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
How the U.S. 5G Rollout Has Pitted Air Giants Against Telecom Behemoths
How the U.S. 5G Rollout Has Pitted Air Giants Against Telecom Behemoths January 25, 2022 The parties involved in the controversy over 5G technology for broadband cellular networks are like tectonic plates moving inexorably toward one another. On one side, there’s AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission;…
Explainer: Do 5G telecoms pose a threat to airline safety?
Explainer: Do 5G telecoms pose a threat to airline safety? January 18, 2022 The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo airlines have warned of a “catastrophic” aviation crisis this week as AT&T and Verizon deploy new 5G services. They said the new C band 5G service set to begin on Wednesday could…
Adding Intelligence to Outage Management with Integrated Cloud-Based Digital Platforms
Adding Intelligence to Outage Management with Integrated Cloud-Based Digital Platforms January 17, 2022 By Paridhi Gupta, Marketing, Smart Energy Water “The grid is not ready for the 21st century.” “Climate change will lead to frequent outages, and utilities are unprepared.” Headlines such as these have become commonplace. Nothing eye-opening about…
Rural Lancaster County would get high-speed internet access under proposed broadband expansion
Rural Lancaster County would get high-speed internet access under proposed broadband expansion Jan 9, 2022 Internet access for rural Lancaster County residents and those who live in its small towns and villages is likely to get significantly faster in the next year. Lancaster County commissioners are considering a $12 million…
US: Telecom operators agree to 5G delay in U-turn decision
US: Telecom operators agree to 5G delay in U-turn decision 1/4/22 Two major US telecom operators, AT&T and Verizon, agreed on Monday evening to a further two-week delay to a planned rollout of 5G networks across the country. The decision followed a request by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on behalf of aviation…
The FCC may be facing another nuclear-sized interference problem
The FCC may be facing another nuclear-sized interference problem 12/20/2021 Federal spectrum regulators at the FCC have come under increasing fire over concerns that 5G in C-band spectrum might interfere with aircraft radio altimeters. Indeed, that issue has ballooned into a major national debate, with executives in the airline industry claiming a “catastrophic…
U.S. former officials urge ‘speedy’ resolution of 5G wireless aviation dispute
U.S. former officials urge ‘speedy’ resolution of 5G wireless aviation dispute December 14, 2021 Six former chairs of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday urged the Biden administration to quickly resolve a dispute over the planned use of 5G wireless spectrum that the aviation industry says poses an…
U.S. appeals court will not block China Telecom revocation order
U.S. appeals court will not block China Telecom revocation order December 2, 2021 A federal appeals court on Thursday declined China Telecom Corp’s(0728.HK) emergency bid to halt a U.S. Federal Communications Commission order withdrawing its authority to provide services in the United States. Read more
Macronix Becomes Industry’s First to Bring 120MHz 1.2V Serial NOR Flash Memories to Mass Production
Macronix Becomes Industry’s First to Bring 120MHz 1.2V Serial NOR Flash Memories to Mass Production Nov 30, 2021 Macronix International Co., Ltd. (TSE: 2337), a leading integrated device manufacturer in the non-volatile memory (NVM) market, today announced it has become the industry’s first Serial NOR Flash memory manufacturer to bring…
Life without reliable internet remains a daily struggle for millions of Americans
Life without reliable internet remains a daily struggle for millions of Americans November 22, 2021 Three days and one hour into the 2021-22 school year, the internet went out at Owhyhee Combined School in northern Nevada. Read more
Smart city district gets green light from City of Houston
Smart city district gets green light from City of Houston 15 Nov 2021 Following the City of Houston’s approval of a community benefits agreement (CBA), an abandoned Sears department store and 16 midtown acres are set to be transformed into an “accessible, walkable and integrated” urban community. Read more
Oversight finds ‘small lapses’ in security led to Colonial Pipeline, JBS hacks
Oversight finds ‘small lapses’ in security led to Colonial Pipeline, JBS hacks 11/16/21 A series of “small lapses” in cybersecurity led to several recent successful ransomware attacks, the House Oversight and Reform Committee concluded in a staff memo released Tuesday. Read more
How the infrastructure bill’s $65 billion in broadband spending will be doled out
How the infrastructure bill’s $65 billion in broadband spending will be doled out Nov. 9, 2021 It took a pandemic to finally drive home what has been discussed for decades: The need for a digital infrastructure plan to connect all Americans. The Biden administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure spending package includes…
Microsoft: Chinese hackers are targeting Zoho ManageEngine software
Microsoft: Chinese hackers are targeting Zoho ManageEngine software November 9, 2021 Microsoft has sent an alert about a sophisticated Chinese hacker group targeting an obscure bug in Zoho software to install a webshell. Read more
CISA Begins Program to Identify Critical Infrastructure
CISA Begins Program to Identify Critical Infrastructure November 1, 2021 The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a congressional committee leader agree that officials must take precautionary steps to identify “systemically important critical infrastructure” to reduce risks of pervasive supply chain cyberattacks. Read more
RCA aims to help cable operators cut power costs
RCA aims to help cable operators cut power costs 10/21/2021 Robert Cruickshank Associates (RCA), innovators at the intersection of broadband and power networks, today announced a breakthrough that creates energy opportunities for cable broadband operators: the first nationwide availability of standards-based Optimum Load Shaping (OLS) signals that enable operators to…
A China-aligned espionage group is targeting global telecoms, sweeping up call data dating back years
A China-aligned espionage group is targeting global telecoms, sweeping up call data dating back years OCT 19, 2021 An advanced network of digital spies with a nexus to Chinese interests has successfully compromised parts of the global telecommunications network, in some cases allowing access to subscriber information, call metadata, text…
Climate-driven weather disasters threaten global energy infrastructure, IEA says
Climate-driven weather disasters threaten global energy infrastructure, IEA says Energize Weekly, October 20, 2021 Energy and infrastructure systems built over the last century are becoming more vulnerable to the ravages of climate change-driven extreme weather events, according to a series of reports. “Extreme weather events over the past year have…
Google targets telcos with new distributed cloud infrastructure
Google targets telcos with new distributed cloud infrastructure Oct 12, 2021 Google unveiled a new suite of Distributed Cloud solutions designed to extend its infrastructure across a variety of locations, targeting telcos with an edge offering capable of running 5G network functions as well as enterprise applications closer to users.…
Montgomery, Botetourt counties seek state grants for broadband projects to reach underserved rural areas
Montgomery, Botetourt counties seek state grants for broadband projects to reach underserved rural areas Oct 2, 2021 Two counties in the Roanoke and New River valleys with a similar mix of suburban and rural communities are separately seeking state funding to help with major broadband internet access expansion projects. Read…
