Federal
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Biden-Harris Administration Launches New Initiatives to Modernize Electromagnetic Spectrum Access and Technological Resources on Tribal Lands
The Departments of the Interior and Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance electromagnetic spectrum access opportunities and the deployment of broadband and other wireless services on Tribal lands.
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FCC Announces Agenda for December 2022 Open Meeting
The Federal Communications Commission announced the agenda for its December 2022 open commission meeting. The FCC will consider:
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A Year One Update on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Making Broadband More Affordable
U.S. households pay a lot for broadband internet access service, more than consumers in the European Union pay for similar service. U.S.
The FCC has a new broadband map. Vermont officials say it vastly overstates reality.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, more than 95 percent of Vermont households have broadband internet access. That’s the main takeaway from a newly updated map created by the FCC that tracks internet speeds and provider availability down to individual addresses. But officials at the Vermont Community Broadband Board said that the database overestimates the percent of households with broadband — and that federal funding is at stake.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $13 Billion To Modernize And Expand America's Power Grid
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $13 billion in new financing opportunities for the expansion and modernization of the nation’s electric grid.
FCC’s New Broadband Map Brings Challenges for Local Government
On November 18, the Federal Communications Commission unveiled an update of its map showing broadband availability in communities throughout the U.S.
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It’s No Time to Disarm in the War Against the Digital Divide
The pandemic spurred policymakers and community leaders around the country to create programs to connect those without home broadband service or computers. These programs have had an impact. New government data show sharp increases in broadband and computer adoption in the 2019-to-2021 time frame. Initiatives such as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) have helped address “subscription vulnerability” for low-income households. With progress evident, it is time to extend and build on the ACP and local affordability programs.
A Rising Star in the Biden Administration Faces a $100 Billion Test
The Commerce Department, under Secretary Gina Raimondo’s leadership, is now poised to begin distributing nearly $100 billion — roughly 10 times the department’s annual budget — to build up the U.S. chip industry and expand broadband access throughout the country. How Raimondo handles that task will have big implications for the United States economy going forward.
Hawaii Needs Your Help: Check Out New Internet Service Maps And Report Errors
Burt Lum—broadband strategy officer for the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism— is urging state residents to review newly published online broadband internet service maps and report any inaccuracies as part of a crowdsourcing initiative that could help steer millions of dollars in federal funding to Hawaii. Broadband service providers, including Hawaiian Telcom and Charter Communications, have already identified missing data and other problems with the maps, and it is likely there are other errors or flaws that have not yet been spotted.
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How Good are the New FCC Maps?
There are two ways to judge the Federal Communications Commission's new broadband maps—the mapping fabric and the broadband coverage story. The State of Vermont has already sent a challenge letter to the FCC that says that 11% of the locations in the Fabric don’t match Vermont’s own data. Even worse, Vermont says that 22% of locations it knows about are missing from the FCC map. Vermont also looked at the broadband coverage claims by ISPs. According to the new maps, over 95% of Vermont homes have access broadband to broadband of at least 100/20 Mbps.