Friday, June 28, 2024
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Supporting Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Grantees
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The National Telecommunications Information Administration's (NTIA) $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) aims to expand access to and adoption of broadband service on tribal land. NTIA is distributing these funds through two rounds of grant funding; NTIA finished announcing awards for the first round of funding in September of 2023, and the application period for the second funding round closed in March 2024. TBCP as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Tribes and other eligible entities to close the digital divide. By law, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) must review, every six months until funds are expended, the grants awarded under this program in the prior six months and provide, if any, recommendations to address waste, fraud, and abuse. The GAO has released its fifth such report, focusing specifically on NTIA's implementation of the first round of Tribal Broadband Connectivity funding. In its report, the GAO seeks to answer four questions about Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program implementation. The following is a summary of the agency's findings for each subject area addressed in its report.
First State Digital Equity Capacity Grant is Awarded and the Competitive Grant Program will Launch Any Day
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Well, folks, the day we’ve been waiting for is finally here—the Digital Equity Act funds are finally making their way to communities around the country to support digital inclusion work on the ground. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) made the first State Digital Equity Capacity Grant award to the state of Nevada!This announcement is exciting for Nevadans and the rest of us as this award signals that the rest of the capacity grants to states are on their heels AND the Competitive program Application will open soon. NTIA has 30 days from the time the first grant is made to open up the Competitive Grant program’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), so the latest it will open up is July 26th, but I’d expect it sooner. In addition, the application forms for the competitive program (but not the NOFO) are online now for a public comment period. While we don’t have the NOFO yet, the forms tell us a few things we’ve been waiting to learn:
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- Awards will be between $5-$10 million (so by my math this means there will be somewhere between 118-236 projects throughout the program)
- A match of a minimum of 10% (or exactly 10%, we’ll see what the NOFO says) will be required and the match can be cash or in-kind
- The cap for Administrative expenses will be 10% (no we don’t know what that includes yet, that will be in the NOFO)
- There will be three rounds of funding (this year, FY ’25 and FY ’26)
- This year will be the biggest pot of funds, therefore the most awards will be made this round.
We Got Millions of Low-Income Students and Families Online Before Funding Expired. Restoring It Is Essential.
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It’s a familiar scene in communities across the nation: teenagers lingering outside fast-food restaurants and inside malls with laptops on their knees, surfing for free public Wi-Fi to be able to do their homework. Some 17 million students across the nation don’t have internet service at home, hampering their ability to study and complete assignments and prepare themselves for college and the workforce. The learning deficit caused by unequal internet access has only worsened since the pandemic shifted so much learning online. One possible solution is rooted in a great policy success of recent years. In 1996, Congress developed the E-Rate program to bring internet service to every school and library in this country, so that students everywhere—not just those in high-income neighborhoods—could benefit from the internet revolution. On July 18 the Federal Communications Commission will vote on rules to modernize the E-Rate program to support loaning Wi-Fi hotspots through libraries nationwide—deciding whether to make permanent some of the most successful technological access efforts passed out of necessity during the pandemic. The pandemic proved that we all benefit from access to high-speed internet service, no matter who we are or where we live. So whether it is trying to revive the just-lapsed Affordable Connectivity Program or modernizing E-Rate, we need to pursue every avenue to ensure connectivity and opportunity for all.
[Jessica Rosenworcel is chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission. Edward Markey is a U.S. senator who represents Massachusetts.]
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A quarter of U.S. households that relied on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to help pay for internet will drop their connections. That finding, along with others, was included in a recent Maravedis report, a market intelligence firm that has a focus on wireless infrastructure, multifamily connectivity, and smart technologies. The report, titled “Managed Connectivity for Affordable Housing in the United States 2024-2029,” also concluded that a quarter of former ACP-enrolled households will maintain internet service. According to the findings of the report, half of households formerly enrolled in the ACP will fluctuate to on-and-off service based on promotional programs.
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The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outlines specific requirements for states and subgrant recipients to ensure they provide comprehensive broadband service. Specifically, the Program “prioritizes projects designed to provide fiber connectivity directly to the end user.” Providing reliable, high-speed internet to every unit within a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) is implicitly required to meet the goals of the BEAD program. But, it’s not enough to bring fiber to the building if the intended end users, namely households living in the MDU, cannot access the internet. For households living in multi-family and public housing, the inability to connect to reliable, affordable broadband is a significant barrier to fully participating in 21st-century society. Unserved and underserved MDUs often house some of the most vulnerable populations, including low-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. The lack of connectivity exacerbates long-standing inequities in access to education, healthcare, job opportunities and training, and other vital assistance programs. By requiring eligible BEAD subgrantees to demonstrate how their proposals will ensure unit-level connectivity, state broadband offices can directly address the digital divide within these communities and achieve the objectives of the BEAD Program.
Despite gains in internet access across the U.S., digital divides persist among certain communities of color
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As society becomes increasingly more technology-dependent, experts argue that high-speed internet should be present in all homes. However, digital divides are continuing to permeate the country with minorities being the ones primarily affected, according to a new report by the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI). The annual report shows that over 13 million new internet users came out of the U.S. within two years, from 2021 to 2023. But while a larger number of people are able to access the internet now, the gaps remain when it comes to digital connectivity efforts nationwide. According to the report, only 12% of people lived in households without the internet, but certain groups tend to be disproportionately affected by this trend. "Only 62% of Black Americans, 57% of American Indians and Alaska Natives, and 54% of Hispanics used a desktop, laptop or tablet," wrote Rafi Goldberg, a senior policy advisor on digital equity. Conversely, 72% of White non-Hispanics and 71% of Asians used a desktop, laptop or tablet in 2023, according to the survey.
Federal Communications Commission Clarifies the Filing Deadline for the Fifth Broadband Data Collection
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On June 25, 2024, the Broadband Data Task Force released a Public Notice announcing the opening of the fifth Broadband Data Collection (BDC) filing window for submitting broadband availability and other data as of June 30, 2024. As provided in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rules, the Public Notice stated that the deadline for data submissions is September 1, 2024. In response to questions about the due date for filings, we clarify that consistent with Section 1.4(j) of the FCC’s rules, the filing deadline for June 30, 2024, broadband availability and other data will be September 3, 2024, the first business day after September 1.
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Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has asked her fellow commissioner to consider either a ban or constraint on bulk billing. We predicted the Chair’s proposal would hit significant resistance. The record reveals that the resistance is strong, coming not just from the expected ISPs but also from groups traditionally at odds with ISPs, groups generally aligned with low-income consumers, and those concerned about low-income adoption. Considering the opposition:
- We don’t see the proposal moving forward anytime soon.
- We think that if a vote goes forward the two Democrats are not likely to vote against the Chair.
- Still, If the FCC moves forward with its proposal, it will likely adopt a more modest approach than what the FCC Chair suggested in her initial press release.
- A ban is highly unlikely, but an opt-out requirement is still possible.
- The November 2024 election also plays a significant role. If the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking isn't approved beforehand, its fate will hinge on the results, as will any enforcement.
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Anybody not involved in the telephone business will probably be surprised to find that the old TDM telephone networks are still very much alive and in place. The old technologies were supposed to be phased out and replaced by digital technologies. In 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced an effort to force the needed changes, and in 2015 it released an order that described the process for telephone companies to retire copper networks, and that also discontinued the requirement that big telcos offer wholesale TDM services. In 2016 the FCC released that full IP Transition Plan that was aimed at replacing the TDM voice infrastructure with an all-IP network. But somewhere along the line, AT&T and Verizon highjacked the IP Transition, and progress stalled. It’s getting more costly every year for traditional carriers to keep using the TDM networks. What is probably most amazing is how the FCC ordered the IP Transition and then just let the biggest telephone companies walk away from the process with no repercussions. It’s time for the FCC to pick this back up and finally make this happen.
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Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed that the agency require mobile providers to unlock customers’ mobile phones within 60 days of activation. New unlocking rules would allow consumers the freedom to take their existing phones and switch from one mobile wireless service provider to another more easily, as long as the consumer’s phone is compatible with the new provider’s wireless network. At its July 18 Open Meeting, the FCC will vote on a proposed Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on expanding unlocking requirements to establish a clear and uniform set of requirements for all mobile service providers. Mobile phone unlocking can increase consumer choice and competition in the wireless service provider marketplace. Updated unlocking rules would give consumers more flexibility when switching service providers, increase competition by reducing consumer’s switching costs, and reduce customer confusion by applying the same unlocking rules to all mobile service providers.
Gov Ivey Awards $53.5 Million for ‘Middle-Mile’ Broadband Service to Communities in 24 Alabama Counties
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Governor Kay Ivey (R-AL) awarded nearly $53.5 million to continue the expansion of high-speed internet service in Alabama. The grant awarded to the Alabama Fiber Network, a coalition of electric and generation/transmission cooperatives, will help develop the second phase of the state’s “middle-mile” broadband network deployment. The project will impact 24 Alabama counties. Middle-mile projects are designed to fill the gaps in broadband expansion to make it more cost-effective and less labor intensive for providers to extend broadband services to businesses and households in the state. The project will bring more than 7,500 unserved businesses and residences within five miles of high-speed internet connectivity. Funding for this latest middle-mile project came from an allocation from the state’s share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Each June, Pride Month provides an occasion to celebrate progress made by the LGBTQI+ community and reflect on the work that remains to create a more equitable future. For individuals identifying as LGBTQI+, high-speed Internet access can unlock educational and economic opportunities, customized physical and mental health resources, and social and community connections. We are shining a light on the unique ways high-speed Internet access can open doors—both for individuals identifying as LGBTQI+ and their friends and families—to realize a more equitable tomorrow.
- Promoting an Inclusive Learning Environment: The Department of Education provides resources to ensure schools are inclusive and nondiscriminatory including toolkits, fact sheets, and up to date Title IX guidelines. High-speed Internet access places these resources at the fingertips of students, families, and school staff.
- Creating a Welcoming Workplace: The Department of Labor connects LGBTQI+ individuals to economic opportunities and promotes information sharing to make the workplace a welcoming place for jobseekers and workers. DOL’s recent round up of policies and resources aims to support an inclusive environment at work.
- Providing and Accessing Appropriate Healthcare: With access to high-speed Internet service, LGBTQI+ patients can research and pursue care options that would otherwise be unavailable to access locally.
- Building Safe Virtual Communities: High-speed Internet access continues to provide outlets for LGBTQI+ individuals to connect with one another and provide peer support.
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The free flow of information and the exchange of ideas is the lifeblood of our cultural lives and our democracy. Humans need connections to one another like they need air and water. And a democracy needs citizens to exchange information and ideas. That is what democracy is all about: competing ideas in a debate that plays out freely over time. With freedom of thought and expression, democracy thrives. In contrast, the first goal of the tyrant is to control thought and information. Today we are confronting that challenge. The rise of dominant platforms in the marketplace of ideas threatens journalism, the exchange of information, and the marketplace of ideas. Powerful corporations that stand between citizens and writers, musicians, artists, and journalists exert enormous control and influence. This is a dynamic that is playing out in many different areas. I would like to talk today about journalism, publishing, and AI in particular. These are industries where dominant intermediaries act as gatekeepers to the information commons. And as gatekeepers, they have the ability to extract more than their fair share from both sides of the market. But this is about so much more than the price or output of these products and services. What is at stake is speech itself. Private corporations decide what ideas are worthy, whose voices are amplified, and what messages are disseminated and to whom. What is at stake is the very way in which people gather information and make decisions, and the very existence of the people who live to share their ideas, thoughts, and creations.
In the absence of competition, there are few if any incentives to compete to offer solutions for common problems. But competition can constrain behavior and even facilitate market-based solutions—whether it be how to fairly compensate creators of content, or how to combat the spread of false information and harmful content online. Today, I would like to talk about three areas where this dynamic is playing out. 1) Journalism is under threat in large part due to consolidation in the advertising market. 2) The trend toward consolidation has threatened another industry necessary for ideas to flourish — publishing. 3) AI will reshape all of the information and content industries. It will change the way we consume our news. It will affect the way in which content is created. And it will change the way that we interact with information. Without meaningful competition, the same threats that plague journalism will spread to all other content creation markets.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and Zoe Walker (zwalker AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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