Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - Alabama

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Broadband Programs

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2024/04/24/biden-harris-administration…

State

Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Local Organizations, Cooperatives and Tribes to Support High-Speed Internet Deployment in Rural Communities as Part of Investing in America Agenda

benton — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:37:46 +0000

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations and Tribes to support high-speed internet deployment in 11 states. USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, which is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This funding will extend the reach of other high-speed internet programs to meet the Administration’s goal to connect every community in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. The Broadband Technical Assistance Program provides funding to cooperatives and organizations interested in receiving or delivering broadband technical assistance and training. This program promotes the expansion of high-speed internet into rural and Tribal communities by funding feasibility studies, network designs, hiring efforts, application development assistance and more. The funding will help people living in Alaska, Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Examples of projects in this announcement include:

In the Southwest, Ciomperlik Enterprises LLC is receiving a $126,570 award to prepare reports, feasibility studies, financial forecasts, market surveys, environmental studies and technical design to expand high-speed internet access in 10 communities across Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, La Salle and Zavala counties in Texas.
In the Midwest, the Curators of the University of Missouri is receiving a $191,038 award to support community planning, a broadband economic analysis study, an environmental study and a technical design study in Carter and Shannon counties in Missouri.
In the Pacific Northwest, the Connecting Alaska Consortium is receiving a $1 million award to deliver technical assistance and training to support planning and engagement, coordinating partnerships, grant-related training, and data collection and reporting. Funding will also support technical assistance and training conferences. The project will be used to promote and expand high-speed internet access in 122 rural and Tribal communities across Alaska.
In the South, the South Central Alabama Broadband Cooperative District is receiving a $820,000 award to perform community needs assessments and project planning, provide grant assistance, support construction planning and engineering and provide federal resource management and oversight in 45 communities across 15 counties in South Central Alabama.

A full list of projects from today’s announcement is available online.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program

Source:

Department of Agriculture

Send date:

Thu, 04/25/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/24/2024

DD Publish Status:

Not Available

Include summary in newsletter email:

Publish Date:

Wed, 04/24/2024

Coverage Type:

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

Rural Development (USDA )

Internet/Broadband

Universal Broadband

Legislation

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

Dragonfly Internet CEO Shares Journey from FWA to Fiber, Alabama Power Deal

zwalker@benton.org — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:40:34 +0000

Alabama-based Dragonfly Internet was created in 2023 when ITC Holding Company bought a local fixed wireless provider and opted to change the name. Since then, Dragonfly has been upgrading the fixed wireless equipment that the previous company had deployed and expanding to unserved and underserved areas using a mixture of fixed wireless and fiber. “Our preference is to use fiber where we can,” CEO David Hartin said. “But there will be communities where fixed wireless will make a lot of sense to do. We will always be a hybrid.” One of the company’s next fiber builds will be in Brewton and East Brewton, Alabama—a project that was made feasible via a deal with Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company that serves a large part of the state. The deal came about because Dragonfly was “looking at ways to lower construction costs, and Alabama Power was looking for partnerships to monetize its fiber investment,” Hartin explained.

Benton Content:

https://www.telecompetitor.com/dragonfly-internet-ceo-shares-journey-from-fwa-to…

Teaser:

Dragonfly Internet has made some big moves since being created in 2023

Source:

telecompetitor

Author:

Joan Engebretson

Send date:

Tue, 04/16/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/15/2024

DD Publish Status:

Not Available

Include summary in newsletter email:

Publish Date:

Mon, 04/15/2024

Coverage Type:

Wireless Telecommunications

Wireless Internet

Mediacom taps Tarana to boost its FWA build in 4 states

zwalker@benton.org — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:44:16 +0000

Mediacom is proving that even though it's a cable and fiber provider, it's happy to use fixed wireless access (FWA), too. Mediacom will use Tarana’s next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) broadband technology in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina—states where it’s won funding from the Federal Communications Commission's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). The operator’s required RDOF buildout target is 5,694 locations, said Thomas Larsen, Mediacom’s SVP of government and public relations. Those locations will be Mediacom’s “initial focus.” But the company thinks it can reach additional locations that are adjacent to its RDOF areas with Tarana’s ngFWA tech—known as the G1 platform. Larsen added that Mediacom owns CBRS spectrum in 178 counties, so it has the potential to use Tarana’s technology “in a lot more areas” than the states where it won RDOF money.

Benton Content:

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/mediacom-taps-tarana-boost-its-fwa-buil…

Teaser:

Mediacom will use Tarana’s ngFWA platform for RDOF builds in four states

Source:

Fierce

Author:

Masha Abarinova

Send date:

Thu, 04/11/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 4/10/2024

DD Publish Status:

Not Available

Include summary in newsletter email:

Publish Date:

Wed, 04/10/2024

Coverage Type:

Reporting

Federal Communications Commission

Legislation

Telecommunications Act of 1996

State

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

Spectrum

Universal Service Fund

Wireless Internet

Alabama’s Digital Equity Plan Accepted

zwalker@benton.org — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 20:40:31 +0000

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Alabama’s Digital Equity plan. The Digital Equity Act, part of the Internet for All initiative and a key piece of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. The program aims to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy. Using $981,081 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, Alabama created a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state.

Benton Content:

https://www.internetforall.gov/news-media/alabamas-digital-equity-plan-accepted

Teaser:

NTIA has accepted Alabama’s Digital Equity plan

Source:

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Send date:

Tue, 03/26/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 3/25/2024

DD Publish Status:

Not Available

Include summary in newsletter email:

Publish Date:

Mon, 03/25/2024

Coverage Type:

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Broadband Programs

State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program

State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program

Meridiam rides fiber train in Alabama with $230 million investment

zwalker@benton.org — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:21:21 +0000

Alabama is getting a major open access fiber boost via private investment. Meridiam, an infrastructure investment firm, is kicking off a $230 million project to build an open access network that will reach 17 Alabama cities, including Selma and Demopolis. It aims to eventually cover 53,000 homes and businesses in partnership with Yellowhammer Networks, a fiber-to-the-premises network developer that’s financed by Meridiam. This is far from Meridiam’s first time riding in the broadband infrastructure rodeo. According to Omri Gainsburg, COO of Meridiam in the Americas, the firm’s current fiber portfolio includes projects with more than 16,000 miles of fiber infrastructure, passing nearly 1.5 million premises.

Benton Content:

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/meridiam-rides-fiber-train-alabama-230m-…

Teaser:

Meridiam is investing $230 million to build an open access fiber network in Alabama

Source:

Fierce

Author:

Masha Abarinova

Send date:

Tue, 03/05/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 3/4/2024

DD Publish Status:

Not Available

Include summary in newsletter email:

Publish Date:

Mon, 03/04/2024

Coverage Type:

Some RDOF and CAF II Auction Census Block Groups are Eligible For Other Funding Programs

benton — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 21:52:24 +0000

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) announced that BARConnects and North Alabama Electric Cooperative have notified the FCC that they will not fulfill their commitment to offer voice and broadband service to certain census block groups (CBGs) within their Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and/or Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction supported service areas. These providers will be subject to penalties for the CBGs where they are defaulting. These census blocks are eligible for funding from other federal and state funding programs subject to the rules of the other programs.

Benton Content:

https://www.fcc.gov/document/wcb-announces-certain-caf-iirdof-cbgs-are-eligible-…

Teaser:

BARConnects and North Alabama Electric Cooperative default on earlier awards

Source:

Federal Communications Commission

Send date:

Thu, 02/29/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 2/28/2024

DD Publish Status:

Not Available

Include summary in newsletter email:

Publish Date:

Wed, 02/28/2024

Coverage Type:

Public Notice

Digital Divide

Federal Communications Commission

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

Universal Service Fund

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

Governor Ivey Announces Nearly $150 Million for Broadband Expansion, Impacting 48 Alabama Counties

zwalker@benton.org — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 20:40:18 +0000

Governor Kay Ivey (R-AL) announced the awarding of nearly $150 million to continue the expansion of high-speed internet service to unserved areas across Alabama. The 66 Capital Projects Fund grants totaling $148.3 million were awarded to 16 internet service providers that will expand high-speed internet availability to homes, businesses and public institutions in portions of 48 counties. The “last mile” projects announced by Governor Ivey will mean more than 5,000 miles of broadband infrastructure, and once in place, they will have the ability to provide access to almost 54,000 households, businesses and institutions like hospitals, schools and libraries. Those awarded Capital Projects Fund grants and coverage areas are:

AT&T Southeast – Five grants totaling $6.97 million to expand broadband services in Franklin, Jefferson, Mobile, Morgan and Russell counties. The expansion has the potential to reach more than 1,871 households and businesses.
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative– Seven grants totaling $22.94 million to expand broadband services in areas of Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas and Elmore counties. The service area includes more than 6,000 potential households and businesses.
Connect Holding (Brightspeed)- Two grants totaling $388,061 to expand broadband services in Pickens and St. Clair counties. The projects have the potential to reach 479 households and businesses.
Coosa Valley Technologies Inc. – Six grants totaling $12.57 million for expanded broadband services in Calhoun, Etowah, Shelby and Talladega counties. The service area includes more than 974 potential households and businesses.
Cullman Electric Cooperative- One grant totaling $4.1 million to provide broadband services in areas of Cullman and Winston counties. The expansion has the potential to reach 1,979 households and businesses.
Farmers Telecommunications Corp. – Two grants totaling $7.29 million to expand broadband services in DeKalb County with the potential to serve more than 1,600 households and businesses.
Knology (WOW!) – One grant totaling $2.39 million to expand broadband services in parts of Henry and Houston counties. The expansion has the potential to reach about 970 households and businesses.
Mediacom – Eight projects totaling $22.8 million to provide broadband services in parts of Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe and Mobile counties. The project areas include almost 8,000 households and businesses.
Millry Telephone Co. Inc. – One grant totaling $3.6 million to expand broadband services in parts of Washington County. The expansion has the potential to reach 988 new households and businesses.
Pea River Electric Cooperative – One grant totaling $5 million to expand broadband services in parts of Barbour and Henry counties. The expansion has the potential to reach 1,529 new households and businesses.
Pine Belt Telephone Co. – Four grants totaling $3 million to provide additional broadband services in Clarke and Marengo counties with the potential to reach more than 480 new households and businesses.
R.M. Greene Inc. – One grant totaling $2.85 million for broadband expansion in parts of Barbour and Russell counties that will reach more than 680 new households and businesses.
Spectrum Southeast – 23 grants totaling $44.83 million to provide broadband services in parts of Bibb, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cleburne, Coosa, Colbert, Cullman, Elmore, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Houston, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa counties. The service areas include 22,000 potential households and businesses.
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative– One grant totaling $2.78 million to provide broadband services in parts of Winston County. The service area includes 1,584 potential households and businesses.
Troy Cablevision (C Spire) – One grant totaling $1.65 million to expand broadband services in Dale and Houston counties. There are nearly 700 potential households and businesses in that service area.
Yellowhammer Networks – Two grants totaling $5.13 million to provide broadband services in Bibb, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry and Sumter counties. The project areas include almost 3,700 households and businesses.

Benton Content:

https://governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/2024/02/governor-ivey-announces-nearly-150…

Teaser:

Governor Kay Ivey announced the awarding of nearly $150 million to continue the expansion of high-speed internet service to unserved areas across Alabama

Source:

Alabama Office of Governor

Send date:

Thu, 02/29/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 2/28/2024

DD Publish Status:

Not Available

Include summary in newsletter email:

Publish Date:

Wed, 02/28/2024

Coverage Type:

Federal Broadband Programs

Department of Treasury

Capital Projects Fund

Internet/Broadband

Infrastructure

Legislation

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

State