Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Evaluating studies of the cost to serve all Americans with broadband
The Federal Communications Commission estimates it will take between $397 billion and $478 billion to reach all underserved locations. It’s worth remembering there are only two numbers at play: the number of locations that don’t have access to 100/20 broadband service, and the average cost to bring fiber-to-the-home service to those locations. I estimated 23.1 million un- and underserved locations. The FCC study estimated 45.5 million, or 32% of all United States housing units. The second part of the equation is the cost to serve the average unserved or underserved location.
WISPA says it’s not clear why broadband infrastructure funding rules deem fixed wireless unreliable
The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) has been wrestling with a ruling from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) which will effectively allow billions in federal funding to go toward wireline overbuilds of areas already covered by fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband. WISPA CEO David Zumwalt said it’s been unable to get a straight answer from the NTIA about why it decided FWA services based on unlicensed spectrum don’t count as reliable broadband. Zumwalt’s questions specifically relate to the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, an
Starlink appeals Federal Communication Commission denial of $885 Million Rural Digital Opportunity Fund subsidy
Starlink asked the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider a decision to deny it $885.5 million in rural broadband funding.
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Averting a Mapping Disaster?
Alan Davidson, the head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), stated that the agency is canceling plans to use the first iteration of the new Federal Communications Commission maps that the agency says will be available by early November 2022.
North Carolina broadband official expects new Federal Communication Commission data will provide a closer look
The Federal Communication Commission Chairwoman is aiming to publish a first-draft map of its nationwide broadband coverage map in November. First, though, comes a "challenge period," when state, local and tribal officials, as well as internet carriers, can examine and potentially correct the underlying data. For Nate Denny, Deputy Secretary of Broadband and Digital Equity at the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, this phase represents an opportunity to further hone the state's plan for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Broadband Equity, Acce
Nokia partners with Broadband.money to help connect US communities
Nokia has partnered with Ready.net – makers of the Broadband.money platform – to help local broadband providers connect unserved and underserved communities. Nokia will provide tutorials, blueprint network designs, grant expertise, and equipment planning tools for inclusion in Broadband.money’s portal. Nokia will add its expertise and market-leading innovation to the platform, accessible to users in the form of tutorials, blueprint network designs, and tools to help work out the equipment they will need, further simplifying the grant application process.
Broadband Industry Unites to Launch State Broadband Office Educational Webinar Series
The nation’s leading broadband trade associations will deliver a monthly educational webinar series to support the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and State Broadband Offices with the implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) Program. There are 11 associations presenting the webinar series that represent broadband providers of every size and technology across the US. The webinar series will educate state broadband leaders, the NTIA, community leaders, and potential BEAD participants on the opportunities, challenges, and mitigati
Can State, Local Government Use Broadband Expansion to Create Jobs?
As a historic amount of funding comes down from the federal government to the states to expand broadband, industry experts estimate this will create new jobs, and there are steps state governments and other groups can take to support this growth. In fact, some states are already proactively working on expanding their broadband workforce to meet current and future needs, while others have seen an increase in the need of trained professionals to help build out infrastructure.
NTIA won’t have the broadband map it needs for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program until 2023
The Federal Communications Commission plans to come out with the first version of its new broadband map in mid-November.
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Another Rural Digital Opportunity Funding Auction?
Given the excess of $11 billion that the Federal Communications Commission currently has in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), interested parties--particularly major broadband providers--have inquired whether the FCC will offer another round of award funding. However, for this to be feasible, the FCC would have to engage in a lot of internal review and restructuring of its reverse auction mechanism if it seeks to revitalize the RDOF.