing carriers may have relied on the “as of August 30” condition in the Enhanced A-CAM Order in both electing Enhanced A-CAM and making decisions to upgrade service in late 2023, and the FCC will therefore match the earlier June 30, 2023 version of availability data with the December 2023 Fabric. In delegating to the Bureau the authority to determine the scope of broadband coverage at the time of the Enhanced A-CAM offer (and by extension the final deployment obligations and support amounts for Enhanced A-CAM-electing carriers), the FCC expected that the Enhanced A-CAM carriers, as incumbent local exchange carriers, would be aware of the locations and availability of competitive broadband in the area and that they would make their Enhanced A-CAM election based on that knowledge. The Bureau thus presumes that, as of the August 30, 2023, offer date, Enhanced A-CAM-electing carriers reasonably had knowledge of broadband coverage as of June 30, 2023, and thus using that vintage of availability data better aligns with the FCC’s expectation.

This report summarizes information about Internet access in the United States as of June 30, 2022, as collected by FCC Form 477 and the Broadband Data Collection (BDC). [For purposes of this report, Internet access is defined as a service that allows information to be sent to or received from the Internet with a speed of at least 200 kilobits per second.] Total connections increased by about 3.4% between June 2021 and June 2022 to 517 million. Mobile connections increased 3.7% year-over-year to 391 million in June 2022, while fixed connections grew to 126 million—up about 2.4% from June 2021. About 4% of fixed connections had download speeds less than 10 Mbps, about 6% were at least 10 Mbps but less that 25 Mbps, 16.5% were between 25 and 100 Mbps, 58.5% were between 100 and 940 Mbps, and just over 15% were 940 Mbps or more. As of June 2022, approximately 92% of units in Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) had at least one provider report the availability of a terrestrial fixed broadband service with speeds of at least 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream.  Alternatively, about 4% of units did not have any provider report offering terrestrial fixed broadband with speeds of at least 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. 

On April 3, members of Congress wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Carr, Starks, Simington, and Gomez expressing concern about the proposal to ban bulk billing agreements in multi-tenant buildings. Specifically, they asked that the FCC reconsider the proposal since in 2010 the FCC found that bulk billing arrangements “predominately benefit consumers.” On May 3, Chairwoman Rosenworcel responded, explaining that the proposal was designed to protect consumers, and would allow them to opt-out of bulk billing arrangements. "I have proposed that we begin a rulemaking to allow consumers to simply opt-out of these arrangements. This rulemaking, which I have shared with my colleagues, has the potential to empower consumer choice and boost competition, as well as build on the agency’s ongoing efforts to improve broadband transparency."

Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced that Tennessee will award $162.7 million in broadband and digital opportunity grants. In total, these investments will provide broadband access and digital opportunity programs to more than 236,000 Tennesseans across 92 counties. With this announcement, TNECD has invested more than $715 million to expand the state’s broadband infrastructure, connecting more than 689,000 Tennesseans across 275,000 residential and business locations. A total of $97.2 million is being funded by the Last Mile and Middle Mile infrastructure programs, and $65.5 million will be invested in digital opportunity programs. These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to ensure that all residents have access to high-speed internet by 2028, and have opportunities to develop digital skills, access high-quality tech jobs, connect to broadband enabled devices and access online learning and telehealth resources. 

[see list of awardees at the link below]

In a step toward transforming Memphis (TN) into the nation's most digitally-equitable large city, Mayor Paul Young (D) broke ground on Memphis' first citywide fiber network. Memphis' median fixed broadband speeds currently rank among the slowest of any major US cities and less than 25 percent of residents have access to superior fiber internet. The citywide infrastructure being designed, built, financed, and managed by Blue Suede Networks, is being designed to pass 85 percent of Memphis' business and residential premises, including 85 percent in low-income communities. Memphis based Blue Suede Networks is responsible for delivering the network infrastructure, leveraging its technical and operational expertise as well as its financial resources and investment from Meridiam. Blue Suede Networks is owned and financed by Meridiam, a leading infrastructure developer, investor, and manager.

Congress is currently deliberating changes to the E-rate program, and one proposal has raised eyebrows: requiring schools to ban social media access over their networks as a condition for receiving E-rate funding. While the intention—to protect children from social media risks—is commendable, we have reservations about using the E-rate program as a lever to address this issue. The proposed legislation introduces ambiguity and uncertainty, potentially affecting funding for schools and libraries. Recently, Sens Schatz (D-HI) and Cruz (R-TX) merged two bills into the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA). This comprehensive legislation prevents social media platforms from allowing children to set up their own accounts, require schools to certify plans for blocking social media access to qualify for E-rate funding, and mandates that schools and libraries establish screen time policies. However, there’s a glaring omission: neither SHLB nor other school/library organizations were consulted before this legislative move. Despite the lack of support from these stakeholders, the Senators pushed to include KOSMA in the mark-up agenda, even without prior hearings. Federal intervention risks circumventing community-level decisions regarding appropriate social media use. That’s why we joined forces with the American Library Association (ALA), the Coalition for School Networking (CoSN), and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) to express our opposition. We hope Senators take the time to thoroughly understand the implications of this legislation before rushing to pass it through the Senate.