Funding for high-speed internet initiatives received by Federal agencies totaled $64.3 billion with an additional $11.4 billion in infrastructure contracts during fiscal year (FY) 2022, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) 2023 Federal Broadband Funding Report. […]
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ended on May 31 – much to the chagrin of FCC and Biden administration leadership – leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their subsidized internet service. […]
Lawmakers are making a last-minute plea to save the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) as it begins to wind down this week, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their subsidized internet service. […]
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) – which has helped 23 million Americans receive subsidized broadband service and connected devices – is running out of money, but bipartisan legislation introduced in both the House and Senate this week aims to revive the program with $7 billion of fresh funding. […]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will share its recommendations on artificial intelligence (AI) accountability policy “soon,” NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said in a 2023 year-in-review blog post. […]
While the challenges of closing the digital divide are vast and complex, one telecommunications expert told Capitol Hill lawmakers this week that artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to expand broadband services to every corner of the nation. […]
The White House is asking Congress for an additional $9.1 billion to support the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), including $6 billion to help fund its Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and $3.1 billion for the FCC to fund the removal of outdated communications infrastructure operated by providers. […]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is in charge of a $1 billion grant program to improve middle-mile broadband infrastructure, but a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the NTIA has not established measurable goals for the program. […]
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt strong rules against digital discrimination. […]
April McClain-Delaney left her post at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Friday, where she served as deputy administrator of the agency and deputy assistant secretary for the Commerce Department. […]
Although the Federal government has numerous programs in place to provide financial support to aid the deployment of high-speed broadband to unserved areas, industry experts told members of Congress on Thursday that they’re not getting the “biggest bang for the buck.” […]
Ahead of its second round of funding for tribal access to broadband internet services, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to provide better feedback to applicants who were denied full project funding in the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program’s first application round. […]
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said this week that she will begin an inquiry into sharply increasing the agency’s definition of what qualifies as a “broadband” service – with a focus on boosting service speeds for “fixed” broadband services. […]
The Biden Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have announced $714 million in grant funding aimed at connecting thousands of rural residents across the U.S. with broadband technology. […]
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is likely to run out of its current funding sources by mid-2024 – potentially ending the flow of money to pay for affordable broadband connectivity and devices for the more than 17 million Americans that have benefited from the program. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will release an updated Broadband Funding Map in June to improve existing inaccuracies, according to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Alan Davidson. […]
A year after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) made a call for a unified Federal government broadband strategy, that idea appeared to attract some backing at a House subcommittee hearing on May 10 that tackled possible next steps for consolidating and organizing the programs. […]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) said on March 1 that it is seeking input on how to structure $2.7 billion in broadband grant programs to “ensure everyone in America has the digital skills and devices they need to realize the full potential of high-speed internet access.” […]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) administrator said today that the Federal government’s recent historic investment in broadband is this generation’s one chance to connect everyone in the country. […]
A bipartisan group of senators – Sens. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.; John Thune, R-S.D.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; and Deb Fischer, R-Neb. – have reintroduced the Rural Internet Improvement Act. The legislation would “streamline and bolster U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development broadband programs and ensure that their funding is being targeted to rural areas that need it the most,” according to the bill’s cosponsors. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has plenty of room to improve its Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) – which offers discounted broadband services to eligible households – by strengthening its goals and measures, consumer outreach, and fraud-risk management, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. […]
A new report today from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is calling on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop comprehensive performance goals and measures, as well as a fraud risk assessment, for two new broadband programs that are pumping out billions of broadband funding nationwide. […]
Thousands of additional workers will be needed to build out infrastructure associated with tens of billions of dollars in funding from eight recent government broadband infrastructure deployment programs, the Federal government’s chief watchdog agency said. […]
Communications sector experts from the private, nonprofit, and state government sectors told senators on Dec. 13 that the “once-in-a-generation” broadband expansion funding approved last year by Congress will only close the digital divide when underserved communities gain full connectivity – but there are still many obstacles to overcome in reaching that goal. […]
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the approval of broadband projects to an additional six states under the American Rescue Plan’s (ARP) Capital Projects Fund (CPF), which makes funding available for reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unveiled its “nutrition label” that will require broadband providers to display key information consumers want to know at the time of purchase: prices, speeds, fees, data allowances, and other critical information. […]
Twenty-three more Tribal entities have been awarded more than $600 million in the latest round of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative, according to a press release published on Oct. 11. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on August 31 that the agency is preparing to provide $791 million of new funding for state broadband buildouts through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. […]
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced $143.6 million in funds awarded from the Internet for All Initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) to Tribes in California and Washington. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on August 24 announced nearly $42 million in two new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Funding (ECF) program to help close the “homework gap” for students that don’t have access to reliable broadband service and devices. […]