Universal Broadband

AT&T has expanded its fixed wireless Internet infrastructure in four states. AT&T fixed wireless is now available in 33 counties serving more than 37,000 locations in AL, 40 counties serving more than 26,000 locations in AR, 46 counties serving more than 27,000 locations in GA and 51 counties serving more than 37,000 locations in TN.

Both maps illustrate just what a patchwork broadband access remains in the United States, with well-connected areas right next to disconnected areas. Overall, more than 30 percent of rural America still lacks access to what the Federal Communications Commission considers adequate broadband. That’s a stark contrast from urban areas, where only 2.1 percent lack this connectivity.

Rural Indian reservations have lower rates of coverage than anywhere else in the nation. About 35 percent of Americans living in tribal lands lack broadband access, according to the most recent report by the Federal Communications Commission. In Idaho, the FCC estimates that 83 percent of the tribal population lacks broadband, making the Nez Perce tribe among the least-connected groups in the country.

Today I'm going to talk about what the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NDIA) and the Administration are doing to help promote investment in broadband and ensure that all Americans have access to the connectivity they need to meaningfully participate in the modern economy.

President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Kenneth Johnson to be the Rural Utility Service Administrator, Department of Agriculture. Johnson serves as the general manager and CEO of Co-Mo Electric Cooperative and President for Co-Mo Connect in Tipton, MO. Co-Mo is the first to deploy a fiber-to-the-home network to all of their members without federal or state funding, providing gigabit internet, video and voice services to nearly 16,000 subscribers.

What an honor it is, to take part in Safer Internet Day 2018 with you, the future leaders of this state and nation.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) has been a formal partner for some key initiatives at the Federal Communications Commission. I’m speaking in particular about our Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment and our Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. I wanted to spend some timegiving an update on the latest developments regarding these important ventures.

To accelerate the benefits of 5G, we need elected leaders at every level of government to adopt smart policies that support the deployment of new infrastructure. Fortunately, policymakers are already moving in the right direction. Leaders on both sides of the aisle and across the federal government have sent strong signals that it’s time to double down on America’s future in 5G, and time to start finding ways to accelerate deployment, remove regulatory barriers, connect local communities and close the digital divide.

Ajit Pai had a dilemma when overseeing the creation of the Federal Communications Commission's new Broadband Deployment Report. Anyone who is familiar with the FCC chairman's rhetoric over the past few years could make two safe predictions about this report. The report would conclude that broadband deployment in the US is going just fine and that the repeal of network neutrality rules is largely responsible for any new broadband deployment.

So which US-based providers got the most amount of federal rural broadband funding in 2017?