Federal
How Elon Musk Came to Influence the Fates of Nations
Elon Musk’s international influence poses an interesting problem for the US In a world where geopolitical leadership depends increasingly on technology, Musk ought to be one of the US’s most important assets. And yet he is a de facto independent actor. Musk owes his influence not to the control of oil, capital or private armies, but of technologies vital to economic competitiveness, national security and public opinion. NASA and the Pentagon depend heavily on Musk-owned SpaceX to get into space.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $74.4 Million in Internet for All Grants to Tribal Lands
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has awarded 28 grants totaling $74,424,986.73 to 28 Tribal entities as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). Grants were made to tribes in Alaska, Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel Proposes Next Step for 6 GHz Band Operations
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed new rules to allow very low-power devices to operate in the 6 gigahertz (GHz) band alongside other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
North Carolina Governor Cooper Urges Congress to Continue the ACP
Having a high-speed internet connection—and the ability to use it—is critical to modern life. One major challenge persists: we can run fiber broadband to every home in North Carolina, but if the residents can’t afford the service, they still risk being left behind. Fortunately, Congress created a tremendously impactful tool to combat the high costs of internet service as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). I urge you to reauthorize this critical program that makes internet access more affordable.
Treasury Department Announces Approval of Federal Funds to Connect Over 17,000 Oregonians
The Department of the Treasury approved $156.7 million for high-speed internet projects in Oregon under the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF). Oregon is approved to receive $149 million for broadband infrastructure projects, which the state estimates will connect approximately 17,195 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet.
Vecima Announces Expansion of Manufacturing of Certain Entra Access Products to the US for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
Vecima Networks intends to expand manufacturing into the US for certain products in its Entra portfolio.
State broadband officials race the clock as elections loom
Plans to spend Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program dollars to connect underserved populations could be impacted by state elections, according to broadband policy experts. Among the ten states that got the largest BEAD allocations, three (Missouri, North Carolina and Louisiana) will hold gubernatorial elections before the end of 2024. Executive Director of ConnectLA Veneeth Iyengar—Louisiana’s broadband program—plans to have as much BEAD work as possible done before th
Sen. Cruz, Rep. McMorris Rodgers Urge FCC Commissioner to Reject Rosenworcel Plan to Subsidize TikTok on School Buses
We write to express our strong opposition to a plan circulated by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to expand the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC or the Commission) E-Rate program. This plan would not only violate federal law but also duplicate programs across the federal government, directly contradicting FCC commissioners’ repeated commitments to streamlining federal broadband funding.
Federal money will help Baltimore workers get ‘shovel ready’ with broadband infrastructure jobs training
Baltimore (MD) Civic Works Program Director Eli Allen was approached by Paniagua’s Enterprise, a Baltimore-based communications construction company, to find workers capable of laying out fiber-optics for broadband and doing the accompanying construction work. “ [Paniagua’s Enterprise] identified a significant skills gap in being able to hire workers for these critical jobs, and have seen… an increased investment in the work,” explained Allen.
The Next Digital Divide: Falling Off the Edge
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the fact that millions of people, especially in rural America, do not have access to broadband. In response, more than $150 billion of federal and state funding will be spent over the next five years to close the digital divide. However, a new digital divide centered around latency—the delay before a data transfer begins, exemplified by video stuttering—could emerge if rural communities lack the broadband infrastructure to provide low-latency services.