Broadband Bytes
  • News
  • About
  • News
  • About

CBAN Welcomes Two New Advocate Members

12/22/2021

0 Comments

 
As we edge closer to the end of 2021, CBAN's growth continues to accelerate. We now have 112 members in 12 different states. Our two newest Advocate members are both based in Michigan.
  • Center for Change Northern Michigan Advocacy
  • MichiganINTER.net
We'll share more information about both of these organizations in a future edition of Broadband Bytes!
0 Comments

Quick Takes - Broadband News from Across The Nation

12/21/2021

0 Comments

 
Gilroy, California
Gilroy, South County may get public internet service provider
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins Connexion needs $20 million funding boost for last phase of buildout
Palm Coast, Florida
MetroNet announces $50 million expansion to Palm Coast
Des Moines, Iowa
Results of the Central Iowa Broadband Study released
Piscataquis County, Maine
It will take $27M to expand internet in Piscataquis County, a new study shows
Piqua, Ohio
Piqua on way to gaining certified Gigabit City status
Bryan, Texas
MetroNet Begins Construction of 100% Fiber Optic Network in Bryan, TX
Georgetown, Texas
Ubiquity to build open-access fiber-optic infrastructure across Georgetown
Lewis County, Washington
Lewis County PUD Awarded $3 Million in Federal Funding to Construct Broadband Infrastructure in Chehalis, Adna, Boistfort Valley Areas
0 Comments

Starlink Speeds in US Are Dropping

12/21/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Starlink, a low-Earth orbit satellite internet provider owned by Elon Musk, holds a lot of promise in bringing better broadband to the hardest-to-reach corners of the globe. But right here in the USA, its performance appears to be waning a bit.

According to an article at PC Magazine, the Starlink speed tests measured by Ookla have declined in the US by about 10 megabits per second on the download. Meanwhile, performance in other nations such as Canada continues to impress.
This performance drop is likely why Starlink has not simply provided service to every person in the US. Although the company continues to launch satellites by the dozens, it takes time for those new birds to reach their final orbits and become part of the operational constellation. 
As Doug Dawson of CCG Consulting told us on our most recent edition of "Lunch and Learn" (and posted in his annual predictions post at his Pots and Pans blog, "Starlink is going to be unspectacular." Starlink's trajectory certainly deserves close monitoring in the coming year.
0 Comments

82 Applicants Seek $396 Million in Iowa Broadband Grants

12/17/2021

0 Comments

 
The Iowa Office of Chief Operations Officer, which serves as the state's broadband office, has announced the applications it received in the latest round of the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. The latest round, Notice of Funding Opportunity 7 (NOFA 007) includes 188 applications by 82 applicants seeking $396 million in funding to build broadband in unserved areas.
The NOFA 007 round, which closed to applications in late November, has a budget of $200 million that was designated by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds from the state's American Rescue Plan allocation. With nearly double the amount of requests than funds available, many applicants will go away empty-handed in this round, just as they have in previous rounds.
Most of the applicants in Iowa are independent telecommunications cooperatives and mutal companies as well as a number of municipals. Among the applicants are CBAN Provider members Indianola Municipal Utilities, Manning Municipal Utilities, Grand Mound Cooperative Telephone, Mahaska Communications Group, Waverly Utilities, Osage Municipal Utilities, Vinton Municipal Communications Utility, ImOn Communications, and Router 12 Networks.
0 Comments

ImOn Picking Up The Pace in Two Iowa Communities

12/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
ImOn Communications, a CBAN member, is picking up the pace on construction of its fiber-to-the-home network in Iowa City and Coralville, Iowa.

As highlighted in an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, ImOn's pace of construction in the two adjacent communities picked up significantly this fall, with the goal of completing construction by the end of 2022. Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, ImOn is also building out fiber in Dubuque, Iowa. ImOn has also partnered with several municipal fiber providers in Iowa to provide wholesale services.
0 Comments

FCC Ready to Authorize $1 Billion in RDOF Awards

12/17/2021

0 Comments

 
The FCC has continued moving through the long-form applications for companies that were preliminary award winners in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). Yesterday, it said it's ready to authorize bids for approximately 60 bidders on the "ready-to-authorize" list, but also announced another 13 bids are considered in default.
Picture
Among the bids that are considered ready to authorize is a project submitted by CBAN member Reedsburg Utility Commission in Wisconsin. As General Manager Brett Schuppner explained in a 2021 edition of CBAN's Lunch and Learn, Wisconsin's only municipal fiber utility has been expanding to unserved rural areas around Reedsburg, using funding programs such as RDOF to make those projects affordable.

The "ready to authorize" list also includes a number of rural electric cooperatives, independent communications companies as well as bigger companies such as Windstream, which had its bids in Pennsylvania approved. Another large winner benefitting from the FCC's action is Ziply, whose bids in several Pacific Northwest states will advance. That company is the owner of former Fronter properties.
The biggest name on the default bid list is LTD Broadband, who was one of the largest initial winners in the RDOF auction. The company has struggled to convince the FCC (and several states) that it has the resources and capacity to fulfill its obligations.  The LTD bids on the most recent default list are in Oklahoma and Kansas.
0 Comments

New Mexico Commits $133 million For Broadband

12/16/2021

0 Comments

 
The New Mexico State Senate has passed a bill that pumps $133 million in federal pandemic relief funds into broadband projects around the state. The broadband funding is part of a $478 million package that also funds highway projects and other priorities.
One interesting aspect of the New Mexico bill is the opennesss to "alternative broadband" technologies to deliver services. Because of its highly rural nature and rugged terrain, New Mexico leaders are supporting technologies besides fiber optics to deliver better services.
CLICK HERE to read the story at the website Channel3000.
0 Comments

REMINDER- The Mirror and the Crystal Ball

12/15/2021

0 Comments

 
Please join us for our end-of-the-year edition of CBAN's Lunch and Learn on December 16th at Noon Central. This prerecorded session will be streamed live to the CBAN YouTube and LinkedIn pages! All the information, links and a calendar link are below!
0 Comments

Most Eligible Households Not Signing Up for Broadband Discount

12/14/2021

0 Comments

 
First there was the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, part of the COVID-19 response by the federal government, that offered low-income households a discount of $50 per month on their internet connection through participating providers. Now, the temporary EBB is being replaced by a permanent program, the Affordable Connectivity Program, with a monthly $30 subsidy. Both of these programs appear to address a long-standing challenge in America - how to get Americas most vulnerable households to connect. 
The problem is, eligible Americans don't seem to be responding. Only 7 million households (out of an estimated 37 million eligible households) have not taken advantage of the subsidy. Why? Here are some possible reasons.
  1. There may not be a suitable service available where they live. If the available internet at you home is slow as to be useless, even a susidy makes it hard to justify.
  2. Their provider may not be participating. The EBB, and the Affordable Connectivity Program, are both funded through providers, and a sizeable number of providers have chosen not to participate. Why? For some it was the fear of signing up under the EBB, getting people used to a subsidy, then Washington failing to enact a permanent program. No one wants to tell a family that their internet service is going up $50 a month. For other providers, it was the. perceived or real barrier of dealing with federal reporting and "red tape".
  3. They may not know about it. I believe this is the number one reason for slow adoption. Unless your participating provider is reaching out directly to customers to promote the program, you' may not be aware the opportunity exists.
Internet providers are going to start signing up to participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program soon. Let's hope that more provides decide it's worth a little extra work to connect their friends and neighbors in need of broadband but without the means to do so on their own. And let's hope that all providers make it a priority to conduct the customer outreach that is needed to increase awareness and connect more families.
0 Comments

Wisconsin Launches Latest Broadband Funding Round

12/12/2021

0 Comments

 
Application window for $100 Million for broadband expansion open until March 17, 2022
Picture
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission is now seeking applications for $100 million in grants for broadband expansion in the Badger State. The funds come from bond proceeds authorized by the WIsconsin Building Commission.

During the last round of Wisconsin grant funds, the state awarded $100 million using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Many applicants walked away empty handed, however, as 242 applicants had requested more than $440 million.
For a summary of the program, CLICK HERE to read and article at Wisconsin Public Radio. For the complete Wisconsin broadband grant materials, CLICK HERE to visit the PCS of WIsconsin Broadband Grants page.
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    CBAN YouTube

    Broadband Bytes News

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

    Archives

    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