Ownership

Who owns, controls, or influences media and telecommunications outlets.

Municipal broadband advocates fight off attacks from “dark money” groups

Cities and towns that build their own broadband networks often say they only considered the do-it-yourself option because private Internet service providers didn't meet their communities' needs.  Hundreds of municipal broadband networks have been built around the US as a result, including dozens that have started operating since 2021. The rise of public broadband hasn't happened without a fight, though.

Financing fiber builds is not a cookie-cutter process

An appealing way to finance fiber builds is through asset-backed securities (ABS). However, this is only available to established companies that actually have fiber assets, which they can leverage to secure a lower cost of debt. It’s not something available to new entrants in the fiber space. Since the introduction of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, many private equity (PE) investors have entered the fiber market.

Sen Klobuchar Reintroduces Bill to Promote Competition and Improve Antitrust Enforcement

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, reintroduced legislation to reinvigorate America’s antitrust laws and restore competition to American markets.

Governments are becoming ‘mods.’ Here’s what they’re in for

Elon Musk’s ongoing war against the Brazilian judiciary is more than just another high-profile feud between arguably the world’s most prolific right-wing troll (who also happens to be one of its richest men) and the liberal governments that vex him. By going after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes after he ordered numerous right-wing accounts removed from X in that country, Musk has turned a debate over Brazilian censorship into a global conserv

US mobile prices sky high after T-Mobile's Sprint buy

According to new figures from Rewheel, T-Mobile's purchase of Sprint in 2020 helped to keep mobile prices in the US sky high. "Five years on, the Sprint / T-Mobile 4-to-3 mobile merger made the US one of the most expensive mobile markets in the world," the Finland-based research firm wrote in a new report.

DZS to Acquire Subscriber Access Technology Leader NetComm

DZS a global leader of broadband networking and software-defined cloud solutions, announced a binding agreement to acquire NetComm Wireless. The acquisition of NetComm’s Fiber Extension, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Home Broadband and Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) products and patents combined with DZS’ category defining broadband networking and cloud software solutions will create one of the world’s most comprehensive and technologically advanced last mile broadband access portfolios.

Uniti to Merge with Windstream Creating Premier Insurgent Fiber Provider

Uniti Group entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Windstream Holdings.

T-Mobile Completes Mint Acquisition

T-Mobile completed its acquisition of Ka’ena Corporation, which includes direct-to-consumer (D2C) prepaid wireless brands Mint Mobile, internationally-focused value brand Ultra Mobile, and wholesale wireless solutions provider Plum.

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for May 2024 Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the May Open FCC  Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 23, 2024:

What's the status of long-haul network builds in the US?

When the internet was new, people talked a lot about long-haul networks in the United States. That’s because a lot of the early data centers were on the East and West coasts, and they needed to be connected. These days long-haul networks are largely overshadowed by last mile builds. There’s a lot of existing long-haul and middle-mile fiber that can be patched together to create the desired routes for any business.