broadband

WASHINGTON — As one of the most isolated populated places on Earth, Hawaii has long faced a litany of unique communications challenges. But those days — and the island state’s heavy-duty reliance on submarine cables — are on the verge... Read More

PORT LIONS, Alaska — The residents of the native village of Port Lions and surrounding Alaskan villages are “giddy” at the thought of getting internet through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, said... Read More

WASHINGTON — The lack of a national plan for getting internet to every native tribe in the country was on full display Wednesday as the Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a roundtable discussion with federal agencies and tribal leaders working... Read More

ALEXANDRIA, La. — Government officials are starting to dole out the largest pot of money to build broadband infrastructure — the $48 billion of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program overseen by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and... Read More

WASHINGTON — Broadband dollars are continuing to flow into states as the Department of Treasury and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced more than $500 million for programs in Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska and North... Read More

WASHINGTON — Americans’ online lives are growing at a rapid pace, especially as everyday needs like health care and education can be met more easily through the internet. Despite government spending to the tune of $65 billion to ensure equal... Read More

WASHINGTON — Every state, U.S. territory and Washington, D.C., has asked for a portion of the $42.45 billion set aside for broadband buildout from the federal government, according to the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “The Internet... Read More

WASHINGTON — Five Native American tribes in New Mexico received $146 million Thursday to expand broadband to their residents. “This award will provide vital infrastructure and will allow Santo Domingo Pueblo community members to have access to critical infrastructure needed... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission proposed $4.35 million in fines against 73 rural broadband companies that applied and received government funding to build their rural networks but never did. The companies had all won bids in 2020 for areas... Read More

WASHINGTON — The proposal to change the Federal Communications Commission’s definition of broadband speeds by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel last week could help “future-proof” the country’s once-in-a-generation opportunity to build broadband infrastructure, said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of the Rural Broadband Association.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday on a rule change that will make it easier for smaller cellphone carriers and tribal nations to expand their wireless networks in rural areas where there is no cell service. The... Read More

LINCOLN, Neb. — In Nebraska officials want to ensure the millions set aside for broadband buildout during the pandemic are used. However, it’s going to be hard for the rural state where one company recently declined to use $13 million... Read More

WASHINGTON — Native American tribes across the country are set to receive $77 million in funding to help build new broadband networks and strengthen existing ones, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.  This round of funding will go... Read More

WASHINGTON — Four states — Louisiana, New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia — will receive more than $500 million in funding for broadband expansion projects under the auspices of the $10 billion Capital Projects Fund created as part of the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Slow and steady will be the approach for getting everyone connected to the internet while the government disperses billions of dollars to build out broadband over the next few years. “We are going to go as quickly as... Read More

WASHINGTON — More than 80% of Americans will have access to high-speed internet plans for $30 or less, President Joe Biden announced Monday. The partnership with 20 different broadband internet providers “gives families a little more breathing room to pay... Read More

WASHINGTON — When an internet connection fizzles out or slows down significantly it causes disruptions for work, medical care, education and many other aspects of everyday life that have gone online because of the pandemic. And it’s frustrating to people... Read More

WASHINGTON — More than two dozen members of Congress are urging Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to ensure the funds set aside for rural broadband expansion make it to the most rural of areas. The bipartisan letter urging the department... Read More

WASHINGTON — Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, unabashedly calls it “the broadband moment.” Thanks to the availability of once-in-a-generation scale funding and an administration committed to extending high speed internet into every underserved community it can, the... Read More

WASHINGTON —The Federal Communications Commission adopted a set of rules Tuesday intended to increase broadband competition and reduce the cost of those services to those living and working in apartments, public housing, office buildings and other multi-tenant buildings. The rules... Read More

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is set to announce Tuesday that more than 10 million households are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, the nation’s largest ever broadband affordability program, since the bipartisan infrastructure bill was signed into law... Read More

When April Schneider's children returned to in-person classrooms this year, she thought they were leaving behind the struggles from more than a year of remote learning. No more problems with borrowed tablets. No more days of missed lessons because her... Read More

Broadband advocates called today for state regulatory frameworks to hold broadband providers accountable as they deploy services, particularly to underserved areas.  On the heels of the bipartisan infrastructure bill passing the House last week, panelists during a Common Cause and... Read More

PITTSBURGH — Despite the strides made towards increasing broadband access for all Americans through federal deployment and subsidy programs, 30 million households in the U.S. are still not subscribed to broadband services even when they are available, said Ross Lieberman,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission announced on Wednesday it is set to approve a total of $554,150,641 for the third round of funding in deployments of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The FCC previously announced over $1 billion in... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission is poised to consider an application from Boeing to launch and run an array of broadband satellites. Acting FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a proposal for voting on Boeing’s application last week. Industry watchers... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Both sides of the U.S. Congress are viewing high-speed broadband as essential. Now, the industry players will have the challenge of reconfiguring a private business model to fit that of a utility, said Rhod Shaw, chairman of the... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Disputes in Congress on how much tax money should be invested in infrastructure continued during a hearing Wednesday on expanding broadband telecommunications access. Broadband refers to data transmission over a wide range of frequencies through optical fiber, wireless... Read More

The National Tribal Broadband Summit last week brought together law enforcement officers, AT&T representatives, and tribal telecommunication specialists to discuss how FirstNet, an independent authority established by Congress to deliver a nationwide broadband network dedicated to public safety, was able... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A variety of federal departments will come together Friday to discuss the future of broadband internet connectivity for Native American communities. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Summit, led in part by a coalition of tribal governments, organizers and seven... Read More