U.S. broadband consumers are now using more than twice as much data each month than they were right before the pandemic, according to the latest quarterly report from Hoboken, New Jersey-based broadband analytics software and service provider OpenVault. From October through December last year, U.S. high-speed-internet subscribers chewed through, on average, 641 gigabytes of the good stuff. Median consumption — a more accurate measurement of the bulk of the market — was 423.7 gigs. Compare that to the fourth quarter of 2019, the last quarter before the COVID pandemic changed usage patterns forever — 344 GB was the average usage and 190.7 GB was the median during that three-month period. For more coverage of the Open Vault data usage report, CLICK HERE to read the article at NextTV. NOTE: You need to sign up for their free email list to view the full story.
Willmar, a community of 21,000 in central Minnesota, is the latest American community to take charge of its broadband future. The Willmar City Council has authorized the construction of an open access fiber network in partnership with Minnesota-based Hometown Fiber. The city council approved a community outreach and education proposal on a vote of 5-2 after more than a year of planning. Dissenters were hesitant to move forward with the outreach until a formal operations agreement was finalized and ready for city approval. For more about the Willmar project, CLICK HERE to read an article on the Blandin Foundation website.
Our latest episode of Broadband Action is now live for listening on your favorite podcast platform our the CBAN YouTube Channel! In this episode we discuss the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, also known as BEAD, which is slowly inching toward implementation. Our guest is Brian Hurley, Chief Regulatory Counsel at ACA Connects, which recently released the fourth edition of their BEAD Impact Report. Brian walks us through the latest projection on how BEAD will help close our nation's broadband divide. CLICK HERE to watch on YouTube CLICK HERE to access the podcast on Spotify, or search "Broadband Action" on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!The CBAN 2024 Spring Summit is just two months away! Here at CBAN we are busy making all the arrangements and getting ready for what promises to be our biggest and best event yet! We are especially excited to have Gigi Sohn, Executive Director of the American Association for Public Broadband, joining us as our keynote speaker! Gigi was kind enough to record a "preview" of her session for us. Registration is Open!You won't want to miss the 2024 CBAN Spring Summit! We'd love to have you join us in person on April 9th from 2pm-5pm at Stoney Creek Hotel in Johnston, but we'll also be streaming the sessions live to CBAN supporters out of the area. Click the button below to learn more and register!
With so many Americans moving away from a traditional linear cable provider and toward streaming services (which has fueled accelerated broadband usage), it's no surprise that some of the biggest names in live sports are working to offer a direct-to-consumer service of their own. As outlined in this article at CNBC, ESPN, Fox, Disney, and Warner Brothers are teaming up for the as yet unnamed service. It's expected to be available via a new app and possibly be bundled with the companies' other streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu, and MAX. Sports programming has always been one of the key drivers of rising cable TV prices, so some operators may choose to drop those expensive channels to adopt a skinnier lineup in the future (after existing contracts expire). And what will this new service cost? As you may imagine, it won't be cheap. CNBC says pricing may start in the $45-$50 per month range.
Light Reading, one of our favorite online publications covering broadband, has produced an excellent short documentary about municipal broadband - and the efforts to thwart it. The video runs 9:26 and includes interview clips with Gigi Sohn, Executive Director of the American Association of Public Broadband (and CBAN Spring Summit keynote speaker!) as well as Brieana Reed-Harmel, director of broadband for Loveland, Colorado. CLICK HERE to watch the video on YouTube and enjoy!
The latest edition of CBAN's Member Spotlight focuses on provider member Liberty Communications of Iowa. Curtis Dean chatted with Liberty CEO Justin Stinson about the community-focused broadband provider's philosophy and recent developments. Last month, Liberty announced the completion of its fiber rebuild project. Several years in the making, the company has replaced all of it's copper network with fiber, while focusing on growth in new areas without good broadband service. The company also acquired another provider in southeast Iowa, NATEL, and Stinson discusses how they are integrating NATEL's staff and customers into their company. Member Spotlight is available on the CBAN YouTube channel. CLICK HERE to watch it.
A report released by the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society explored the positive economic impact of broadband in rural areas. The report focused on the impact in 15 agricultural counties in Illinois. It found that faster internet speeds could boost corn and soybean production by over $100 million annually. The additional revenue would be realilzed through precision agriculture methods, which require a reliable broadband connection in order to maximize impact. The model relies on a paper that compares crop production data and internet speeds from 2007, 2012 and 2017, to see if better internet leads to increased farm output. The paper finds a substantial benefit to faster internet. CLICK HERE to read the full report.
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Broadband Bytes NewsPresented by the Community Broadband Action Network and curated by Curtis Dean. Archives
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