Federal Agency

The U.S. needs 58k more workers to deploy broadband

The broadband industry needs more workers. Specifically, it needs tens of thousands more construction workers and broadband technicians to complete a coming wave of government-funded deployment projects or else critical broadband expansions could be delayed. Some original research conducted by Continuum Capital found that the U.S.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Wisconsin’s “Internet for All” Initial Proposal

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Wisconsin’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.  This approval enables Wisconsin to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. Wisconsin was allocated over $1 bi

Unique Challenges for 100% Broadband Access in Hawaii

Hawaii’s broadband landscape has challenges like no other U.S. state. So how do you deliver broadband access to 100% of the residents and businesses in the most remote of the 50 states? “100% is hard to get to, but we’re going to make a really good try to get there,” said Garret Yoshimi, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer of the University of Hawaii. Yoshimi is not Hawaii’s state broadband director.

FCC Announces Anticipated Renewal of its Consumer Advisory Committee and Solicits Nominations for Membership

The Federal Communications Commission announced the anticipated rechartering of the Consumer Advisory Committee and solicited nominations for membership. The FCC intends to recharter the CAC for a period of two (2) years following consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Service Administration. It is anticipated that after this consultation, the renewed charter will become effective on or before October 13, 2024.

The Constitution and Your Cellphone Bill

How much power may Congress hand off to the Washington bureaucracy? That’s a live question, so grab the popcorn to read a decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In a 9-7 en banc ruling, it invalidated a “universal service” surcharge added to cellphone bills.

How the ​FCC Can Lower Broadband Costs and Increase Consumer Choice for Apartment Residents

In March 2024, the Federal Communications Commission circulated a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM, seeking input on how to best “lower costs and address the lack of choice for broadband services available to households in apartments, condos, public housing, and other multi-tenant buildings.” Public Knowledge and 30 other organizations

ACP funding sees progress in the Senate but still unlikely to pass

Hopes came alive again in Congress that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which lapsed in June, could actually get funded. First, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a House bill on July 30, matching the language of a Senate bill that would extend the ACP with $6 billion and modify the program. On July 31, Democrats in the Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance an earlier bill – the ACP Extension Act – by attaching it as an amendment to the Plan for Broadband Act, legislation that would direct the NTIA to create a coordinated federal broadband strategy. Sen.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Arizona's “Internet for All” Initial Proposal

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Arizona's Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

A Plan to Bridge the Digital Divide in Colorado

In 2022, the Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) commissioned a survey of 2,000+ Coloradans, 18+ agencies, 200+ local governments, nonprofits, and organizations serving marginalized populations to assess the current state of broadband in Colorado. At the time, only approximately 76 percent of households in Colorado subscribed to broadband despite over 90 percent having access.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont's “Internet for All” Initial Proposal

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont's Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.