federal funding

Content tagged with "federal funding"

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BEAD: No NOFO Fo Sho - Episode 650 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, Chris welcomes back Gigi Sohn, Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate, for a fast-paced reaction to recent testimony by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

They dig into the political motivations behind the BEAD program’s freeze, the misleading justifications around climate and affordability requirements, and the sweeping changes that could derail state broadband plans.

Gigi brings sharp insight to a frustrating moment in broadband policy, explaining why the clock is ticking and who’s paying the price for the delay.

This show is 37 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

Catch the latest episode of the Connect This! Show, with co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) joined by regular guests Kim McKinley (TAK Broadband) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and special guest Angela Siefer (National Digital Inclusion Alliance) to talk about all the recent broadband news that's fit to print. Topics include:

Charter and Cox announce agreement to merge, unseating Comcast as the largest cable provider in the United States
What the public-funds match for Starlink should be, when BEAD moves forward.
Funding for hot spots - a core digital equity tool that grew to new importance under the pandemic - is under threat.
Trump's announcement that he was ending the Digital Equity Act, and the significant impact it will have if the order holds.

Join us live on May 16th at 2pm ET, or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

In this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined again by telecom policy expert Sascha Meinrath for a wide-ranging discussion on why billions in broadband funding still haven’t reached communities.

They unpack the dysfunction behind the BEAD program rollout, federal stalling on digital equity grants, and the maddening reality of broken broadband maps.

The conversation tackles political gridlock, regulatory capture, and the very real consequences for underserved communities still waiting for high-speed Internet.

You can find the article that Chris and Sascha reference during their conversation about Ezra Klein here.

This show is 41 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

Join us live on April 18th at 2pm ET, or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

In this episode of the podcast, Christopher Mitchell is joined by freelance reporter Karl Bode to discuss pressing broadband issues, including the practicality and limitations of Starlink for rural areas, challenges with current broadband policy, and the ongoing efforts to ensure affordable access.

They explore the impact of recent political discussions on broadband funding, misunderstandings around satellite Internet’s role in rural connectivity, and why affordability remains a crucial barrier. They also delve into FCC initiatives, such as the investigation of data caps and new broadband “nutrition labels,” aimed at transparency in pricing and services.

Their conversation underscores the importance of consumer-centric policies and the need for regulatory action to break monopolistic control in the broadband market.

This show is 42 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

Ry Marcattilio

on Wed Aug 7, 2024

On July 24, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 9-7 that the Universal Service Fund is unconstitutional.

The decision throws a whole raft of federal broadband programs - including those which help schools pay for connectivity, those which help homes pay for home Internet access, and more - into a state of uncertainty.

All signs point to a stop at the Supreme Court for final ruling on the future of the program. On the most recent episode of the Connect This! Show, hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) were joined by regular guests Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber) as well as special guest Casey Lide (Keller and Heckman Law Firm) to talk about the decision. They discuss the impact of the decision in the long-term, including how the USF fits into the jigsaw puzzle of federal broadband funding programs and what we can expect to see if the decision is upheld.

Watch the segment below.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

In this episode of the podcast, Chris engages in a discussion with Lindsey Skolnik, Project Manager for the California Alliance for Digital Equity (CADE). They delve into the critical efforts of CADE to close the digital divide in California, highlighting legislative and regulatory priorities aimed at achieving digital equity.

Lindsey shares the origins and mission of CADE, formed in May 2022 to advocate for digital equity at the state level. They discuss key initiatives such as the Middle Mile and Last Mile projects, Senate Bill 156, and the strategic allocation of $6 billion towards broadband infrastructure.

The conversation also covers the groundbreaking digital discrimination legislation making its way through the California legislature, focusing on the disparate impact standard and the importance of addressing outcomes over intent. Lindsey explains the significant progress of Assembly Bill 239 and the collaborative efforts with various partners to combat digital discrimination.

Furthermore, they explore the impact of the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative, its budget challenges, and the latest updates on the project's progress. The discussion also touches on the Federal Funding Account's role in supporting new broadband investments, with insights into the application process and awarded projects.

Join us as we unpack the complexities and triumphs of advancing digital equity in California, aiming to create a future where all communities have access to fast, affordable, and reliable Internet.

This show is 35 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

A new report published today by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) reveals how the sovereignty of Tribal Nations and their own efforts to solve connectivity challenges on Tribal lands can be undermined by the poor design and maze of bureaucracy associated with some federal broadband programs.

The report – Native Nations and Federal Telecom Policy Failures: Lessons from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund [pdf] –shows how even as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) takes over administration of the largest federal funding programs and re-situates Tribal closer to where they belong, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues its long-standing practice of scant engagement and infrequent consultation, complicating the terrain and stymieing Tribal efforts to close the digital divide in Indian Country.

Completed in December 2020, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction underscores the pernicious consequences of federal policy. While the report begins with a real-life example of how Tribal nations now working to build their own broadband networks can be blindsided by bureaucratic neglect and non-Tribal ISPs, it goes on to detail why the FCC’s approach to broadband funding has fostered tension between providers and Tribal ISPs, and why RDOF has earned a particularly bad reputation among many Tribes.

The report also examines how RDOF impacts the roll-out of the federal government’s major broadband infrastructure funding program known as BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment), which is being administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Read Native Nations and Federal Telecom Policy Failures: Lessons from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund [pdf].

Jessica Auer

on Mon Aug 5, 2024

The report – Native Nations and Federal Telecom Policy Failures: Lessons from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund [pdf] – begins with a startling example of how one Tribe learned about the plans of a major fiber Internet provider to serve “a handful of locations in the heart of the Tribal Reservation.”

Authored by Dr. Jessica Auer, Tribal Broadband Policy Analyst with ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks initiative, the report captures the pernicious consequences of a program that was supposed to help bring high-speed Internet service to rural communities who lacked access:

A non-Tribal telecommunications company had received federal funding to build broadband infrastructure on Tribal lands without consent, had appeared to shirk required federal Tribal engagement requirements, had ignored the Tribe’s attempt to raise concerns about it, and now seemed to be expecting to dictate what would happen next.

While the report begins with a real-life example of how Tribal nations now working to build their own broadband networks can be blindsided by bureaucratic neglect and non-Tribal ISPs, it goes on to detail why the FCC’s approach to broadband funding has fostered tension between providers and Tribal ISPs, and why RDOF has earned a particularly bad reputation among many Tribes.

“Some recent federal broadband programs do actually require ISPs to secure Tribal consent prior to receiving funds,” Auer says. “But, the FCC still has not adopted this approach. The problems outlined in this report reinforce the need for such a requirement.”

In this episode of the podcast, Chris speaks again with Sean Gonsalves on recent developments in broadband infrastructure, focusing on efforts in California and Massachusetts to address digital equity and expand access to high-speed internet.

Sean and Chris discuss the California Public Utilities Commission's recent awards from the Federal Fund Account aimed at building last-mile fiber networks in cities like Oakland, San Francisco, and Fremont. These awards are significant for underserved communities and highlight the importance of public ownership in major cities. Sean provides insights into San Francisco's Fiber to Housing program, which aims to connect 30,000 affordable housing units to high-speed internet by leveraging the city's municipal fiber network.

The conversation also covers Massachusetts' broadband funding, including unexpected outcomes like substantial funding for Verizon and its implications for municipal broadband projects. They discuss the challenges cities face with the BEAD program and emphasize the need for creative public-private partnerships to solve connectivity issues.

This show is 39 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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federal funding

Content tagged with "federal funding"

BEAD: No NOFO Fo Sho - Episode 650 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

Charter and Cox Merge, Hotspots Under Threat, and the End of the Digital Equity Act | Episode 114 of the Connect This! Show

Broadband Bottlenecks and Bureaucracy: What’s Holding the Internet Back? - Episode 642 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

The Future of Passive Optical Networks | Episode 112 of the Connect This! Show

Starlink, Caps, and Consumer Concerns - Episode 621 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

What Happens Now That the Fifth Circuit Has Ruled the Universal Service Fund is Unconstitutional?

Inside CADE's Mission to Closing California's Digital Divide - Episode 611 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

Native Nations and Federal Telecom Policy Failures: Lessons from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

New Report: Native Nations and Federal Telecom Policy Failures: Lessons from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

California and Massachusetts' Road to Digital Equity - Episode 609 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast