Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a proposal to spend $50 million on building universal broadband internet service in his upcoming budget, the first part of a multi-year $250 million plan to improve internet access across the commonwealth. The increase for the state’s 2020 budget will connect tens of thousands more Virginians and potentially more than 100,000 more Virginians who currently do not have access to broadband internet.
SpaceX seeks FCC OK for 1 million satellite broadband Earth stations
SpaceX is seeking US approval to deploy up to 1 million Earth stations to receive transmissions from its planned satellite broadband constellation. The Federal Communications Commission last year gave SpaceX permission to deploy 11,943 low-Earth orbit satellites for the planned St...
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...
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...
Trump preparing plan to boost AI, 5G technology
President Trump is preparing an ambitious plan to ramp up the government's role in speeding next-generation technologies such as 5G wireless and artificial intelligence. In a statement, top White House technology policy aide Michael Kratsios said it "will ensure … that the ...
We need a national rural broadband plan
Assistant professor at the University of Virginia Christopher Ali wrote an op-ed in the New York Times calling for a national rural broadband plan. Ali highlighted that the lack of a national rural broadband policy is causing the United States to lose the global competition in com...
Powell may ‘start small’ with fiber-optics deal
Powell, OH, is "considering an agreement that would give the city its first fiber connection." The city’s operations committee reviewed a proposal from Consolidated Electric Cooperative "that would see Powell spending $81,650 to connect to an existing fiber-optic network for...