House Republicans Don't Want Infrastructure Money Going Toward Broadband Competition

For years the broadband industry has successfully convinced the U.S. government to remain fixated exclusively on broadband coverage gaps, not the overall lack of broadband competition. That's in part because they've known for decades that...

Fearing COVID PR Backlash, Comcast Backs Off Its Bullshit Broadband Caps In The Northeast... For Now

Last November, Comcast quietly announced that the company would be expanding its broadband caps into the Northeast, one of the last Comcast territories where the restrictions hadn't been imposed yet. Of course Comcast was utterly tone deaf to the...

As U.S. Prepares Big New Broadband Plan, Few Notice Our Last Major Broadband Plan Was A Major Dud

"Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it" isn't just a quaint saying. Especially in tech or telecom policy. If you don't learn from the mistakes you made the last time you tried to tackle a complex policy issue...

U.S. Prepares To Spend $42 Billion On A Broadband Problem It Can't Accurately Measure

As we've noted, the recent infrastructure bill will deliver a record $65 billion to be spent on improving lagging U.S. broadband access. Roughly $42 billion will be used specifically to expand broadband coverage, mostly via state grants doled out...

Charter Spectrum Funds Front Group To Try And Kill Small Maine Town's Plan For Better Broadband

For decades regional U.S. telecom monopolies have often refused to deploy broadband into low ROI areas, despite billions in subsidization. At the same time, they've fought tooth and nail against towns and cities that attempt to improve their own...

Report: U.S. Has 9th Most Expensive Broadband On The Planet

We've long illustrated how U.S. broadband is dominated by regional monopolies, which, in turn, are often coddled by state and federal governments (aka corruption). That broken market (and regulatory capture) results in all manner of problems...

Biden's Broadband Push Is Good, But Crappy Maps And Lobbying Can Still Screw Things Up

So to be very clear: the Biden infrastructure bill has a lot of good things for broadband in it. More specifically, billions in grant money that can be used by states to shore up both "middle mile" and "last mile" broadband access...

Advocates Call for Universal Service Fund to Include Broadband Revenues

Letter cites Carol Mattey report, which recommends broadening the base.

Federal Agencies Need to Be Staffed to Advance Broadband and Tech Competition

In the U.S., we need better internet. We need oversight over Big Tech, ISPs, and other large companies. We need the federal agencies with the powers to advance competition, protect privacy, and empower consumers to be fully staffed and working....

The Broadband Plan Will Not End the Digital Divide

Sascha Meinrath, Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State University, identifies one factor. “First and foremost,” he warns, “there is a foundational problem in how the Biden administration is approaching these issues.  There is no...

Infrastructure Bill Is Great For Broadband, But Still Ignores The Real Problem (Monopolies & Corruption)

After months of intense wrangling, the Biden administration's infrastructure bill has finally made it through Congress, delivering a massive injection of much-needed funds to an absurdly overlooked part of the economy. You might recall the...

U.S. Broadband Growth Slows As the Profit Party Grinds To A Halt

For years we've watched major cable TV providers lose traditional cable TV subscribers hand over fist to cheaper, more flexible streaming alternatives. It was a trend that only accelerated during COVID. Don't feel too badly for companies...

The GOP Is Mad Because New FCC Appointment Gigi Sohn Actually Defends Broadband Consumers

So after the longest (and completely unexplained) delay in FCC and NTIA history, last week the Biden administration finally got around to fully staffing the nation's top telecom regulator. While the selection of fairly centrist Jessica...

Tired Of Federal Apathy, Oakland Moves To Ban Anticompetitive Broadband Landlord Deals

We've noted for years how corruption and apathy have resulted in the U.S. broadband sector being heavily monopolized, resulting in 83 million Americans having the choice of just one ISP. Tens of millions more Americans only have the choice of...

Why the Multiple Dwelling Unit May Well Be the Next Battleground of Broadband Access

Broadband Breakfast interviews Pierre Trudeau, president and chief technology officer of Positron Access, about reaching multi-tenant units.

Want To Understand Why U.S. Broadband Sucks? Look At Frontier Communications In Wisconsin, West Virginia

So for years I've noted if you really want to understand why U.S. broadband is so crappy, you should take a long, close look at Frontier Communications in states like West Virginia. For decades the ISP has provided slow and expensive service...

Broadband Data Caps Mysteriously Disappear When Competition Comes Knocking

We've noted for years how broadband data caps (and monthly overage fees) are complete bullshit. They serve absolutely no technical function, and despite years of ISPs trying to claim they "help manage network congestion," that's...

Facebook will open its fiber networks to expand broadband access in rural Virginia

Virginia plans to reach universal connectivity by 2024.

Cable Giant Altice USA Losing Broadband Subscribers in Third Quarter, CEO Says

For the "disappointing" full year 2021, internet users should be "flattish to slightly up," Dexter Goei tells an investor conference.