Internet/Broadband

On March 31, the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing called "Connecting America: Oversight of the FCC." Each of the current four Federal Communications Commissioners testified before the subcommittee, led by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and including Brendan Carr, Nathan Simington, and Geoffrey Starks. Rep.

Will the Federal Communications Commission raise the definition of broadband to 100/20 Mbps? It looks like that probably doesn’t happen until Congress approves a fifth FCC commissioner. But we  need to understand that a 100/20 Mbps definition of broadband is not forward-looking and will start being obsolete and too slow from the day it is approved. We need a mechanism to change the definition of broadband annually, or at least more often than we have been doing. The market has already told the FCC that 100 Mbps is quickly becoming last year’s news.

While disparities in broadband in rural areas are well documented, little research exists about broadband in tribal communities. This gap means we lack information about the trajectory of broadband deployment in tribal areas. It also means we lack comparative information about the similarities or differences in the trajectory of broadband deployment in tribal areas compared to non-tribal areas (e.g. urban and rural areas).

A robust internet connection has become indispensable in our lives. During the COVID pandemic, US broadband networks performed resiliently even during historic surges in internet traffic when many companies and schools went entirely remote, according to performance tests and reports. But besides powering our digital lives, it’s important to ensure that broadband is meeting consumer expectations and evolving in the right direction.

Two independent telecom service providers–TDS Telecom and Shentel–have touted their increasingly fiber-focused broadband expansion plans. Jim Butman, president and CEO of TDS Telecom, said TDS is pressing ahead with a self-funded fiber expansion that mostly will focus on out-of-territory growth, with a few exceptions where the provider uses a full fiber deployment to defend some of its ILEC areas from competitive overbuilders. “We have plans over the next five years to make the business much more fiber-centric," said Butman.

Charter Communications rolled out a new fixed internet plan which will effectively offer free service to customers who qualify for the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The move follows similar efforts from Verizon, Comcast and Mediacom to make fixed service available at no cost to ACP customers. But the catch is that most ACP subscribers are using the subsidy money for mobile broadband. The operator’s new Spectrum Internet 100 plan includes access to download speeds of up to 100 Mbps with no data caps as well as a modem, router and in-home Wi-Fi.

• Innovative spectrum management:  The FCC will consider an inquiry on how receiver improvements could provide greater opportunities for efficient use of spectrum. It would also seek comment on legal authority and market-based mechanisms that could help create a more transparent and predictable radiofrequency environment for all spectrum users.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced it has awarded four grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.

For anyone planning on funding a broadband project with a grant, there are some important costs to consider. First, grants don’t cover all assets. Most grants cover network assets and assets needed to connect to customers, but grants typically don’t cover vehicles, computers, furniture, test equipment, and any other assets needed to launch a new internet service provider (ISP) or a new market. Grants also aren’t going to cover major software costs like upgrades to billing systems or marketing software.

In April 2021, State District Court Judge Matthew Wilson in New Mexico ordered school officials to take steps to provide the needed devices and broadband connections for students who are forced to attend school remotely. This ruling was made during the deepest part of the pandemic when most schools in New Mexico were shut down. His ruling was based upon complaints that The New Mexico Public Education Department was not complying with a court decision in the case of Yazzie/Martinez v.