State

The Oklahoma Broadband Office, tasked with awarding millions of dollars in federal money to increase access to high-speed internet services, announced companies could apply for $374 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars, but applications totaled $5.1 billion in projects. “The overwhelming response to our request for submissions speaks to the tremendous need for high-speed internet access in rural Oklahoma,” said Office Executive Director Mike Sanders.

We, the undersigned advocates for responsible government, write to express our concern with the Biden Administration’s blatant disregard for Congressional intent in its attempts to impose price controls on broadband Internet access service. These attempts exhibit a pattern of behavior whereby Administration officials say one thing while doing the opposite. In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Congress spoke its bipartisan will: there shall be no rate regulation of broadband.

As states and territories define high-cost thresholds for their Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) proposals, the industry finds itself divided on the best approach. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress established a preference for "priority broadband projects" that meet high performance standards, can scale with needs over time, and will enable the deployment of 5G. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has since determined that "end-to-end fiber optic facilities" are the platform most likely to satisfy those requirements.

All4Ed's new State Policy Center is focused on advancing educational equity (including digital equity) and providing vital support to state policymakers and advocates. Key features of the State Policy Center include:

The South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED), in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation (DLR), seeks public comments on the state's draft Digital Opportunity Plan. This Digital Opportunity Plan (also referred to as the DO Plan) outlines a path for the state to achieve its full potential through the powerful force of an internet-enabled workforce, government, and society.

How Congress, the federal Executive Branch, state and local governments, and carriers can forestall likely, measurable declines in broadband geographical penetration and subscription rates achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, a look at the reforms needed to make ongoing universal service subsidy programs sustainable and more effective in achieving additional progress in bridging the Digital Divide as emergency grant programs wind down.

The ʻŌlelo Noʻeau (Native Hawaiian proverb) which introduces Hawai'i's draft Digital Equity Plan speaks to Hawai'i's dependence on the finite resources on an island, the state residents' dependence on one another, and their interconnectedness with everything around them.

Velocity, founded in 2018 and located in south central Kansas, is a subsidiary of the Butler Electric Cooperative and serves approximately 5,500 consumer customers. Velocity’s fixed wireless service operates on more than one band of unlicensed spectrum, depending on the loading and density of each tower. However, the organization will be migrating to fiber in the coming months and years. As a nonprofit, Velocity is trying to provide service as close to cost as possible. Velocity’s current fixed wireless pricing ranges from $49 (up to 15/3 Mbps) to $84 (up to 100/10 Mbps).

The Utah Broadband Center (UBC) has important updates about significant progress on its Broadband Access Grant projects. The Broadband Access Grant is an American Rescue Plan Act-funded grant that set aside $10 million to help households and businesses impacted by COVID-19.  The UBC awarded the grant to subgrantees All West Communications, Box Elder County Government and CentraCom Interactive.  Beehive Broadband placed 36,000 feet of fiber In Mantua, installed 72 handholes for splice enclosures, and completed 100 percent of all aerial pole attachments.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's new dashboard allows anyone to track how Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Eligible Entities are progressing through the major milestones necessary to submit their Initial Proposal by the December 27, 2023 due date.