Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - Julia King

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https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/earth-day-round-how-isps-are-going-gree…

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Wed, 04/24/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/23/2024

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Tue, 04/23/2024

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How Internet Service Providers are Going Green

Grace Tepper — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:17:51 +0000

Earth Day is here, and Fierce Network is celebrating by looking into how telcos are approaching their sustainability agendas. Fierce reached out to several internet service providers (ISPs) to ask how they're making their businesses more environmentally friendly. For companies Fierce didn't hear from, it took a look at their recent environmental, social and governance (ESG) reports to check their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Scope 1 emissions are a company's direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. In the corporate ESG scene, "net zero" has become a buzzword added into many company's sustainability targets. Net zero emissions means there is equilibrium between the amount of emissions and extraction of greenhouse gases a company is responsible for. Some experts have warned that greenwashy words like "net zero" may not actually be enough, since the strategy still leaves room for immense greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, there's still something to be said for forward progress. Here's what companies are doing to get there.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Earth Day is here, and Fierce Network is celebrating by looking into how telcos are approaching their sustainability agendas.

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Author:

Masha Abarinova

Send date:

Tue, 04/23/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/22/2024

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Publish Date:

Tue, 04/23/2024

Coverage Type:

Energy and Climate

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/brightspeeds-fiber-plan-full-steam-ahea…

Brightspeed's fiber plan is full steam ahead

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 21:30:35 +0000

Brightspeed's fiber expansion is gaining momentum. The privately-backed company said its fiber network is now available at one million locations, notching that achievement just one year after it launched Brightspeed Fiber Internet. And sure, hitting that milestone is cool. But what really matters is that people are buying it. A spokesperson for the company said Brightspeed Fiber Internet sales increase every month. “In fact, over the past four months we've seen a monthly average increase of 12%.” Tandem to hitting the 1 million mark, the company said it would be accelerating its fiber expansion, thanks in part to grant funding in various locations across its footprint. According to the spokesperson, there is approximately $4.7 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding available in Brightspeed’s footprint, and the company is “actively evaluating BEAD Program proposals and requirements” in those areas.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Brightspeed Fiber Internet service is available at 1 million locations

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Send date:

Fri, 04/12/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/11/2024

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Publish Date:

Thu, 04/11/2024

Coverage Type:

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Broadband Programs

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Infrastructure

Legislation

Zayo releases a flurry of fiber upgrades

zwalker@benton.org — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 20:09:24 +0000

Zayo Group unveiled a slew of upgrades to its fiber infrastructure, including the acquisition of a new long-haul dark fiber route connecting Washington, DC and Atlanta. Zayo acquired the route through a secretive "technology partnership," but Chaz Kramer, Zayo's VP of product management, said the name of the company and price tag for the acquisition “aren’t being disclosed." In things that are being disclosed, the company announced that it built a dark fiber route connecting Columbus, Ohio to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Zayo added four routes to its 400G network, including Indianapolis to Columbus; Cut Bank, Montana to Calgary; New Orleans to Ponchatoula in Louisiana; and Grand Rapids to Lansing in Michigan. In parallel, Zayo is fortifying its IP network by adding 27 new IP points of presence (PoPs) and 400G peering locations across North America. This expansion includes the introduction of 16 new IP PoPs in California, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and Ontario. The company has 11 new 400G IP peering locations set for rollout in 2024 across cities like Toronto, Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas and Chicago.

Benton Content:

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/zayo-unveils-flurry-fiber-upgrades

Teaser:

Zayo Group released a list of upgrades to its middle-mile fiber infrastructure

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Send date:

Mon, 04/08/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/5/2024

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Publish Date:

Fri, 04/05/2024

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https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/massachusetts-program-giving-free-digita…

Infrastructure

This Massachusetts program is giving free digital equity advice

benton — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 19:46:01 +0000

In Massachusetts a consulting program is helping local municipalities navigate digital equity planning. There is no flow of money to municipalities under said program. Instead, the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program, spearheaded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), pairs towns and cities with consultants to develop strategic plans for digital equity within their communities. Among other things, the program is meant to inform a municipality of provider market conditions, challenges/barriers to internet adoption analysis and the strategies a municipality can take to increase adoption of broadband. Michael Baldino, director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, said municipalities are well positioned to understand and address the needs of their residents, take local ownership of digital inclusion activities and encourage stakeholder buy-in of strategies to address those needs. By offering technical assistance to local governments, he said, MBI is closing “a critical data and documentation gap.”

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Helping local municipalities navigate digital equity planning

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Author:

Send date:

Fri, 04/05/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/4/2024

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Not Available

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Publish Date:

Thu, 04/04/2024

Coverage Type:

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Marginalized Populations

Research

Broadband providers are sneaking into the smart home

zwalker@benton.org — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 18:40:26 +0000

Just because it isn’t as futuristic as we pictured doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened yet: Smart devices are on the rise, and they’re creeping into the broadband world. Our refrigerators aren’t making us sandwiches and we don’t have laundry folding robots (yet), but subtle smart home devices (a.k.a. any gadget with internet connectivity) like washing machines, smoke detectors and locks are starting to nestle into more homes. According to Parks Associates, 45 percent of homes in the US have at least one smart home device. As broadband providers lose entertainment revenue to streaming services, they can find new revenue through value-added services like bundled offerings that include smart home device integration. The smart device is important to broadband providers now because it's a revenue driver, and can even boost Net Promoter Scores (NPS).

Benton Content:

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/broadband-providers-are-sneaking-smart-h…

Teaser:

The smart home market presents an opportunity for broadband providers to find new revenue through value-added services targeted at smart home devices

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Send date:

Mon, 04/01/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 3/29/2024

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Fri, 03/29/2024

Coverage Type:

Devices

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/colorado-union-workers-isps-lock-horns-o…

Colorado workers and internet service providers lock horns over BEAD labor bill

zwalker@benton.org — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 19:09:35 +0000

Are federal labor protections for broadband workers strong enough, or should state lawmakers intervene to give them a boost? That question is at the heart of a fiery debate raging in Colorado’s state house over a piece of proposed legislation that would codify additional rights for broadband workers. If passed, the bill would mandate that any company using federal or state money for broadband projects of over $500,000 would have to pay workers prevailing wages. Brandy Reitter, Executive Director of the Colorado Broadband Office, contended that the state’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) proposal already includes “significant labor requirements.” The provisions in the House bill go “above and beyond the BEAD notice of funding opportunity,” Reitter continued, and could “have a chilling effect on our BEAD program to deter any providers from applying altogether.” Hilltop Broadband CEO Eric McCluskey noted that in the face of labor shortage challenges, his company has “consistently” offered competitive wages and benefits to employees, including employer-funded health care, and that the passage of the bill would exacerbate recruitment and retention issues.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Colorado state lawmakers introduced a bill that would mandate prevailing wages for certain projects using state or federal money.

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Send date:

Wed, 03/27/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 3/26/2024

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Not Available

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Publish Date:

Tue, 03/26/2024

Coverage Type:

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Broadband Programs

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Level of Government

Federal

State

The Universal Service Fund is stuck in its own Groundhog Day

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:10:26 +0000

It seems like the Universal Service Fund (USF) has been stuck in a loop for years, as debates over how it could be improved and better funded rage on. There are plenty of possible solutions on the table, yet the wheels just keep on spinning. The USF is dedicated to broadband builds in rural and Tribal areas, a low-income affordability program and for connections in schools, hospitals and libraries. Since its launch in 1997, the USF has been propped up by fees tacked onto phone bills but USTelecom, NTCA, and WTA have advocated that the burden on phone companies should be lightened by taxing broadband and edge providers. Over the past few years lawmakers have made several attempts to fix the USF, but nothing seems to stick. New Street Research’s Blair Levin said it’s possible that the Congress in 2025 will reform the USF system, “but several FCC's and Congress' have kicked the can down the road so it is possible for it to happen again.”

Benton Content:

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/universal-service-fund-stuck-groundhog-d…

Teaser:

The Universal Service Fund is in a perpetual debate about how to improve funding and effectiveness

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Send date:

Fri, 03/22/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 3/21/2024

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Publish Date:

Thu, 03/21/2024

Coverage Type:

Agenda

Upcoming policy issue

Federal Communications Commission

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Infrastructure

Legislation

Level of Government

Federal

Marginalized Populations

Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

Telecommunication

Universal Service Fund

Municipalities can apply for BEAD. Will it matter?

zwalker@benton.org — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 15:31:19 +0000

In spite of all the public broadband haters, municipalities will be allowed to vie for money from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Whether they'll win BEAD grants or even bother trying, however, is still anyone's guess. Public networks have seen opposition from incumbent providers and political adversaries. According to Broadband Now, 16 states have legislation that either restricts municipal broadband or bars it entirely. While the BEAD program requires states to allow local governments and utilities to apply for grants, that doesn’t mean they will actually win any BEAD money, American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB) Executive Director Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] told Fierce Telecom. Although state officials have encouraged municipalities to apply for BEAD funds, restrictions could still get in the way. Sohn said even though municipalities may be welcome to apply, there likely won’t be a lot winning BEAD grants. That's in part because many public networks are in in suburbs or small cities that are already considered served with internet, and the BEAD program is targeted at underserved and unserved locations.

Benton Content:

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/municipalities-can-apply-bead-will-it-ma…

Teaser:

Despite roadblocks thrown up against public broadband, municipalities will still be allowed to apply for BEAD grants

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Author:

Send date:

Thu, 03/21/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 3/20/2024

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Not Available

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Publish Date:

Wed, 03/20/2024

Coverage Type:

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Broadband Programs

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Level of Government

Local/Municipal

State

Maybe speed isn’t everything when it comes to connectivity

benton — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:20:41 +0000

Speed is but one thread in the tapestry of connectivity and user experience. To address bandwidth-constrained households, some ISPs and vendors are exploring alternative routes to enhance network performance. Traffic prioritization tools within the home, for instance, offer a potential solution for the bandwidth-constrained. The key to driving user adoption of tools like this is to make the interface easy to use, and automate where possible. Speed has become “less relevant,” said OpenVault CEO Mark Trudeau, now that the industry has reached multi-gig levels. Operators have done a good job of upgrading their networks to the point where they've got head room for “many, many years ahead,” and they don't really need to keep increasing speeds at the rate that they have been. That said, he also cautioned we exactly don't know when the "next killer app" is going to come out and raise bandwidth needs. None of this is to say bandwidth isn’t still important. And OpenVault represents a lot of cable operators, which sometimes tend to downplay bandwidth speeds.

Benton Content:

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/telecom/maybe-speed-isnt-everything-when-it-comes-…

Teaser:

Speed is but one thread in the tapestry of connectivity and user experience.

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Author: