Techdirt: Congress May Not Renew Low-Income Broadband Program Birthed During COVID. “Everybody’s experiences with COVID home education and telecommuting briefly shined a bright spotlight on substandard U.S. broadband and policy issues. But with our attention on COVID waning, its impetus for reform on broadband access is as well. ACP money will run out soon, and the debate has begun as to whether Congress should renew the ACP program.”
Tag Archives: broadband internet
US Department of Commerce: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $930 Million to Expand and Strengthen America’s High-Speed Internet Networks as Part of the Investing in America Agenda
US Department of Commerce: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $930 Million to Expand and Strengthen America’s High-Speed Internet Networks as Part of the Investing in America Agenda. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program invests in projects that build regional networks that connect to national Internet networks.”
Ohio State News: Why technology alone can’t solve the digital divide
Ohio State News: Why technology alone can’t solve the digital divide. “For some communities, the digital divide remains even after they have access to computers and fast internet, new research shows. A study of the Bhutanese refugee community in Columbus found that even though more than 95% of the population had access to the internet, very few were using it to connect with local resources and online news. And the study, which was done during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders in Ohio, found that nearly three-quarters of respondents never used the internet for telehealth services.”
State of Mississippi: BEAM to Create Mississippi Broadband Map, Needs Feedback from the Public
State of Mississippi: BEAM to Create Mississippi Broadband Map, Needs Feedback from the Public. “The Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) launched a new website to record internet speeds and gather information about internet usage and availability. This information will allow BEAM to create a unique and updated Mississippi Broadband Map that is critical for expanding broadband infrastructure in the state.”
CNET: FCC Unveils Rules for Clear Broadband Labels to Help Consumers Comparison Shop
CNET: FCC Unveils Rules for Clear Broadband Labels to Help Consumers Comparison Shop. “The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday unveiled rules that will require all internet service providers to display clear labels for their services — similar to the nutrition labels on food products — showing exactly what the customer is purchasing.”
University of New Hampshire: UNH to Map Current and Planned Broadband to Improve Coverage in Granite State
University of New Hampshire: UNH to Map Current and Planned Broadband to Improve Coverage in Granite State. “NH GRANIT, a mapping agency for the state based at the University of New Hampshire, is receiving close to a million dollars from the N.H. Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) to inventory and map statewide broadband coverage that is currently available as well as what is proposed for the state’s businesses, educators and citizens.”
Ars Technica: FCC unveils big update to broadband map—and wants you to help correct errors
Ars Technica: FCC unveils big update to broadband map—and wants you to help correct errors . “Today, the FCC released the long-awaited National Broadband Map update based on the most detailed data the commission has ever collected from ISPs. There’s still plenty of work to do, as this first version will undergo a challenge process to correct errors, and there are indications it will have many inaccuracies.”
9to5 Google: Google Fiber launching 5 and 8 Gig service in early 2023 from $125/month
9to5 Google: Google Fiber launching 5 and 8 Gig service in early 2023 from $125/month. “Google Fiber will offer symmetrical upload and download speeds at 5 and 8 Gig. The 5 Gig plan will cost $125 per month, while it is $150/month for 8 Gig. It will come with a Wi-Fi 6 router (people can also use their own), up to two mesh extenders, and professional installation.”
Washington Post: Thousands allegedly bilked U.S. for free internet — in one child’s name
Washington Post: Thousands allegedly bilked U.S. for free internet — in one child’s name. “More than 1,000 households in Oklahoma used the identity of a single 4-year-old to obtain free or discounted internet service from the U.S. government, part of a broader wave of suspected fraud now raising new questions about Washington’s attempts to close the digital divide.”
Techdirt: New FCC Broadband Maps Are A Bit Of A ‘Train Wreck’
Techdirt: New FCC Broadband Maps Are A Bit Of A ‘Train Wreck’ “The FCC launched a new data collection portal in June, and gave ISPs until September 1 to provide updated broadband availability data. But smaller ISPs in particular say they’re struggling to meet the new requirements for data collection and transparency, and pretty clearly won’t be ready for launch.”
Government Accountability Office: Breaking Down Barriers to Broadband Access
Government Accountability Office: Breaking Down Barriers to Broadband Access. “What would your life be like without broadband internet? For many people, it’s hard to imagine not having critical services and resources at their fingertips on a daily basis. But millions of people—mostly in rural areas—still don’t have broadband access…. Federal efforts to provide broadband access to all span multiple presidential administrations. Today’s WatchBlog post explores our work about some of the ongoing challenges to achieving this goal.”
Techdirt: Google Fiber’s 2016 Expansion Freeze May Be Coming To An End
Techdirt: Google Fiber’s 2016 Expansion Freeze May Be Coming To An End. “In late 2016, a new era of Alphabet execs began getting cold feet about the high costs and slow returns of the project, and effectively mothballed the entire thing — without admitting that’s what they were doing. The company blew through several CEOs in just a few months, laid off hundreds of employees, froze any real expansion, and cancelled countless installations for users who had been waiting years…. But there are some faint indications that the Google Fiber freeze might be thawing somewhat. “
Washington State University: ‘Nomadic broadband’ helps rural first responders stay connected
Washington State University: ‘Nomadic broadband’ helps rural first responders stay connected. “The nomadic system taps a variety of wireless technologies and unused TV and radio wavelengths to provide high‑speed internet in Washington’s rugged, rural Ferry County, where digital connectivity is the sparsest in the state. In an emergency, that void can leave residents and first responders in the dark.”
Engadget: FCC chair proposes raising broadband standard to 100Mbps
Engadget: FCC chair proposes raising broadband standard to 100Mbps. “The FCC’s 25Mbps broadband standard seemed fast in 2015, but that was seven years ago — and the agency’s current leadership believes it’s time to raise that baseline. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed raising the minimum definition of broadband to 100Mbps for downloads and 20Mbps for uploads.”
Status Update: Mapping Where Broadband Is—and Is Not—Available in the U.S. (FCC)
FCC: Status Update: Mapping Where Broadband Is—and Is Not—Available in the U.S.. “For as long as people have been talking about the digital divide, there have been complaints that we lack detailed maps to tell us exactly where broadband is—and is not—available…. Congress took up this challenge in March 2020 when it passed the Broadband DATA Act instructing the FCC to create a publicly accessible, data-based nationwide map of where fixed and mobile broadband is truly available throughout the United States…. Over the past 18 months, we’ve been doing that work and making a lot of progress. I wanted to give people a brief of the latest key developments.”