telecompetitor

Fifty percent of the world's population is expected to be connected to the Internet by the end of 2019. This leaves the other half – an estimated 3.8 billion people – unconnected and unable to benefit from key social and economic resources in our expanding digital world. In response, the United Nations' Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has set seven ambitious yet achievable 2025 targets in support of  "Connecting the Other Half" of the world's population. 

Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development 2025 Targets:

Federal Communications Commission rural broadband funding could increase by over $500 million if the commission votes to adopt an order circulated by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. The the funding would include about $180 million for the current funding year for the nation’s smaller rate-of-return (ROR) carriers who get their support through traditional legacy mechanisms and up to $360 million over the next 10 years to ROR carriers who receive support based on the FCC's Alternative-Connect America Cost Mode (A-CAM). The $500 million would come, in part, from reserves.

A research note from New Street Research throws a little cold water on a potential 5G fixed wireless competitive threat to cable broadband. Verizon is expected to launch the fixed wireless service later in 2018 in 3 to 5 markets, including Sacramento (CA), a Comcast market.

Most who say they understand the net neutrality issue say they support it, according to a new study of net neutrality perceptions from research firm GfK. According to the study, about half (55%) of all US consumers report that they understand the issue of net neutrality – regardless of whether they are following the neutrality debate closely.

President Donald Trump’s address about economic issues facing rural America at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention touched on Trump rural broadband initiatives. But although President Trump talked about the importance of broadband to the rural economy and signed two executive orders aimed at facilitating rural broadband deployment, I came away asking ‘where the beef’ was.

The Federal Communications Commission could vote as soon as Feb or earlier to reduce the speed required for an internet connection to be considered broadband for purposes of the FCC’s annual broadband progress report. If the FCC opts to change the definition of broadband in response to the Notice of Inquiry, it’s important to note that the changes should only impact the annual progress report and not the CAF program.