Broadband Bytes
  • News
  • About
  • News
  • About

BEAD Allocations to States Announced

6/28/2023

0 Comments

 
In a speech from the East Room of the White House on Monday, President Joe Biden announced how over $40 billion in broadband infrastructure money will be distributed to state-based broadband grant programs under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
19 states will receive more than $1 billion under the program, with Texas leading the way at $3.3 billion. Allocations are based on the number of premises without adequate broadband service (at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload) as determined by the national broadband map. 
Here's how states with CBAN members fared under the BEAD allocations (rounded numbers):
  • California: $1.8 billion
  • ​Colorado: $827 million
  • Florida: $1.2 billion
  • Georgia: $1.3 billion
  • Hawaii: $149 million
  • Kansas: $452 million
  • Indiana: $868 million
  • Illinois: $1.0 billion
  • Iowa: $415 million
  • Massachusetts: $147 million
  • ​Michigan: $1.6 billion
  • Missouri: $1.7 billion
  • Nebraska: $405 million
  • New Hampshire: $197 million
  • North Carolina: $1.5 billion
  • Oregon: $689 million
  • Pennsylvania: $1.2 billion
  • Vermont: $229 million
  • Virginia: $1.5 billion
  • Wisconsin: $1.1 billion

BEAD Timeline

The timeline below is taken from the NTIA guide for eligible entities:
Picture
Although it is difficult to tell exactly from the timeline, we do know that the 180 day window for states/territories to send in their plans to NTIA goes until the end of December 2023. If subsequent steps follow the graphical timeline, it appears that the first 20% of funding would be released to the states around April 2024, with the final 80% not in the hands of states/territories until the end of 2024 - three full years from the date that Congress approved the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law.
0 Comments

Draft Digital Equity Plans Beginning To Be Released

6/27/2023

0 Comments

 
Four states have now published their draft Digital Equity Plans and are taking public comments on those plans.
Montana was the first plan to be published, and its public comment period has already closed. Other state plans that are now available for review and are accepting public comments are Louisiana, Maine, and Utah.
As states release their draft Digital Equity Plans and make them available for public comment they will be posted HERE.
0 Comments

FCC Launches Inquiry Into Data Caps

6/21/2023

0 Comments

 
The Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing a formal Notice of Inquiry to explore whether the FCC should take action to ensure that data caps and other usage based broadband policies don't negatively impact consumers or harm competition.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel outlined her desire to launch an investigation in a news release late last week. 
"In particular, the agency would like to better understand the current state of data caps, their impact on consumers, and whether the Commission should consider taking action to ensure that data caps do not cause harm to competition or consumers’ ability to access broadband Internet services." -- FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel
As part of the effort, the FCC has set up a portal for broadband consumers to share their stories about how data caps have affected them.
0 Comments

Iowa Announces Next Round of Broadband Grants

6/21/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Iowa Office of Chief Communications Officer (OCIO) has announced a new round of grant opportunities that would offset up to 80% of the cost to build broadband to unserved and underserved Iowans. This latest round of the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program makes up to $148,960,000 available to qualifying providers.

Notice of Funding Availability #008 (NOFA 8) utilizes information gathered this spring when communities identified areas in greatest need of better broadband. The  OCIO used that information to create 96 "Broadband Intervention Zones" in Iowa and ranked each one according to a scoring matrix.
NOFA 8 represents higher levels of funding support than any of the previous grant opportunities. Applications that cover at least 80% of one of the top 20 ranked broadband intervention zones would receive up to 80% of their costs reimbursed. Lower grant amounts are available for lower ranked zones.
Although NOFA 8 has been announced, the application window does not open until July 14, 2023. The grant timeline is shown below.
Picture
0 Comments

Don't Miss The Latest Edition of Broadband Action!

6/20/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

Reinbeck Telecommunications Utility Seeks New GM

6/20/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Reinbeck Telecommunications Utility (RTU), a CBAN Provider Member, is seeking a new general manager. CLICK HERE for the complete job description.

RTU currently operates a hybrid fiber-coaxial network as well as fixed wireless service in rural areas of Grundy and Tama County.
​Interested persons should submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@reinbeck.net.  ​

Current GM Eric Lage is departing RTU for another career opportunity in late July.
0 Comments

NTIA Announces Middle-Mile Grant Awards

6/16/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has announced the recipients of funding for middle-mile fiber projects. The funding was part of the bipartisan infrastructure act.

Overall, $930 million was awarded to 35 projects in 33 states and Puerto Rico. A look at the list of winning applicants shows a wide variety of applicants - traditional telecom companies, governments, tribal organizations, and energy companies.  As mentioned in an article at Broadband Breakfast, the states receiving the largest funds for these middle mile projects are Alaska ($89 million), California ($73 million), Texas ($72 million), Michigan ($61 million), New Mexico ($50 million), Nevada ($44 million) and Kansas ($43 million). 
0 Comments

New Podcast Episode Focuses on Digital Devices

6/14/2023

0 Comments

 
The newest episode of the CBAN podcast "Broadband Action" is now available for streaming on your favorite podcast platform. In this episode we focuses on Devices and Digital Equity. 
A key element of digital equity efforts is getting the right devices into the hands of people who need them. In this episode, Jon Willow and Curtis Dean with CBAN chat with Karisa Tashjian, Director of Programs at Digitunity, a non-profit that advocates for device ownership.

Check out Broadband Action and spread the word!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Telrad Joins CBAN As Associate Member

6/13/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
CBAN is excited to welcome our newest associate member, Telrad! Telrad provides fixed LTE solutions for wireless ISP's, telecommunications operators, and private enterprises.
Telrad Networks is an established global provider of innovative end-to-end wireless telecom solutions. Its primary customer base consists of wired and wireless ISPs, municipalities, public and private enterprises. Its expansive portfolio consist of 2.5, 3.5, 5GHz and CBRS solutions. Telrad stands at the forefront of LTE-A technology with a forward looking path to 5G, offering the highest peak performance in many near and non-line-of-sight (nLOS/NLOS) deployments. ​
Please join us in welcoming Telrad to our CBAN family! 
0 Comments

Round 5 of USDA ReConnect Program Funding Announced

6/13/2023

1 Comment

 
33 broadband projects across 19 states will receive $714 million in funding for fiber networks under the latest round of funding for the US Department of Agriculture's ReConnect Program.
The funds are a mix of grants and/or loans and are part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The projects are in the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.
CLICK HERE for more information about the latest round of ReConnect funding announced this week.
1 Comment
<<Previous
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    CBAN YouTube

    Broadband Bytes News

    Presented by the Community Broadband Action Network and curated by Curtis Dean.

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    ALLO
    Broadband
    CenturyLink
    Conduit
    Construction
    Dubuque
    Education
    FCC
    Feasibility Study
    Feedback
    Fiber
    Fiberhood
    Fort Morgan
    FTTP
    Grassroots
    IAMU
    Indianola
    Lawsuit
    Mediacom
    Meeting
    Municipal Broadband
    NCTC
    NMPP
    OTT
    Petition
    Provider
    SCTE
    Skinny Bundle
    Training
    Vinton
    VMVPD
    West Des Moines

Broadband Bytes is presented by the Community Broadband Action Network


Telephone

515-650-0251

Email

curtis@smartsourceconsulting.com