Combining “cost to serve” estimates for any un- and under-served location in US with data on the number of un- and underserved we can estimate how far broadband funding might go. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program won't provide any funding where the Federal Communications Commission has committed Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support. And the National Telecommunications and Information Administration hopes to not provide 100% of the costs for new networks—I’m assuming that private capital provides 25% of the remaining necessary funding. With these assumptions, we can fund networks for all unserved areas with just over $10 billion. Even assuming locations cost more to connect than previously estimated and that new Federal Communications Commission maps identify more locations that are unserved, the $42 billion available in BEAD would cover about 65% of the existing un- and underserved. 

West Virginia Gov Jim Justice (R-WV) announced preliminary approval for close to $21 million in funding for six broadband infrastructure projects in the state. Comcast was the largest winner of this latest West Virginia broadband funding. The $21 million in grants are part of an ongoing broadband infrastructure funding program in the state, labeled the Major Broadband Project Strategies (MBPS) program, which itself is a part of the Governor’s “Billion-Dollar Broadband Strategy.” Comcast is by far the largest grant winner in this round, gaining $14.7 million of the $20.8 million to build 304 miles of fiber that will eventually reach 1,402 addresses in West Virginia. Comcast kicked in over $6 million in matching funds. The Comcast West Virginia project will focus on addresses in Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, and Ohio (WV) Counties, which are located in the northern panhandle region of the state. Other grant winners include Shentel ($1.1 million), Frontier ($1.6 million), DQE Communications ($1 million), and Citynet ($2.2 million). Large cable companies like Comcast have become much more active in targeting rural broadband expansion funding provided by state and federal governments. Charter is by far the most active, having already won over a billion dollars from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the importance of digital equity with the acceleration of digital transformation occurring in workplaces, education, and commerce. However, virtual as the new normal is exposing an age-based digital divide within our state of Minnesota. Older adults have lower access to the internet, fewer digital skills, and more limited use of technology. The digital divide contributes to increased social isolation, the severity of chronic diseases, and an overall diminished quality of life. The problem is worse in rural areas than metro areas. There is a timely opportunity, however, for Minnesota to achieve equitable digital inclusion and increase digital literacy. The Library Services & Technology Act of 1996 (LSTA) established a federal grant program to identify priorities centered on technology infrastructure. Under the leadership of the State Library Services, Minnesota’s library network of 356 public locations has historically provided community-based digital devices and training resources. Every five years, the LSTA requires state library agencies to submit a five-year grant plan identifying state priorities for LSTA funds. With the 2022-2025 five-year plan due this summer, Minnesota has the opportunity to prioritize digital inclusion and digital literacy programs that champion Minnesota’s rural older adults.

[Ann Bussey of Side Lake is a fellow for Project REACH (Rural Experts Advancing Community Health).]

Millions of wireless customers are opening recent phone bills to find AT&T and Verizon raised rates on older service plans. Both Verizon, and to a lesser degree T-Mobile US Inc, have also increased monthly fees. While customers aren’t happy about it, they’re not racing for the exits. And that could pay off for the carriers. “[Telecom companies] want to use this inflationary period to reset their pricing models upward,” said Tammy Parker, an analyst with GlobalData. “So far however, many subscribers are sticking with what they have, even if that means paying more than they used to.” It took a pandemic, kinks in the global supply chain, skyrocketing inflation and the elimination of a fourth competitor, Sprint, but the tables have finally turned for the wireless industry. After years of price battles to attract and keep customers, including phone giveaways and perks like free video streaming, carriers are, for the moment, in a position to take away those treats and raise rates without any immediate backlash. AT&T and Verizon are scheduled to report earnings, and while the price increases didn’t go into effect until the last weeks of the quarter, the results may show slight benefits in the form of a boost to revenue and margins.

Since 2020, misinformation and disinformation related to election and voter suppression have continued to spread at a growing rate across online platforms. While internet platforms ramped up attempts to combat such information during the 2020 elections, many of these efforts appear to have been temporary measures. In anticipation of the 2022 US midterm elections, this report evaluates how online platforms are combating misleading election information against a selection of recommendations made by the Open Technology Institute in 2020. Using this data, the report demonstrates which platforms have made the most progress on tackling misleading election information, which platforms are falling behind, and where companies need to invest more resources.