With a broad boost from U.S. Reps. Anna G. Eshoo and Jackie Speier (D-Palo Alto, Hillsborough), a large coalition of Western cities and counties are waging a legal showdown with a shuttered federal government in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals over control of 5G wireless installations. Eshoo's bill, H.R. 530 -- called the Accelerating Wireless Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act of 2019, "essentially resets the clock on the FCC's new rules by erasing what the federal government has implemented in the under-the-wire maneuver." Eshoo noted "5G is essential for our country's communications network and economy, but it must be deployed responsibly and equitably."
Rural Georgians hope to finally see faster Internet speeds
Georgia’s General Assembly is considering a proposal that could bring broadband service to rural areas of the state. The proposal would allow the electric cooperatives — and some telephone cooperatives — to provide broadband service. Statewide, at least 626,070 Georgians are...
TIA launches task group to develop industry standards for edge data centers
The Telecommunications Industry Association announced the launch of a new standards task group to "develop industry best practices for Edge Data Centers." Last year, TIA’s Edge Data Centers Working Group, chaired by Rebecca Hunter of Crown Castle, released a position paper o...
Local executives prod Bowser to speed up 5G regulations
Several tech executives in Washington, D.C., including Upside Business Travel founder Scott Case and Legends of Learning co-founder Sandy Roskes, are urging D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to "speed up the regulatory process laying the groundwork for next-generation wireless networks&hel...
Fort Collins municipal broadband will offer first service in August
The city of Fort Collins’, CO municipal broadband enterprise, Fort Collins Connexion, will connect its first customers to high-speed internet this August. While construction began in November 2018 and the Fort Collins Connexion Broadband Business Plan calls for a constructio...
T-Mobile has 5G towers in most top U.S. markets, handsets arriving in 2019
During T-Mobile’s fourth-quarter 2018 results call, executives maintained that they’re "ready and excited for the launch of the company’s nationwide 5G network." T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray said the company is adding "thousands upon thousands of new sites with 600Mh...
USDA e-connectivity toolkit offers rural broadband resources
The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a new "e-connectivity" toolkit to support the deployment of high-speed Internet service in rural communities. The toolkit features 27 USDA programs meant to facilitate the expansion of broadband, including grants, loans and technical ass...