[ad_1] In the first phase, beginning later this year, the FCC will make up to $16 billion available to areas that are “wholly unserved.” It will demand broadband speeds of at least 25 Mbps, and the funding will be made available through reverse-auction, a practice meant to drive competition. An estimated six million rural homes […]
Category: rural broadband
Bernie Sanders proposes $150 billion for public broadband improvements
[ad_1] The candidate also vows to “dramatically” lower the cost of service. He would require basic internet plans, up the FCC’s minimum definition of broadband from 10Mbps to 100Mbps, regulate rates and fully subsidize entry-level plans for low-income households. This would involve protecting and expanding the Lifeline program. He would outright ban data caps and […]
FCC rolls out a $9 billion fund for rural 5G connectivity
[ad_1] “We must ensure that 5G narrows rather than widens the digital divide and that rural Americans receive the benefits that come from wireless innovation,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. The 5G Fund will be available through “reverse auction,” and it will replace the $4.5 billion Mobility Fund Phase II, which was […]
Microsoft plans to bring internet access to 40 million people by 2022
[ad_1] Moving forward, the company plans to connect 40 million people across the world to the internet by 2022. Initially, Microsoft will focus on rural and remote communities in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, with other regions to follow. The company adds that it plans to employ a four-part approach that will focus on working […]
Microsoft plans to bring broadband to 9 million more Americans
[ad_1] The measure is part of the Microsoft Airband Initiative, which aims to narrow the digital divide by expanding rural broadband access to more than 3 million people by mid-2022. The Federal Communications Commission estimates upwards of 21 million Americans don’t have broadband access, Microsoft, meanwhile, believes around 29 million people in the aforementioned states […]
Elizabeth Warren reveals $85 billion rural broadband plan
[ad_1] She plans to earmark $85 billion in federal funding to expand broadband networks in rural areas. Currently, the Federal Communications Commission offers $4.6 billion/year to fund rural broadband infrastructure, while the Rural Utilities Service doles out $800 million/year in grants and loans. Under Warren’s plan, the $5 billion funding for expanded broadband on Native […]
FCC hopes to fix its broadband maps with more precise data
[ad_1] On top of this, the FCC is implementing a process to gather public input on the accuracy of internet providers’ maps. This includes a crowdsourcing portal that will take feedback directly from customers as well as local governments. Proposals could also bring in “additional technical standards” for more precise maps as well as the […]
FCC announces 5G airwave auction and $20 billion rural broadband fund
[ad_1] Tens of millions of Americans don’t have access to broadband speeds, and the FCC has announced a series of measures to help connect them to faster internet speeds. With its latest measure, the agency is repurposing funds create the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. It seeks to connect up to four million rural homes and […]