More that needs to be done for rural Americans, the California-based providers argued.

The critical need for broadband deployment in rural America is emphasized by the loss of 557,000 farms sinc, RUS chief says.

The third-largest cable ISP in the country told the FCC Friday it intends to surrender awards in Kentucky, Arkansas and West Virginia.

It's a time of changing seasons in Washington, and in Rural America.

Nearly 70 broadband associations have asked the FCC to permit recipients of RDOF and CAF II to relinquish their commitments.

Almost 70 broadband associations are urging the FCC to allow ISPs who cannot fulfill their commitments to surrender their grants with a lesser penalty.

Nearly 4,000 California residents have expressed that their landline connection frequently acts as their sole means of communication.

Wells Fargo’s Weiss bank safety rating fell to C+ for Consolidated, one notch below the minimum B- rating required.

Nearly one-third of the money awarded through RDOF was defaulted on.

Efforts to enhance broadband connectivity on agricultural land are gaining momentum

The task force, mandated by the 2018 Farm Bill, pushed both the FCC and USDA on mapping and subsidies.

A rural build required as part of the company’s Time Warner Cable purchase was surprisingly profitable, Chris Winfrey said.

Experts cited a lack of middle mile as the biggest obstacle to reaching many unserved areas.

Announcement includes investments in 22 states for 100 * 20 Mbps speeds.

ReConnect funding will go toward 142 projects expected to benefit 314,000 Americans.

Congress should increase speed requirements for the USDA’s broadband programs to encourage fiber builds, committee hears.

The first operator to bring fiber to a community creates a significant barrier to entry for competitors.

‘The only way to get that density is to get fiber out there. That allows you to get more subs with your wireless.’

‘Their absence is noted, and it illustrates their indifference towards the needs of rural Americans and our rural communities.’

The authorization comes three weeks after the commission denied funding to Starlink and LTD Broadband.

‘We are continuing to review the letter and are evaluating our next steps,’ LTD said.

The announcement is the second round of ReConnect funding in fiscal year 2022.

The commission said it is helping communities prepare to apply for some of the $42.5B NTIA BEAD program.

Following up on UTOPIA Fiber’s buildout to Morgan City, we’ll look at benefits of broadband for this rural community

In remarks at the Rural Wireless Association event on Wednesday, Commissioner Geoffrey Starks reaffirmed the FCC’s goals.

The USDA has been allocated $2 billion from the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act.

Rural communities vary in broadband needs, making community engagement essential for breaching the digital divide.

CDFI funds are responsible for rural Wyoming broadband and may offer a solution to rural areas across the nation.

It’s the ninth wave of funding confirmations, bringing the total amount to more than $5.2 billion to three million locations.

Results of verifications, audits and speed and latency testing for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund will be made public.

The agency said Thursday it has approved $1 billion to 69 providers in 32 states.

Money comes from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Community Connect programs.

The infrastructure bill’s tech neutrality is concerning critics who say money will go to satellite, not enough to fiber.

The build is also underbudget, they said.

The agency is reevaluating winning bids after asking providers to ensure census blocks aren’t already served.

From direct fiber connections to low-earth orbit satellites, libraries can provide public Wi-Fi through varying means.

Christopher Ali discusses his solutions to bridge the rural-urban digital divide in his most recent book, “Farm Fresh Broadband.”

“Farm Fresh Broadband” explains the world of broadband policy and provides solutions to bridge the digital divide.

FCC Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel said EBB will benefit tremendously from local outreach efforts.

Broadband Breakfast, in person and for lunch, heard about the possibilities with spectrum sharing and combining technologies for coverage.

Broadband Breakfast revisits what some state legislatures did to narrow broadband gaps.

The NTIA said $2.5B requested for broadband program, SpaceX ships 100K terminals, AMC appoints interim CEO.

Webinar hears how critical mapping is to bridging the digital divide.

Defaulters say new FCC mapping data shows areas they bid to connect are already adequately served.

The agency is scrutinizing the winning bids for the $9.2-billion fund, and asking companies to consider withdrawing.

Company head says scalable, gigabit future is a priority now to deal with future broadband challenges.

Government officials say inflationary pressures may make connecting rural America harder than previously anticipated.

Governments and health providers have an opportunity to carry the momentum of 2020 for telehealth’s future.

The high cost of pole attachments can deter broadband providers from providing service to the anchor institutions and residential consumers.

Open access provisions in municipal builds could alleviate fears of competition concerns with ISPs.

The bipartisan Hassan-Capito bill would provide state and local governments with new financing options for broadband projects.

NTCA’s Shirley Bloomfield on driving improvements for rural broadband.

The fight for broadband infrastructure in one Utah community. Is private enterprise the end goal?

Vermont looks to expand broadband, California looks at passive infrastructure, AT&T gets DoT contract, and Cisco to buy Sedona.

$10 billion dollars are being made available to communities in need to better connect their communities.

The speed of the broadband service used was only one component of the issues students faced.

The American Jobs Plan, President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, includes $100 billion to ensure broadband availability to every single American at affordable rates. This means building more broadband in rural areas.

Experts discuss the short- and long-term need for gigabit speeds.

Experts say it’s difficult to get an understanding of cost for connecting rural regions without quality maps.

March 11, 2021 – The Center on Rural Innovation is recommending telecom companies engage with local communities and invest in hyper-local programs. Speaking at the second general session of the National Rural Broadband Association last month, Matt Dunne, executive director at the Center on Rural Inn

Panelists include Scott Rudd, Indiana Broadband Office, Teresa Ferguson, Colorado Broadband Office, Matt Schmitt, Illinois Office of Broadband, Kenrick Gordon, Maryland Office of Rural Broadband, Burt Lum, Hawaii Broadband Initiative, Moderated by Drew Clark, Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfas

March 4, 2021 – Amid claims that the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund chose winners that may not be able to fulfill their broadband commitments, Vantage Point CEO Larry Thompson said his whitepaper contributing to the discussion wasn’t intended to be critical but to figure out what’s best for quick de

March 3, 2021—Vantage Point Solutions is questioning whether wireless providers can deliver on their contractual obligations following the announcement of $9 billion in federal award for the first phase of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The concerns, outlined by CEO Larry Thompson in a white pa

February 25, 2021—Customer service strategies are being used to separate smaller carriers from bigger ones during the pandemic, according to company executives speaking at the third general session Thursday at the conference of NTCA, the Rural Broadband Association. In the session, industry members

February 18, 2021— Electrical cooperatives that own their own fiber are filling in the broadband gaps that telecoms have left, said panelists at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event on Wednesday. The locally-owned businesses that have traditionally only provided electricity are now owning their o

February 16, 2021—While SpaceX touts Starlink as the answer to the world’s dearth of broadband coverage, experts are not convinced that it will be able to meet increasing demand. Elon Musk’s SpaceX began launching a constellation of small satellites early in 2018 with the goal of providing affordabl

February 11, 2021—Broadband providers are becoming increasingly vocal in their concerns over some of the winning bidders in the first phase of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund that was completed last year. In late 2019, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it would put more than $2

February 10, 2021— House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said the committee he heads will be focusing on broadband expansion, affordability and adoption. He said that the committee will focus on three primary goals: Universal broadband, particularly insofar that inner-c

February 7, 2021 – Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Tuesday made a visit to Children’s National Hospital, and a virtual visit to the University of Virginia, to emphasize the agency’s goals of investing in telehealth strategies, with a specific emphasis on se

December 22, 2020 — With the closing of the bidding in Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund reverse-auction, many across the country are beginning to initiate groundwork for the federally-supported networks that will be deployed or expanded over the next 10 years. To de

December 7, 2020 – The Federal Communications Commission on Monday announced that it had awarded $9.3 billion in broadband funds (PDF) for rural Americans, over 10 years, through the recently-concluded Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. About 5.2 million locations in rural America will now gain

November 19, 2020 – While the business case for rural broadband has been debated, panelists at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s monthly webinar on Wednesday concluded that rural broadband enhances local economies. Mid-Atlantic Broadband was able to establish an open a

November 12, 2020 — The failure to connect the rural-urban digital divide in the United States is not one of technology, but of markets, politics, and policy, argued Christopher Ali, associate professor in the Media Studies Department at the University of Virginia, during a virtual presentation whic

October 30, 2020 — In addition to considerable discussion about net neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, the commissioners also voted to establish a 5G Fund for Rural America and to further streamline the process for deployment of wireless infrastructure.

October 12, 2020 – The digital divide is a real problem for rural America, Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA, the Rural Broadband Association, said on Thursday at the Blandin Foundation’s conference on broadband. “People in Washington like to talk about the digital divide, those who have connectivity

October 2, 2020 – Electric utilities and rural cooperatives are increasingly building out broadband, agreed panelists at last week’s Broadband Communities Virtual Summit. Sheryl Riggs, CEO of Utilities Technology Council, believed that while utilities will probably not surpass other providers to bec

September 30, 2020 – Municipalities are well suited to investment in broadband networks, particularly those in rural areas, said Ben Fineman, president and co-founder of Michigan Broadband Cooperative, at the Broadband Communities Virtual Summit on Thursday. He said that many for-profit broadband pr

September 23, 2020 – Individuals representing different facets of rural broadband – traditional telecom companies, rural electric utilities, wireless providers and state regulators – on Thursday voiced concerns about aspects of the federal government’s rural broadband programs. Many of these players

September 21, 2020—Speaking Thursday at the fall conference of NTCA, the Rural Broadband Association, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai highlighted recently-announced improvements to the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. The RDOF will provide $20.4 billion over 10 ye

September 16, 2020 – Partnerships between local municipal governments and private broadband providers can actually work, according to a panel on “Communities in Need” at Tuesday’s kick-off the rural broadband association NTCA. Some local communities, like Fairlawn, Ohio, have begun taking forward-th

The first day of school has always come with a mix of joy and anxiety as students transition from summer fun to books and bells. But the start to this new school year certainly did not look like the last—even for those headed back into the classroom. By the end of the 2019-20 school year, […]

August 19, 2020 — Members of the Rural Caucus and the Native American Caucus of the Democratic Party made calls for modernizing broadband and energy infrastructure during caucus meetings on Tuesday. As part of the Democratic National Convention, members of the Rural Caucus opened their meeting by ob

August 3, 2020 — The economic fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically worsened the financial condition of the United States Postal Service, necessitating financial relief if it is to continue operating through fiscal year 2020. Analysts predict that the agency will run out of m

June 30, 2020 — “Broadband has got to be the order of the day, going forward,” said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., during a Tuesday webinar hosted by the Northern Virginia Technology Council. The webinar centered on the leadership Clyburn has exhibited in a slew of arenas, particularly, technology poli

June 24, 2020 — House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and other members of the Rural Broadband Task Force introduced the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act on Wednesday. The act would invest more than $100 billion in high-speed infrastructure in areas without comprehensive internet ser

June 19, 2020 — There is currently considerable buzz around the prospect of obtaining bids from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, the largest federal initiative to subsidize rural broadband in America to date. However, it is no secret that the rural digital funding will be allotted based off of ma

June 18, 2020  — SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer founded by Elon Musk, launched its eighth batch of internet-beaming Starlink satellites into orbit on June 3. The Starlink satellite constellation, which currently consists of 482 low-orbit satellites, holds the potential to deliver high-speed, low

June 17, 2020 — The bidding process to secure a portion of the Federal Communications Commission’s $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is already underway. But what if your bid is one of those not chosen to receive a piece of the FCC’s rural broadband pie? A number of broadband funding oppo

June 12, 2020 — For regional operators, the stakes are more competitive than ever, as the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction has significantly accelerated the agency’s efforts to subsidize broadband coverage in unserved areas across America. In a webinar hosted

June 9, 2020 — The Federal Communications Commission adopted procedures for Phase I of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction, or Auction 904, at their open meeting Tuesday. The auction, scheduled to begin October 29, will award up to $16 billion in federal support to existing and prospective br

June 8, 2020 — The Federal Communication Commission’s recent initiatives to increase funding for telehealth services, or broadband-enabled healthcare, are not accessible to for-profit hospitals, according to panelists speaking on a Federal Communications Bar Association webinar on May 21. The three

No offense to Melvil Dewey, but what does his system of decimals have on the algorithmic horsepower of the Google search engine?

May 21, 2020 — The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday that it would accept the so-called “short-form” applications for its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund reverse auction beginning on July 1 and continue until July 15. The agency also announced that the auction of the monies for this

May 6, 2020 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced $23 million in grant investments for rural broadband infrastructure in New Mexico on Tuesday. The three recipients, Pueblo of Acoma, Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative and ENMR Telephone Cooperative, will receive the funds through

TYSONS, Virginia, May 4, 2020 – The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”) is a significant acceleration of the Federal Communications Commission’s efforts to subsidize the construction of broadband infrastructure in rural communities. The FCC has pledged to allocate $20.4 billion of support, over

April 22, 2020— Executives in major federal agencies such as the Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency and Small Business Administration provided updates on the economies and coronavirus grant programs for rural

April 20, 2020— There are aspects of fiber-optic cabling that make the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction “very favorable” to the technology, said Kara Mullaley, a market development manager at Corning Optical Communications at a webinar hosted by Corning on Thursday. The Rural Digital Opportuni

TYSONS, Virginia, and CINCINNATI, Ohio, April 14, 2020 – Marashlian & Donahue, PLLC, The CommLaw Group, and CostQuest Associates have announced a free webinar, “How to Prepare and Effectively Bid in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction,” on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 12 Noon ET. The webinar will

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2020— “We won’t be calling it precision farming anymore, we’ll just be calling it farming,” announced Ken Sudduth, an agricultural engineer at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Sudduth spoke Wednesday at a monthly electronic meeting of the Federal Communication Commissi

March 17, 2020 – Broadband Communities and the Rural Telecommunications Congress have announced that Broadband Communities Summit and its rural broadband track, which were previously scheduled for late April, have been postponed until August 2020 because of concerns associated with the coronavirus.

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2020 – The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday voted to advance a version of legislation creating a new office with the Commerce Department, and  re-authorizing the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to protect consumers from deceptive internet marketing. One bill would es

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2020 – Private partnerships play a more crucial role in rural broadband buildout than all the federal and public programs available to help, said C Spire Senior Vice President of Strategic Relations Ben Moncrief. He was a speaker on Tuesday at the INCOMPAS policy summit and tout

WASHINGTON, February 25, 2020 – Public broadcast experts and Federal Communications  Commissioner Michael O’Rielly discussed the special role public broadcasting can play in expanding broadband and promoting education, and projected their hopes for the NextGen TV technology. NextGen TV, formally kno

While there are helpful strategies to deploy rural broadband on the local level, significant barriers persist, said panelists at a local meeting on broadband in Disputana, Virginia, hosted by local members of Congress Reps. Donald McEachin and Abigail Spanberger, and livestreamed on Thursday afterno

Over twenty members of Congress sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Friday asking for clarification on the changes to the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund  announced during the agency’s vote to approve the program on January 30. In a last-minute change, the FCC elim

Broadband Communities and the Rural Telecommunications Congress have released the agenda for the rural broadband track at the forthcoming Broadband Communities Summit in April 2020. For the tenth year in a row, the non-profit RTC has co-hosted the rural track at the summit, the premier national gath

WASHINGTON, February 5, 2020 – The chancellor of a key land-grant university system on Wednesday proposed a way to modernize these universities through a system of digital inclusion aimed at revitalizing the heartland. Speaking at the New American think tank, Chancellor of the North Dakota Universit

One of the few moments of bipartisan cheering during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night was when he mentioned rural broadband. “I am committed to ensuring that every citizen can have access to high-speed internet, including rural America,” Trump said during the speech,

WASHINGTON, February 3, 2020 – ITTA, which called itself “the voice of America’s broadband providers,” closed on Friday due to financial obstacles after over 25 years of advocating for wireline communications. ITTA – which was originally known as the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alli

The Federal Communications Commission’s rural telehealth order of August 2019 was criticized by the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition in a Wednesday webinar. The FCC’s rural health program has two arms: The healthcare connect fund and the telecommunications program. Jeff Mitchell, at

Adding congressional oversight to the growing mix of interest in the broadband mapping debate, the House Energy and Commerce committee announced that the Communications Subcommittee will hold a hearing on “Improving  the Nation’s Broadband Maps” on Wednesday, September 11, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 2322

Ads that describe immigrants of color as an “invasion” violate Facebook’s community standards and should not be allowed to run, according to a Wednesday petition from Free Press. Between January and February, President Donald Trump’s Facebook page ran more than 2,000 ads that used the word “invasion

WASHINGTON, August 12, 2019 — The Federal Communications Commission on Monday authorized over $121 million in rural broadband funding, marking the fourth wave of support from last year’s Connect America Fund Phase II Auction. The funding is expected to bring broadband access to more than 36,000 unse

Public Knowledge,  the Computer & Communications Industry Association and TechFreedom on Friday pushed back at the Trump Administration’ reported Executive Order that would appear to require the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to monitor speech on social platforms. Fol

Congress and the Federal Communications Commission are working together to stop robocalls, wrote FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, in an op-ed on Wednesday. Rep. Latta in April introduced legislation that encourages phone companies to automatically block unwanted robocalls, and in Ju

A recent report from the CoBank Knowledge Exchange detailed new insights into successful broadband partnerships. The report, written by economists Jeff Johnston and Tom Binet, found that partnerships between Rural Local Exchange Carriers and Electric Distribution Cooperatives are uncommon, but can b

WASHINGTON, August 1, 2019 — The Federal Communications Commission  on Thursday initiated a new process for collecting fixed broadband data for mapping purposes. The new Digital Opportunity Data Collection aims to replace the current, Form 477-based data collection methodology utilized since 2000, o

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., announced on Tuesday four new endorsements for the Children and Media Research Advancement Act. This legislation would authorize the National Institute of Health to lead a research program on technology and media’s effects on infants, children, and adolescents. “The lack

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2019 — The Justice Department’s recently announced settlement on the T-Mobile/Sprint merger has drawn widespread criticism, even though the agreement maintains four nationwide carriers by drawing Dish Network into the marketplace. Dish has fiercely defended its ability to quickl

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2019 — Closing the digital divide will require a multifaceted long-term solution, and better broadband maps are an essential step towards getting there, said panelists at a discussion hosted by New York Law School and the Federal Communications Bar Association on Tuesday. Indian

Locally-run internet service providers offer better broadband than their private sector counterparts, according to a recent study by PCMag. The data shows that six of America’s ten fastest ISPs either involve some form of public-private partnership or were run directly by a local community. “Local n

On Thursday, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging the agency to utilize public input to fix broadband coverage maps. “The FCC’s maps are still woefully inaccurate, and they are hurting the economy and the people of West Virginia,” said

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2019 — Among the items passed unanimously at the Federal Communications Commission July 10 meeting was the creation of a three-year, $100 million pilot program to support the delivery of telehealth services to rural and low-income Americans. “From chronic disease management to p

The Federal Communications Commission on Monday announced more than $524 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband access to 205,520 unserved rural homes and businesses in 23 states. Providers will begin receiving funding this month. “High-speed Internet provides access to opportun

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2019 — Ignoring recommendations from the Department of Education, several members of Congress, and various broadband advocates, the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 on Wednesday to hold commercial auctions for unused portions of the 2.5 Gigahertz spectrum band. The de

Nearly a quarter of rural Americans have used some form of telehealth service within the past few years, according to a recent NPR report conducted with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. The most frequently used telehealth services include receivi

MONTROSE, Colorado, July 2, 2019- Policymakers and providers agree that collaboration is vital to sustaining high-quality broadband in rural communities. However, there is still work that needs to be done to deploy high-speed symmetrical broadband, panelists said Tuesday at a rural broadband webcast

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2019 — About 80 million Americans in unserved or underserved locations could receive gigabit broadband access through spectrum sharing without harming existing operations, according to research conducted by Jeffrey Reed, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virgini

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2019 — Allocating more radio-frequency spectrum to smaller providers will make the most difference in helping America to close the digital divide, said speakers at last week’s summit of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance. The summit brought together policymakers, regulators, academia,

MONTROSE, Colorado, July 2, 2019 – The link to the Rural Telecommunications Congress’ “Fueling the Fire of Rural Innovation” webcast is below. The program begins immediately on the webcast. (Photo of panelists chatting before the livestream at the Visitor’s Center in Montrose, Colorado.)

Trade negotiations with the U.S. and China are “right back on track,” said President Trump this Saturday at the G20 Summit in Japan. The Guardian reports that after the president met with Chinese general secretary Xi Jinping, he announced that the U.S will not impose further tariffs against Chinese

Join the FREE National Webcast to Hear How Rural America Can Benefit from Better Broadband MONTROSE, Colorado, July 1, 2019 – Join an esteemed panel of visionaries, practitioners and entrepreneurs who have successfully used broadband to advance economic development on Colorado’s rural Western Slope.

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2019 — Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposed order to permit auction of portions of the 2.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band has drawn criticism from many outside the agency, including several members of Congress and even the U.S. Department of Education in

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2019 – In tackling the nettlesome question of improving broadband mapping, the telecom industry group US Telecom on Thursday showcased recent progress in their pilot program to better detect broadband serviceability. The discussion on a 45-minute webinar focused on how the initi

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2019 — The Federal Communications Commission will vote in July on whether or not to auction off unused portions of the 2.5 GigaHertz (GHz) spectrum band to advance the deployment of 5G wireless networks. Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement that the order would “modernize an ou

SiFi Networks has offered to install and maintain a new fiber optic network in Lowell, Massachusetts—at no cost to the city. This infrastructure would pave the way for new internet service providers to compete with Comcast, which is currently the main internet provider within the city. “Increasing c

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2019 — Congress should make it easier for small wireless internet service providers to acquire spectrum and deploy broadband in rural areas, said speakers at a Wednesday panel hosted by the Wireless Internet Service Provider Association. Fixed wireless’ cost-effective deployment

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2019 – The Federal Communications Commission on Monday authorized $166.8 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband to 60,850 unserved rural homes and businesses in 22 states. Providers will begin receiving funding this month. A map of the winning bids is availa

On Thursday, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission awarded almost 8 million dollars to fourteen counties across rural Virginia for the development of broadband services, reported The News & Advance. Commission Chairman Kathy Byron highlighted the essential role increased broadband ac

MONTROSE, Colorado, June 5, 2019 – The Rural Telecommunications Congress, a 22-year-old grassroots organization advocating for better broadband in Rural America, has announced its national “Fueling the Fire of Rural Innovation” webcast series. The free webcast series begins with an event in Montrose

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration released a comprehensive database of federal broadband programs on Monday. (See also this PDF for the 109-page guide of programs.) The database was created under the American Broadband Initiative’s mandate to expand connectivity for all

“The lack of adequate broadband has become a crisis in rural areas,” Isanti County Broadband Task Force Member Greg Carlson said at a field hearing in the rural Minnesota town of Scania on Thursday. The hearing, entitled “Small Businesses and Their Limitations Without Reliable Access to Rural Broadb

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This piece by our friend and colleague Craig Settles addresses several issues about co-ops, broadband, and rural economic development being addressed at the Broadband Communities Summit this week in Austin, Texas. Both Craig Settles, the author of this piece, and Tim Mar

Don’t missing the exciting program of the Rural Telecommunications Congress in Austin, Texas, from April 9, 2019-April 11, 2019. The program is listed below. To sign up at the Rural Telecommunications Congress rate by visiting the RTC web site, or by visiting the Broadband Communities web site. (Mak

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2019 – The nation’s leading telecommunications companies on Thursday announced a new broadband mapping pilot initiative that aims to geolocate each address in the country, and link each location with broadband providers that offer service to that address. At a launch event join

Editor’s Note: The most recent edition of Broadband Communities Magazine features a special section on rural broadband, including this overview piece about the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act and the ReConnect. Incidentally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s series of webinars on the

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Broadband is the baseline for economic development: If you don’t have the former, you won’t have the latter. And for Rural America, this is doubly true. (Read all the way through the article to understand how “Broadband, Bluegrass and Beer” makes it all happen.) It’s gre

February 20, 2019 – The Rural Telecommunications Congress comes together once every year in Austin, Texas, jointly with the Broadband Communities Summit. Rural broadband issues are very much in the news. Among the topics that will be discussed this year at the summit are “Rural Broadband Success Sto

February 14, 2019 – Americans love broadband. More accurately, they hate it when they can’t get access to high-speed internet. Right now, Rural America faces a huge crisis, and it isn’t getting better. According to a report, the “American Broadband Initiative,” released yesterday by the U.S. Departm

WASHINGTON, December 13, 2018 – The Agriculture Department on Thursday unveiled the details of is $600 million broadband loan and grant program – dubbed “ReConnect” – and which was originally called for by appropriations legislation passed in March. “High-speed internet e-Connectivity is a necessity

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The journalism publication CJR weighs into the below-the-radar-battle over rural broadband, highlighting the now-here prospect of a gaping digital divide between the urban and the rural areas of our country. Iowa: Rural broadband, and the unknown costs of the digital div

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: There’s no question that California courts controversy, in technology and telecommunications as well as many other spaces. However, putting aside the drama over net neutrality, this bill removing restrictions on the public option will aid rural broadband. In particular,

ROCKPORT, Maine, September 3, 2018 – The Maine State Chamber of Commerce teams up with the Telecommunications Association of Maine to host a roundtable discussion on how to overcome difficulties in funding rural broadband. Featured guests include Dana Connors, president of the Maine Chamber of Comme

PITTSBURGH, August 16, 2018 – Big telecommunications providers are not making it easy for communities to step up and offer robust broadband service, even in low-density areas that the private sector has declined to serve for years, according to experts speaking at a July 23 Next Century Cities confe

WASHINGTON, August 16, 2018 – New measures to improve broadband education and access in schools and libraries were among the innovations in broadband data touted on the second day of a conference last week on Measurement Lab. The 10 year anniversary conference was hosted on August 7 and 8 by the New

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: It is great to see this kind of round-up of an array of broadband activities happening throughout the country. It is a reminder that broadband remains a potent economic development issue throughout the country, if not in Washington. Kudos to Smart and Resilient Cities fo

WASHINGTON, August 7, 2018 – Many in the broadband industry commenting on broadband availability data exposed the weaknesses of current Federal Communications Commission data – and not only in the data itself but in the process by which it is collected. The Commerce Department’s National Telecommuni

PITTSBURGH, July 31, 2018 – Rural electric cooperatives and not “small cell” deployment powered by 5G networks, may be the solution to closing the digital divide, according to Jonathan Chambers, former chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Strategic Planning. Speaking at the reg

PITTSBURGH, July 30, 2018 – Many broadband experts speaking at the Next Century Cities regional summit here said last week that city jurisdiction should take precedence over federal rules in ensuring impactful broadband deployment. The conference highlighted some of these local voices, eager for bro

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2018 – In rural America, data-driven tools and libraries are heading efforts to expand broadband access, according to broadband policy experts. On July 18, BroadbandUSA hosted a webinar “Statewide Strategies for Rural Digital Inclusion,” discussing state-level measures to extend

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Leading Republican leaders are content to talk up the significance of aiding rural regions by enhancing broadband deployment. But, at least according to this article from The Hill, are actively opposing measures, such as the Community Broadband Act, that Democrats say wo

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2018 – Colorado broadband officials stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in extending broadband access to unserved Americans in rural areas, and expressed doubts that the so-called fifth-generation wireless standard dubbed 5G will be the answer to closing the di

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2018 – The lack of broadband coverage in rural areas is impeding the agriculture sector from making greater use of “precision farming,” according to experts speaking at a Commerce Department webinar on Wednesday. Speaking at a National Telecommunications and Information Administ

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This great piece from a news site devoted to state, county and municipal government tackles what one state is doing in order to advance better broadband throughout its state. All states include a rural component (more or less), and Delaware shows that state-wide broadban

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The role of wireless, which is one key piece of the broadband puzzle for rural areas, will be considered at the New America Foundation on Tuesday at Noon, together with Kelsey Guyselman, policy advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and an ar

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Rural priorities are again receiving additional emphasis in the draft spending legislation currently before Congress. Though the proposed $600 million is lower than the $2.5 billion that some had been discussing, the pending Trump infrastructure package could allocate st

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 – Questions about how the federal government will be involved in rolling out the next-generation infrastructure for wireless, known as 5G (for 5th generation) remained after a Wednesday infrastructure hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee. “With the rise of the internet

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2018 – Local government officials seeking to offer a corrective tonic on broadband deployment to the Federal Communications Commission may consider applying for the expanded Intergovernmental Advisory Committee. Nominations for the more-than-10-year-old group are due on Monday,

Rural broadband has never been a more pressing priority for our nation, and now is the time to join the conversation. The Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC) has an exciting program at the Broadband Communities Summit this year from May 1-3 in Austin, Texas. When you register for the summit usin

WASHINGTON, February 12, 2018 – President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled details of his plan to spur $1.5 trillion in new investment to revitalize the nation’s crumbling infrastructure with a combination of $200 billion worth of matching funds and block grants to be funded from to-be-determined bud

WASHINGTON, February 11, 2018 – After a year of promises, President Donald Trump on Monday is expected to unveil his long-awaited proposal for revamping the nation’s infrastructure. The plan, which was previewed by a senior White House official over the weekend, is designed to stimulate investment w

WASHINGTON, February 6, 2018 – The Trump administration will unveil principles for its long-awaited plan to spend $1.5 trillion on revamping the nation’s infrastructure this coming Monday, a White House official confirmed to BroadbandBreakfast.com. Trump alluded to the forthcoming plan during his fi

WASHINGTON, January 22, 2018 – A leaked document purporting to be an outline of the Trump Administration’s forthcoming infrastructure plan makes few provisions for broadband or other digital infrastructure outside of rural areas. The six-page outline, which was first reported by Axios, bears the tit

WASHINGTON, January 8, 2018 – President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order encouraging rural broadband deployment by speeding up permitting processes for facilities on federal land and allowing wireless broadband equipment to be co-located on federally-owned towers. In addition to the

WASHINGTON, January 8, 2018 – The Trump Administration plans on making increased access to broadband in rural areas a priority as it implements the recommendations of its’ Rural Prosperity Task Force, said National Economic Council Special Assistant for Technology, Telecommunications, and Cybersecur

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Once again, the folks at the Institute for Local Self Reliance have produced another standout report on how to get better broadband to those parts of American that are not served by the major incumbents. This report focuses on the role that cooperatives are playing, and

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Telemedicine is one of the most immediately needed high-bandwidth broadband applications, and it promises concrete and easy-to-see benefits. Yet its usage had limited by occupational licensing. In this policy report, CATO Institute Adjunct Scholar Shirley Svorny lays out

Wireline technologies such as fiber and cable are usually deployed where populations are greater, but areas with less density can best be served with fixed wireless networks for far less money, say WISPA officials.

WASHINGTON, August 2, 2017 — A pair of senators on Tuesday introduced a bipartisan bill which they hope will improve wireless networks in underserved rural areas of the United States. The aptly named Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAV

WASHINGTON, August 1, 2017 — President Donald Trump is committed to moving an infrastructure bill this year despite making little legislative progress towards on other policy goals, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Monday. “The President has been very outspoken on the need

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2017 – The New America Foundation’s wireless project promoted a hybrid fiber and wireless technology approach at a Tuesday event, “Shared Spectrum as a Fiber Extension,” discussing ways to make high-speed broadband internet more available through an additional 500 megahertz of w

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Our friend Craig Settles probes the question: How can rural areas get better broadband? Equally important, he provides some concrete examples of where and how it is happening. Broadband and Rural Economices – Maybe Small is Better | Rural communities should set realistic

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2017 – Rural areas of Tennessee have lost business because they don’t have access to high-speed internet, Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn said Monday at a panel on broadband infrastructure hosted by the Brookings Institution. Trump was aggressively pushing new infrast

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2017 – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai came to his re-confirmation hearing Wednesday with a message that network neutrality regulations were hurting infrastructure investments. The hearing joined Pai, current FCC chairman, with Jessica Rosenworcel, who had be

DALLAS, May 5, 2017 – Open access networks are becoming more real for gigabit connectivity in the United States, according to panelists attending the Broadband Communities Summit here this week. The conference was notable in having numerous, positive discussions of the “three-tiered” model: One enti

In the battle to deploy broadband, cooperatives (co-ops) can be a decisive force to cover the rural flanks in states with aggressive broadband adoption goals such as California, New York, and Minnesota. In the more rural states, or ones without stated commitments to broadband, co-ops may have to car

DALLAS, May 1, 2017 – One of the biggest puzzles in broadband today is a financial conundrum: Our nation needs next-generation networks everywhere, but advanced internet capacity is spotty at best. One solution to the problem of financing universal broadband networks — on display in Ammon, Idaho — w

DALLAS, April 25, 2017 – What kind of workplaces and economic environment are rural areas likely to experience in the future? At the Rural Telecommunications Congress program here at the 2017 Broadband Communities Summit next week, two of the sessions on Wednesday, May 3, will feature address that q

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, April 19, 2017 – At 7,200 square miles, this Southern California county is nearly the size of New Jersey. On April 3, the county put out a “Request for Participants” in an effort to jump-start a $2 billion to $4 billion initiative building a gigabit fiber network. The project

You are invited to join NTIA’s BroadbandUSA team today for a webinar discussing: Strategies for Broadband Adoption and Digital Inclusion in Rural Communities Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 Time: 2:00pm ET Overview:  This webinar will focus on strategies to promote broadband adoption and digital inc

DALLAS, April 18, 2017 – Over the past ten years, broadband mapping has gone through many changes. In the beginning, the Federal Communications Commission collected data about high-speed internet access, but didn’t release any local or granular data collected through its semi-annual forms. Through t

Fiber-optic technology is the gold standard for home or commercial broadband, and powers wireless connectivity, too.

Mobile communication has become a central part internet connectivity.

The internet has the potential to impact, and also to enhance, society's democratization.

Whether licensed, unlicensed or shared, radio frequency spectrum is the critical resource for wireless communication.

Whether broadband providers may prioritize delivery of bits by the entities they own is a divisive topic.

Open Access networks separate network operations from internet services. Ownership may also be separate from operations.

The pandemic has prompted a new era of funding for broadband infrastructure.

Wireless technologies are critical for mobile communications, and for being able to reach remote locations.

Satellite broadband remains an option those areas beyond the reach of fiber, terrestrial or mobile wireless.

The Universal Service Fund, codified in 1996 with the Telecommunications Act, remains the foundation of universal access.

Cloud computing relies upon robust and high-speed upload and download internet speeds.

Tribal leaders say the federal government has failed to uphold its trust responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of Native American tribes.

The 5G wireless standard promises breakthrough in capacity, speed and dynamic spectrum-sharing capabilities.

Wireless Internet Service Providers play an important role in delivery of fixed wireless broadband.

We need humans to make digital inclusion work.

Technology, particularly broadband access and adoption, plays a vital role in K-12 and secondary education.

The innovations of telehealth and mobile health care has transformed medicine and health care.

Ensuring that emergency communications are enabled with broadband is the next frontier in public safety.

Broadband internet service allows many people to work from almost anywhere.

Digital locks and keys are necessary, but not sufficient, to ensure cybersecurity.

The scourge of robocalls is making America's once-vaunted telephone network less trustworthy.

The BEAD program is implemented by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Commerce Department.

The last three years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of communities building publicly-owned, locally controlled infrastructure.

The entire concept of privacy has been transformed by broadband and the internet.

Accurate broadband mapping and data has been central to America's broadband buildout.

WISPA, formerly the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, represents "Broadband Without Boundaries."

WASHINGTON, October 21, 2011 – Rural broadband providers, national union members, federal agency officials and state broadband administrators squared off on Tuesday at the Broadband Breakfast Club’s keynote and panel presentations on “Bringing Broadband Infrastructure to Rural Areas: Where is the Pr

Thursday October 13th 2011 – As BroadbandBreakfast.com gears up for our panel on “Bringing Broadband Infrastructure to Rural Areas: Where is the Progress?” we have been taking some notes on the FCC’s efforts to reform the Universal Service Fund and listened in on Wednesday’s Senate Commerce Hearing

WASHINGTON, Thursday, October 13th, 2011 – The internet and intellectual property policy news and events service BroadbandBreakfast.com will hold its October 2011 Broadband Breakfast Club event: “Bringing Broadband Infrastructure to Rural Areas: Where is the Progress?” on Tuesday, October 18th 2011 at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, 707 7th St.