How Shreveport, Louisiana, used blockchain technology to build a low-cost public WiFi network Nov. 29, 2022 When Shreveport, Louisiana, hired Keith Hanson as its chief technology officer and smart cities director in 2019, the city’s mayor asked him to address the digital divide and create a smarter city. Both efforts…
Flume says cities overflowing with fiber but accessibility lags
Flume says cities overflowing with fiber but accessibility lags Nov 21, 2022 Flume, a New York City-based fiber provider, has made strides over the past couple of years offering gigabit service to lower-income households. But there are still hurdles in place hindering broadband accessibility, according to Flume co-founders Brandon Gibson…
U.S. aviation sector calls for 5G wireless deadline extension
U.S. aviation sector calls for 5G wireless deadline extension November 15, 2022 Air carriers will be unable to fully meet deadlines to retrofit planes to avoid interference from latest generation 5G C-Band wireless service, the aviation industry said Tuesday, urging the White House to help avert a standoff. Concerns that…
BLM Proposes Rule to Bolster Broadband Infrastructure and Enhance Power Grid Security on Public Lands
BLM Proposes Rule to Bolster Broadband Infrastructure and Enhance Power Grid Security on Public Lands 11/3/22 In support of ensuring access to reliable high-speed internet service for every American and enhancing the reliability, security, and resiliency of the electric power grid, the Bureau of Land Management is proposing to update…
CBB approves $26.5M in grants to expand broadband to thousands of Vermonters
CBB approves $26.5M in grants to expand broadband to thousands of Vermonters 10/25/2022 The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) approved three grants totaling $26.45 Million to bring broadband to more than 4,000 underserved Vermont addresses. First, $9.1 million has been awarded to the Maple Broadband/Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT)…
Bracing for a slowdown in 5G network spending
Bracing for a slowdown in 5G network spending 10/17/2022 T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon are all deep in the midst of spending billions of dollars to upgrade their 5G networks with midband spectrum. Initial results from the efforts are impressive: New research shows that all of the carriers are seeing noteworthy…
$1B Cybersecurity Grant Program Still Coming Into Focus
$1B Cybersecurity Grant Program Still Coming Into Focus OCTOBER 16, 2022 State and local governments are preparing to use $1 billion from the federal infrastructure law to improve cybersecurity. It marks the most significant federal support yet for protecting the computer networks and data of smaller governments. But many crucial…
Verizon begins 5G internet to Philadelphia homes, competing with Xfinity broadband
Verizon begins 5G internet to Philadelphia homes, competing with Xfinity broadband 10/12/22 Verizon has launched 5G wireless home-internet service in Philadelphia. It’s not available to all city residents because of where the company has placed small cell towers on telephone poles and city property. But it is competing with Comcast…
Sagebrush Cellular selects Ericsson to modernize its network with 5G capabilities
Sagebrush Cellular selects Ericsson to modernize its network with 5G capabilities October 4, 2022 Sagebrush Cellular, an affiliate of Nemont Telephone Cooperative, announced today that it will partner with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to modernize its network with 5G capabilities. Based in rural Montana, the company is the only source of…
Singapore opens first physical 6G lab in the region
Singapore opens first physical 6G lab in the region 26 Sep 2022 Singapore’s state regulator, Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has partnered with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to launch the Future Communications Connectivity (FCC)lab. It has been set-up as part of Singapore’s S$70 million Future Communications…
Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power report WV broadband project on track for 2023 completion
Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power report WV broadband project on track for 2023 completion September 12, 2022 According to an update reported to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia last week, Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power have completed design, engineering and pole replacements in Logan and Mingo counties, leaving them…
Massachusetts getting municipal infrastructure improvements
Massachusetts getting municipal infrastructure improvements August 30, 2022 Newly signed legislation in Massachusetts will provide millions for municipal infrastructure improvements. Earlier this month, Gov. Charlie Baker signed MassTRAC legislation into law to provide funding that is designed to prop up municipal infrastructure needs throughout the state with an $11.4 billion…
Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Says Rural Telecom Provider Must Respond To Consumer Advocate
Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Says Rural Telecom Provider Must Respond To Consumer Advocate August 17, 2022 Hawaii utility regulators have agreed to force a telecommunications firm to answer questions about its ability to continue providing service to thousands of Native Hawaiian customers living on Hawaiian homelands. A lawyer for Sandwich…
Can 5G replace Wi-Fi? Why you might want to hang onto that router (for now)
Can 5G replace Wi-Fi? Why you might want to hang onto that router (for now) August 15, 2022 Many of us pay two or more data bills every month, one for our home broadband connection and the other for cellular connectivity. With the rapid rollout of 5G, however, you may…
America’s Two Biggest Cable Broadband Monopolies Failed To Add Any New Customers Last Quarter
America’s Two Biggest Cable Broadband Monopolies Failed To Add Any New Customers Last Quarter Aug 8th 2022 Roughly 83 million Americans currently live under a broadband monopoly. In most instances, their only choice is Comcast or Charter Communications, which sells service under the “Spectrum” brand. And in both cases, users…
Privacy bill strips FCC oversight of telecom data abuse, worrying consumer advocates
Privacy bill strips FCC oversight of telecom data abuse, worrying consumer advocates AUG 2, 2022 Sweeping federal privacy legislation meant to crack down on big tech could inadvertently give telecoms a free pass to mishandle consumer data, privacy advocates warn. Under the American Data Privacy Protection Act, the Federal Communications…
FCC fines Charter, LTD Broadband more than $3 million for RDOF defaults
FCC fines Charter, LTD Broadband more than $3 million for RDOF defaults Jul 25, 2022 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is cracking down on operators who have backed out of their Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) commitments, fining 73 auction participants a total of $4.3 million for defaulting on their…
FCC’s Rosenworcel proposes ‘100/20’ as new broadband minimum requirement
FCC’s Rosenworcel proposes ‘100/20’ as new broadband minimum requirement Jul 18, 2022 FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed raising the minimum broadband speed standard in the U.S. from 25 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads to 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. The proposal was made…
White House backed fund promises to accelerate ‘deep tech’ advancements in cybersecurity
White House backed fund promises to accelerate ‘deep tech’ advancements in cybersecurity JUL 11, 2022 An investment fund supported by the White House and partially bankrolled by tech heavyweights Peter Thiel, Eric Schmidt and Craig Newmark is making a big bet that “deep technologies” will give the U.S. the edge…
Virginia receives $219.8 million for broadband expansion
Virginia receives $219.8 million for broadband expansion Jul 5, 2022 The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently announced that Virginia is one of four states poised to expand access to rural high-speed internet service. Under the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, Virginia received $219.8 million, which represents 100%…
Broadband feasibility study, public surveys underway in South Lake Tahoe
Broadband feasibility study, public surveys underway in South Lake Tahoe June 23, 2022 The city of South Lake Tahoe has embarked on a Broadband Feasibility Study to identify how it can improve broadband and internet service and infrastructure. NEO Connect, a broadband consulting firm, has been retained to conduct the…
Telecoms, FAA Reach Another 5G Deal
Telecoms, FAA Reach Another 5G Deal June 19, 2022 The FAA, Verizon and AT&T have reached yet another agreement aimed at preventing disruption at airports due to possible 5G interference. “We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist,”…
Beijing-backed hackers breach ‘major telecommunications companies,’ authorities warn
Beijing-backed hackers breach ‘major telecommunications companies,’ authorities warn 06/08/22 Cyber hackers backed by China are successfully targeting U.S. telecommunications companies in major breaches, the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned on Tuesday. Read more
Four states receive first allocations of $10B broadband fund
Four states receive first allocations of $10B broadband fund June 07, 2022 More than half a billion dollars in federal funding will be sent to four U.S. states to expand broadband access as part of a sweeping national effort to bring affordable service to rural and low-income Americans, the U.S.…
Study: State’s broadband investment will help address ‘digital divide,’ ‘pay for itself’
Study: State’s broadband investment will help address ‘digital divide,’ ‘pay for itself’ 5/31/2022 A $400 million investment in broadband internet infrastructure approved by Illinois lawmakers in 2019 could pay for itself by added tax revenues alone within four years of completion of construction, according to a new study. Read more
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans May 26, 2022 Today, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), announced the companies have filed proposed changes to delivery rates with the New York State Public Service Commission…
AT&T CEO says fiber rollout is an all hands on deck effort
AT&T CEO says fiber rollout is an all hands on deck effort May 23, 2022 AT&T is enlisting employees across the organization to make its fiber rollout to 30 million homes by 2025 a success, taking an all hands on deck approach to ensure it pushes penetration rates up as…
Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: Lessons for Technologists
Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: Lessons for Technologists May 23, 2022 While technologists have always understood the damage that ransomware could do to an organization’s infrastructure and data, the May 2021 attack that targeted Colonial Pipeline IT infrastructure changed the game for good. Read more
White House Says $110 Billion in Infrastructure Funds Released in First 6 Months
White House Says $110 Billion in Infrastructure Funds Released in First 6 Months May 16, 2022 The White House on Monday said it has released $110 billion in funding from the $1 trillion infrastructure package that seeks to fix crumbling roads, expand broadband internet and improve the electrical grid. Read…
Internet Service Essentially Free for Millions Under New Biden Program
Internet Service Essentially Free for Millions Under New Biden Program MAY 9, 2022 President Biden announced Monday that he’s convinced 20 major broadband providers, like AT&T and Comcast, to offer low-cost high-speed internet plans for $30 a month or less. Combined with a $30 monthly discount lower-income people are already…
How small Kansas companies bring fast internet to rural places that telecom giants ignore
How small Kansas companies bring fast internet to rural places that telecom giants ignore MAY 2, 2022 With a family of five and a farming operation to run, Clay Scott’s home internet didn’t come close to cutting it. Pulling up a weather page in a browser could take so long…
Dish’s June 14 deadline for 5G begins to loom large
Dish’s June 14 deadline for 5G begins to loom large 4/26/2022 Dish Network is required by the federal government to cover 20% of the US population with 5G by June 14, 2022. That’s just over one month from today. It’s unclear whether the company will hit its coverage mandates. However,…
Will a 2017 Tax Cut Rule Prevent Rural Broadband Expansion?
Will a 2017 Tax Cut Rule Prevent Rural Broadband Expansion? April 18, 2022 When Congress and former President Trump pushed through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, little did they know that a less-discussed part of the bill might make closing the digital divide more difficult. As of…
Compute North breaks ground on 300MW data center in Granbury, Texas
Compute North breaks ground on 300MW data center in Granbury, Texas April 12, 2022 Compute North is building a 300MW data center at a gas-fired power plant in Texas. The blockchain & HPC data center firm has announced that construction is underway to build a 300MW data center next to…
US telecommunications company likely targeted by Russian hackers shares details of Feb. 24 attack
US telecommunications company likely targeted by Russian hackers shares details of Feb. 24 attack MAR 30, 2022 The U.S. telecommunications company targeted as the Russian military attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24 said Wednesday that a misconfigured virtual private network allowed hackers to gain the access needed to knock key modems…
Spam text messages flood Verizon Wireless phones
Spam text messages flood Verizon Wireless phones March 29, 2022 According to Verizon Wireless, the company is currently investigating a mass spam text message campaign targeting its customers. “Verizon is aware that bad actors are sending spam text messages to some customers which appear to come from the customers’ own…
Federal agencies warn Russian cyber operations pose continued threat to U.S. energy infrastructure
Federal agencies warn Russian cyber operations pose continued threat to U.S. energy infrastructure March 28, 2022 In a joint advisory published this week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) assessed that state-sponsored Russian cyber operations…
New Broadband Forum specs allow ISPs to begin tapping 5G capabilities
New Broadband Forum specs allow ISPs to begin tapping 5G capabilities Mar 22, 2022 The Broadband Forum wrapped Phase II of its wireless-wireline convergence (WWC) effort, unveiling new specifications which will allow legacy residential wireline gateways to take advantage of certain 5G capabilities. Read more
Biden warns the private sector that Russia is exploring options for cyberattacks
Biden warns the private sector that Russia is exploring options for cyberattacks March 21, 2022 President Biden warned on Monday that Russia is exploring the possibility of waging potential cyberattacks against the United States in retaliation for economic penalties imposed on Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine. Read more
Maine-based telecom is bought by Idaho company
Maine-based telecom is bought by Idaho company March 12, 2022 Unity telecommunications company UniTel has been sold to an Idaho-based broadband provider that plans to rapidly expand fiber internet service. Direct Communications of Rockland has found a niche providing high-speed internet in small rural areas. Read more
MetTel secures Marine Corps telecommunications recompete
MetTel secures Marine Corps telecommunications recompete MARCH 8, 2022 MetTel has won a chance to expand the connectivity services it provides to the Marine Corps’ recruiting arm under a $58 million EIS task order. Read more
NYC’s First Net Zero Community Brings Housing to Storm-Ravaged Neighborhood
NYC’s First Net Zero Community Brings Housing to Storm-Ravaged Neighborhood March 4, 2022 Along 116 acres of vacant oceanfront land, development has begun on what could become New York City’s first and largest community to reach a goal of net zero carbon emissions. Read more
6G launch planning should start now to avoid another 5G mess – FCC
6G launch planning should start now to avoid another 5G mess – FCC Mar. 1st 2022 New Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Jessica Rosenworcel has today told delegates at the Mobile World Congress that 6G launch planning should begin now, even though switch-on is not expected until 2030. Her remarks follow the embarrassing clash between…
AT&T is shutting down its 3G network. Here’s how it could impact you
AT&T is shutting down its 3G network. Here’s how it could impact you February 22, 2022 Twenty years after 3G was first introduced in the United States, paving the way for a new generation of mobile apps, the network is officially being phased out. Read more
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Completes Testing of Hydrogen Blending in Continued Move Toward Lower Carbon Energy Sources
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Completes Testing of Hydrogen Blending in Continued Move Toward Lower Carbon Energy Sources Feb 22, 2022 Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) announced today that it successfully blended hydrogen with natural gas to power the Company’s Eight Flags Energy Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant in Nassau County, Florida. Read…
Cyber insurance premiums soar for energy companies
Cyber insurance premiums soar for energy companies Feb. 18, 2022 Cyber insurance rates are rising because of geopolitics, ransomware, a growing threat to operational technology, and continued fallout from last year’s Colonial Pipeline attack, say experts. Read more
Berthoud votes to sign MOU with private broadband provider
Berthoud votes to sign MOU with private broadband provider February 15, 2022 The Berthoud Town Board decided last week to join with three neighboring towns in a memorandum of understanding with a broadband internet provider that will provide fiber optic connections to every property in the four communities within three…
Louisiana ‘aggressively’ dedicating federal money for broadband
Louisiana ‘aggressively’ dedicating federal money for broadband FEBRUARY 7, 2022 Louisiana is ahead of most states in its efforts to improve internet access and usage, says Jon Wilkins, a consultant and former chief operating officer for the FCC. By dedicating money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to provide…
AT&T’s latest 5G network upgrade may only work with 2022’s best phones
AT&T’s latest 5G network upgrade may only work with 2022’s best phones Jan. 31, 2022 The Federal Aviation Administration’s war against 5G has finally begun to wind down with the assurance that flights and new 5G network expansions can peacefully coexist, leaving carriers to continue adding high-speed coverage across the US. Now AT&T is going public…
Germany: 2 oil storage and supply firms hit by cyberattack
Germany: 2 oil storage and supply firms hit by cyberattack Feb. 1, 2022 wo companies involved in storing and supplying oil and other materials said Tuesday they have been hit by a cyberattack that has impacted operations in Germany. Read more
