Fierce
Michigan aims to scrub coverage overstatements from its BEAD map
The Michigan High Speed Internet Office kicked off its BEAD challenge process this week, and it’s doing everything in its power to scrub the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) map of locations where providers are overstating their coverage. The state is receiving a historic $1.56 billion BEAD funding allocation—the fourth highest in the nation.
Colorado workers and internet service providers lock horns over BEAD labor bill
Are federal labor protections for broadband workers strong enough, or should state lawmakers intervene to give them a boost? That question is at the heart of a fiery debate raging in Colorado’s state house over a piece of proposed legislation that would codify additional rights for broadband workers. If passed, the bill would mandate that any company using federal or state money for broadband projects of over $500,000 would have to pay workers prevailing wages.
FCC rule against broadband digital discrimination goes into effect
The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules to prevent and eliminate digital discrimination in regard to access to broadband, and those rules went into effect on March 22.
The future of broadband mergers and acquisitions
You can’t go far in the broadband industry without hearing about some internet service provider getting acquired or an investment from a private equity company. Brightspeed, Consolidated Communications and Wire 3 are a few recent examples. Ropes & Gra
AI is 'blowing up' data center and fiber industries says Light Source CEO (Fierce)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Thu, 03/21/2024 - 16:48The Universal Service Fund is stuck in its own Groundhog Day
It seems like the Universal Service Fund (USF) has been stuck in a loop for years, as debates over how it could be improved and better funded rage on. There are plenty of possible solutions on the table, yet the wheels just keep on spinning.
Richard Bennet | When Wi-Fi doesn’t save the day (Fierce)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Thu, 03/21/2024 - 15:00Municipalities can apply for BEAD. Will it matter?
In spite of all the public broadband haters, municipalities will be allowed to vie for money from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.