
Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
After decades of redlining and broadband “digital discrimination” by the nation’s biggest telecom monopolies, the FCC finally began taking aim at the problem in 2023. Now the entirety of those efforts are poised to be dismantled, courtesy of the Trump administration’s broad, controversial frontal assault on discrimination reforms and civil rights.
The 2021 infrastructure bill set aside $42.5 billion to expand broadband into all unserved parts of the United States.
But it also tasked the FCC with crafting new rules taking aim at “digital discrimination.” On November 15th of 2023 the agency obliged, passing rules banning ISPs from broadband discrimination based on income, race, or religion.
Civil rights and digital equity activists were split on the potential impact of the rules, but they did agree on one thing: it was historic for federal policymakers to finally admit that telecom monopoly deployments had unfairly excluded many low income and minority neighborhoods from affordable, next-generation broadband access.
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) along with special guest Paul Dickinson (Dura-line, Fiber Optic Sensing Association, and Aii) to talk about the future of fiber optic sensing to do everything from avoid fiber cuts from construction equipment to monitor traffic to detect pipeline leakages. They also hit a grab-bag of other topics, including:
Join us live on February 7th at 2pm ET, or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.
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In this episode of the podcast, Chris and the CBN team share their insights and bold predictions for the broadband landscape in 2025. Topics include the distribution of BEAD funds, the growing role of satellite providers like Starlink and Project Kuiper, state-level preemption laws, and the future of affordability programs.
The discussion tackles key challenges such as consolidation among telecom giants, the impact of tariffs on broadband affordability, and the urgent need for smarter investments in connectivity infrastructure. The team also highlights state-level progress, like in repealing state preemption laws, and anticipates the Federal Communications Commission's actions amidst a shifting political landscape.
Join us as we explore the opportunities and obstacles shaping digital opportunity and offer forward-thinking strategies for building resilient broadband ecosystems.
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.
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Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license
In this episode of the podcast, Chris speaks again with Blair Levin, former Director of the National Broadband Plan and current Equity Analyst at New Street Research. Together, they dive into the major issues shaping the year ahead for broadband and telecommunications.
Levin shares insights on the evolving landscape of network ownership, media regulations, and market dynamics, while addressing pressing topics like the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program and its impact on affordability. The discussion also touches on the BEAD program, fixed and wireless broadband competition, and the influence of geopolitical and economic policies on deployment efforts.
Levin critiques the Federal Communications Commission's priorities under Brendan Carr's leadership, predicts significant shifts in media ownership and content distribution, and examines the role of satellite Internet and emerging technologies. This forward-looking conversation also highlights the importance of reliable data and competitive intensity in shaping the broadband future.
Tune in for an engaging discussion filled with expert predictions, political analysis, and reflections on the broader implications of broadband policy decisions.
This show is 45 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 Communications) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) to talk about all the things we expect to see in across the broadband landscape in 2025.
Join us live for the next episode on January 24th 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.
States are poised to receive $42.5 billion in new Broadband, Equity, Access, And Deployment (BEAD) subsidies in the new year thanks to the 2021 infrastructure bill. But a growing number of ISPs in states like Minnesota say they may not participate in this latest round of federal grants, citing bureaucracy and burdensome restrictions.
While American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants came with significant leeway as to how grant money could be spent, BEAD grants, overseen by the National Telecommunications And Information Administration (NTIA), come with numerous requirements related to lien mandates, low-cost service obligations, and deployment technology.
Those restrictions serve a purpose in the wake of the boondoggle that was the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which resulted in a massive number of defaulting bids and unfinished projects because companies bidding on projects lacked the competency or financing to finish their awarded projects. It’s a major reason the NTIA was put in charge of BEAD.
But many Minnesota ISPs are still bristling at BEAD’s requirements, according to Brent Christensen, president and CEO of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, an organization that represents 70 ISPs across the North Star State.
“My members are telling me they’re not going to participate,” Christensen recently told MinnPost when asked about the $42.45 billion broadband program. “The way that BEAD is structured. I don’t know how anybody’s going to participate.”
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 Communications) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and special guest Jade Piros de Carvalho (Bonfire). Topics include:
Join us live on December 19th, at 2pm ET or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.
Join us for the next episode on Friday, January 10th at 2pm ET. Use the link below to add to your calendar.
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.
States wary about the restrictions and delays with looming federal broadband grants are poised to put significant taxpayer resources into Starlink and other low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. The problem: such services often aren’t affordable, raise environmental questions, and may struggle to keep pace with consumer capacity demand.
Back in March, Maine unveiled a $5.4 million initiative to offer Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) terminals to 9,000 state residents outside the reach of broadband from existing terrestrial providers.
An estimated 9,000 locations in the state (1.5 percent of residents) have no access to broadband, mostly peppered across rural Oxford, Penobscot, and Aroostook counties.
While well intentioned, the state’s initiative immediately sparked a debate about whether Starlink is the best use of taxpayer resources.
Starlink May Be Part of Solution
LEO satellite broadband has understandable allure for state broadband offices tasked with showing the federal government they have a solution for every premise – household and business – in the state. Depending on geography and state, some of these locations may require $100,000 for a terrestrial wireline connection.
Many of these unserved locations may be inhabited for a few weeks a year by the family of billionaires or 52 weeks a year by a family barely able to afford the fuel to live there. Spending $100,000 on that household may mean tens of other households see no improvement or have to settle for worse technology. And depending on who you ask, NTIA either demands that the state actually connect that household or simply have a feasible plan to achieve that connection.
*In partnership with Broadband Breakfast, we occasionally republish each other's content.
The following story by Broadband Breakfast Reporter Jake Neenan was originally published here.
Consumer advocacy groups that frequently appear before the Federal Communications Commission are not happy with President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the agency.
Brendan Carr, the agency’s senior Republican who’s now set to take the reins in January, wrote the Project 2025 chapter on the FCC.
In addition to telecom issues more traditionally in the FCC’s wheelhouse, he outlined plans to reinterpret Section 230, the law that protects internet platforms from liability for their users’ posts, and otherwise target big tech companies, who he has said unfairly target conservative views.
“While there has been much discussion about whether or not the breadth of Section 230 is appropriate, what everyone agrees on is that the authority lies with Congress, not the FCC, to change its scope,” Public Knowledge CEO Chris Lewis, said in a statement.
“It’s concerning that the incoming chair believes that the FCC has the authority to change the scope of the plain language of a statute, but not regulate broadband in the interest of consumers.”
In this episode of the podcast, Chris Mitchell speaks with Andy Schwartzman, Senior Counselor at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, about pressing legal issues affecting telecommunications policy in the U.S. Schwartzman, with decades of experience in media and telecom law, discusses the shifting landscape following recent Supreme Court decisions that limit regulatory agency powers.
They explain the implications of the Major Questions Doctrine and the end of the Chevron Doctrine for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), particularly how these changes impact the agency’s authority to support broadband access through the Universal Service Fund (USF) and Title II regulations.
The conversation also covers the FCC's policy on Wi-Fi for school buses, facing legal challenges due to the narrowed definition of "classroom." Schwartzman provides insights into the FCC's efforts to classify broadband under Title II, emphasizing how critical this designation is for public safety, cybersecurity, and broadband deployment through infrastructure like utility pole attachments.
As Schwartzman explains, these legal battles highlight the complex intersections of telecommunications law, regulatory authority, and the broader challenges of fostering universal Internet access in a polarized political environment.
This show is 44 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