Friday, July 28, 2023
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The Universal Service Fund Working Group seeks public comment on the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF). The goal of this working group is to create a bipartisan forum to guide education, awareness, and policy-making on the USF. The working group invited comments on ten questions related to money collected from telecommunications companies that is dedicated to fulfilling the goals of universal service. How should Congress and the Federal Communications evaluate the effectiveness of the existing USF programs in achieving universal service goals for broadband? To what extent have the existing USF programs—1) High-Cost Support, 2) Low-Income Support, 3) Schools and Libraries Support, and 4) Rural Health Care Support—been effective in carrying out section 254 of the Communications Act of 1994? Is Congressional guidance needed to ensure future high-cost program rollouts, such as FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund phase II auction, are improved? Would a thorough and upfront vetting process be more efficient for federal dollars and recipient ISPs? The Universal Service Fund Working Group is accepting public input on these questions through Friday, August 25, 2023. Comments can be submitted via online forms as a single PDF file that includes your organization name and contact information. The working group includes Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), John Thune (R-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $1 Billion in New Internet for All Funding Available to Tribal Lands
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the availability of nearly $1 billion in funding to expand Internet access and adoption on Tribal Lands. This second round of funding from the Internet for All initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) will make up to approximately $980 million available for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities for the deployment of Internet infrastructure on Tribal Lands, affordability programs, telehealth, and distance learning initiatives. NTIA expects to make awards in this round of funding within the following ranges: High-speed Internet infrastructure deployment projects proposed by a single applicant: $1 million to $50 million; High-speed Internet adoption and use projects: $100,000 to $2.5 million.
Next Century Cities Hosts a Congressional Briefing for Local Leaders to Share Community-Based Insights on the ACP
Congressional briefings are used to communicate information to policymakers in Washington, DC. Oftentimes, they highlight stakeholder views on government programs and proposals. However, they rarely include local officials who can provide community-based insights. On July 19, 2023, Next Century Cities invited broadband leaders from Texas, Ohio, Maryland, and Massachusetts to Washington, DC. Speakers shared community impact stories and administrative needs for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Key takeaways include the following:
- The ACP has enabled a new group of people to engage online. Previously unserved populations are now experiencing the benefits of broadband access because of the ACP, whether that be for students doing homework or grandparents connecting with family members;
- The ACP’s support for community members is unlike any previous broadband program. Khotan Harmon reiterated that the ACP is the only federally funded program focused on broadband internet access. Other programs, like Lifeline, originated for telephone communications and is funded through contributions, not the federal government;
- The ACP includes a device component, which is a necessity for ensuring that individuals can use their Internet connections. Because the ACP is a voucher program, consumers can move anywhere and still receive the benefit;
- In the City of Baltimore (MD), tying eligibility to free and reduced school lunch programs allows for entire districts to easily enroll.;
- Families use the extra money saved through vouchers to afford basic necessities such as bus passes or child care.
Verizon told the Federal Communications Commission that it supports the idea of creating an Office of Civil Rights within the FCC. The matter was discussed in a meeting between Verizon and the FCC, and then summarized in a letter, regarding the FCC's ongoing digital discrimination proceeding. That proceeding began in 2022, as mandated by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). At the time, the FCC asked commenters if it should create such an office. Verizon said that the FCC "should create an Office of Civil Rights," adding: "Verizon believes that such an office could play an important role in finding solutions to addressing these issues." The company noted that it agreed with other commenters on the matter. Others that have expressed or indicated support for an Office of Civil Rights include the National Urban League (NUL), the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Public Knowledge, and AT&T. In a filing in May 2023, NUL said establishing an OCR would "help assist the FCC in thoughtfully working through critical proceedings that impact the communications needs of historically underserved communities including digital discrimination and digital equity as a whole." In another filing in April 2023, the NUL said "the guiding mission" for such an office should be "to ensure equitable access to communications services and to promote vigorous enforcement of non-discrimination statutes at the intersection of communications and civil rights law." AT&T also indicated support for an OCR in its latest letter to the FCC on the matter, filed in late June 2023, noting "the potential use of a new Office of Civil Rights using data to work toward more constructive solutions."
While we recently broke down Montana's Draft Digital Opportunity Plan and the state's vision of digital equity, the Montana Broadband Office (MBO) has also made public its draft Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Five-Year Action Plan. Ultimately, the MBO’s vision is to narrow the digital divide in support of Montana’s economic, workforce, health, and educational goals by ensuring reliable, affordable internet access for everyone in the state. According to Montana's draft plan, 82 percent of Montanans are currently served by broadband networks with speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps, while 5 percent are underserved and 13 percent are unserved. Montana’s unserved and underserved locations are spread out across several counties, but a higher percentage of rural locations are unserved and underserved. Rural Montana is 16 percent unserved and 6 percent underserved while metropolitan Montana is 9 percent unserved and 3 percent underserved. Though rural areas have the highest number of unserved and underserved locations, there are also large concentrations of unserved and underserved locations in a few of Montana’s largest counties that have a high percentage of served locations.
AT&T CEO John Stankey said Internet Air, the company's new fixed wireless access (FWA) product, is "performing well" in the early going. But Stankey stressed that Internet Air will continue to be used on a limited, targeted basis. Further, Stankey said Internet Air is an attractive product for some smaller businesses, as a way to retain broadband customers in areas where the company is shutting down copper infrastructure and as a technology that can be used in some rural areas that are subject to government subsidies. "It's going to be key in certain parts of our consumer segment as we work through the next phase of our cost-reduction efforts," Stankey said. "It is [also] a means for us to begin finding a good catch to shut down other infrastructure and still serve customers." He added that one big caveat is ensuring that there's ample wireless capacity for Internet Air to deliver the kinds of speeds that customers require. "We will use it surgically and selectively, that will help us both on the cost side as well as retaining valuable customers where we think we can have the right kind of network capacity that will support the product going forward," he said.
The world is facing a pressing need for a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of the 21st-century economy. That’s where workforce development comes in. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has created the Telecommunications Training and Workforce Development Best Practice Checklist to help support Eligible Entities as they’re developing their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) workforce plans. Verizon and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have collective bargaining agreements in place that, among other things, provide for high-quality training programs. New employees at Verizon are required to complete extensive orientation, safety training, and skill training prior to transitioning into the field. Depending on the role, new hire training can last anywhere from 12 to 38 days. In addition to robust initial and continuous training programs, Verizon encourages its employees to further their expertise and develop their skillsets. The company’s tuition assistance program offers union-represented employees up to $8,000 in tuition assistance and access to a library of over 63,000 courses to encourage continuous learning. Moreover, certain collective bargaining agreements between Verizon and CWA specifically provide for “training and retraining programs to its employees for personal or career development and to employees being displaced to qualify for job vacancies as anticipated by the Company.”
Comcast reported results for the second-quarter (Q2) ended June 30, 2023.
- Domestic Broadband Average Rate Per Customer Increased 4.5% and Drove Domestic Broadband Revenue Growth of 4.4%;
- Total domestic broadband customer net losses were 19,000, total domestic wireless line net additions were 316,000 and total domestic video customer net losses were 543,000;
- Growth in residential connectivity revenue was driven by domestic broadband revenue due to higher average rates;
- Growth in international connectivity revenue due to an increase in wireless revenue, reflecting higher sales of devices and wireless services, as well as an increase in broadband revenue; and
- Growth in domestic wireless revenue due to an increase in the number of customer lines.
2023’s upsurge in forced migration represents the intensification of an ongoing trend. As policymakers struggle to respond to the unfolding human catastrophe, they have increasingly turned to the possibilities offered by technology, and data in particular. Civil society and humanitarian organizations are attuned to the reality that these streams of people generate massive amounts of data that can, for instance, help channel aid to the neediest, predict disease outbreaks, and much more. Yet as is so often the case with technology, the potential for good is accompanied by certain risks. While data may be collected through individual consent, much of the refugee-associated data is used without the relevant populations being able to determine how, for what purpose, and for how long. Recognizing the significant benefits that can arise from the use and reuse of data to tackle contemporary challenges such as migration, it is worth exploring new approaches to collect and utilize data that empower individuals and communities, granting them the ability to determine how their data can be utilized for various personal, community, and societal causes. This need is not specific to migrants alone. It applies to various regions, populations, and fields, ranging from public health and education to urban mobility. There is a pressing demand to involve communities, often already vulnerable, to establish responsible access to their data that aligns with their expectations, while simultaneously serving the greater public good.
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 David L. Clay II (dclay AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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