Federal

There is a lot of speculation that Starlink is positioned to get a lot more federal subsidy from the BEAD grant program. There are a few things that have to happen for that to come to pass, but that is not the only news about Starlink these days. Starlink announced in September that it reached four million customers worldwide. What is most impressive about that announcement is the rate of growth, with the company just hitting the three million customer mark in May of 2024.

Governor John Carney (D) and the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) Delaware Broadband Office (DBO) proposed $17.4 million in competitive grant funding awards to two internet service providers to extend broadband service to more than 5,600 unserved and underserved homes and businesses throughout Delaware. Through an open and competitive process following two years of federal planning and approvals, DBO received a total of 21 proposals from five internet service providers to provide service to eight grant areas across the state.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) reintroduced the Health and Location Data Protection Act (S. 5462), legislation banning data brokers from selling Americans’ sensitive personal information. Data gathered by brokers has been used to circumvent the Fourth Amendment, out LGBTQ+ Americans, and stalk and harass individuals.

The North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity today posted Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program scopes of work to expand high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved homes and businesses at approximately 67,724 eligible locations in 37 counties. The division posted 53 additional CAB program scopes of work on 

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking public input on the potential writing of ethical guidelines for the use of “pervasive data” in research. “Pervasive data” refers to data about people gathered through online services. NTIA will rely on these comments, along with stakeholder engagements, in considering whether to draft and issue non-binding guidelines to assist researchers working with pervasive data.

When AT&T first floated a proposal to move Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) from 3.5 GHz down to the lower 3 GHz band, it sounded like a joke to some of the folks who work with CBRS on a daily basis. Such a move would be highly disruptive to the CBRS industry, which includes users as diverse as airports running private networks, farmers using precision agriculture and broadband providers serving rural areas.

The University of Hawaii Broadband Office (UHBO) is offering guidance for organizations putting together applications for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The applications are due on the last day of January. Hawaii was awarded $149 million in the program. There are eight RFPs, split between unserved/underserved locations and community anchor institutions.

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) is taking a significant step toward bridging the digital divide by announcing the release of the draft Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) eligible location information to prepare internet service providers, communities and others interested in the program for the application period that will launch Jan. 9, 2025. Providing access to affordable high-speed internet will benefit more Michiganders with online learning, healthcare and economic opportunities.

North Dakota has the potential to be the first state in the country to bring a fiber connection to 100% of their broadband service locations. Brian Newby, the State Broadband Program Director, said North Dakota is in this position thanks to their forward-thinking providers: “The state had nothing to do with it.” Newby said a provider-led push led to the current reality in which North Dakota enjoys broad fiber coverage. “They went out on a limb as a group and borrowed money to do this over the years.

Nearly 30 state broadband officers attended the recent Fierce Network Broadband Nation Expo in Washington, D.C., where they outlined some of their top concerns related to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Some of their top issues include when they will disburse funds for broadband projects, who will bid for BEAD monies, what types of technologies they’ll use to deliver broadband to unserved locations and how they’ll set the high-cost thresholds in their states. State broadband officers also talked about the cost and availability of middle-mile networks.