Broadband & Network
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The City Council approved giving OnLight Aurora, set up to manage the city’s fiber network, $80,000 via either a loan or grant. A key issue, an alderman said, is getting the organization back on track. -
Plus, New York has reopened applications for grants through its ConnectALL program, New Mexico celebrated progress on connectivity expansion, fiber networks continue expanding to new locations, and more.
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All middle-mile construction is now either built or funded, an official said. The next step is last-mile work, bringing actual connections to homes, and meeting with stakeholders to gather infrastructure data.
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Legislators canceled a vote on a telecom-backed bill that would have made it easier and cheaper for companies to install 5G small cell antennas. Municipal leaders criticized the bill for eroding local authority.
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Mountain West Telephone wants to broker a deal with the town of Evansville to introduce fixed-wireless Internet service. It’s a plan that has been more than a year in the making, Mountain West officials said.
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Better leadership could also help the California county’s municipalities create rules ahead of the anticipated rollout of the technology, the grand jury says. Many cities have missed opportunities to work together, it argues.
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Gov. Tom Wolf wants Restore Pennsylvania to get $4.5 billion over four years for state upgrades, borrowed against a natural gas severance tax. It’s a proposal the Republican-controlled Legislature has rejected since 2015.
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A new ordinance spells out design guidelines for 5G-transmitting antennas, which include limiting them to one per pole, keeping them off historic buildings and installing them at least 1,000 feet apart.
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Some tech experts and economists say net neutrality advocates shouldn’t be so focused on ISPs since edge providers are more likely to violate net neutrality-type rules, like blocking, throttling and paid prioritization.
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A new report from a Stanford University research group looks to prescribe defense solutions for state and local governments in the event of potential manipulation attempts by foreign powers.
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Federal and state policymakers continue to ignore, weaken and, in some instances, block local input and control of broadband. This needs to stop if the country is to ever have viable, affordable broadband for all.
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Critics have attacked previous attempts to make it cheaper and easier for telecoms to install small cell wireless antennas as subsidizing the companies. Cities have voiced concern over local control as well.
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The plan to connect roughly 2,200 homes and businesses through a $3.3-million city-owned network was voted through the city council Tuesday. Some in the community question whether the project is worth the risks.
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Students with access to home Internet service consistently score higher in reading, math and science. And the homework gap in many ways mirrors broader educational barriers for poor and minority students.
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The problem — more than anything else — has been gaining access to existing utility poles in the city that were expected to carry fiber-optics through the neighborhoods they are intended to serve.
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Commissioners voted to approve an Infrastructure Development Zone in the northern part of the county. The tax exemption only includes “the installation of fiber to homes, businesses, schools and publicly owned buildings.”
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The new law, set to take effect July 1, 2020, would require Internet service providers to get permission from their customers before any data could be sold to a third party. Legal pushback is expected.
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A yearlong study funded by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, measuring median broadband speeds across the state, shows there isn't a single county where at least 50 percent of the population has broadband connectivity.
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The Democratic U.S. senator and presidential hopeful criticized the lingering urban-rural Internet divide, saying it creates inequity and limits economic growth potential.
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The comprehensive review was prompted by complaints last month about a proposal from city staff that would have updated the regulations primarily based on federal law.
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Despite the claim by the Federal Communications Commission that 99 percent of New York City residents have access to fast Internet service, Sen. Chuck Schumer said many in the city still struggle with reliable connections.
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