Microsoft accused the FCC of over-stating actual broadband availability and urged the agency to do better. In the filing, Microsoft said, “For example, in some areas the Commission’s broadband availability data suggests that ISPs have reported significant broadband availability (25 Mbps down/3 Mbps up) while Microsoft’s usage data indicates that only a small percentage of consumers actually access the Internet at broadband speeds in those areas.”
PG&E faces pole attachment shot clock, as CPUC arbitrator hands Crown Castle a win
An administrative law judge "gave Crown Castle a victory of sorts in a dispute over terms for attaching fiber optic cable to utility poles that Pacific Gas and Electric owns." If the California Public Utilities Commission signs off on the finding, it will establish a 45-day "shot ...
U.S. conducting 5G security review amid hacking, Huawei concerns
The Department of Homeland Security is "conducting a broad review of risks posed by 5G technology, officials said, as the U.S. grapples with concerns about the new network’s vulnerability to hacking and the rise of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co." Ch...
Digital divide as City Commission considers utility-managed fiber optics
At a workshop with city commissioners in the city of Tallahassee, FL, commissioners discussed whether the city should get into the high-speed internet business. While several commissioners favored "wanting to issue a request for proposals on a feasibility study and continue talks,...
5G’s potential, and why businesses should start preparing for it
Omar Abbosh, group chief executive of Accenture’s Communications, Media & Technology operating group, and Larry Downes, Senior Fellow with Accenture Research, published an article in Harvard Business Review highlighting the findings of a new Accenture survey of nearly 2,000 ...
How dark fiber can support flexible networks for local government
StateScoop reported on the various ways that dark fiber gives counties the opportunity to use and manage their own, private broadband infrastructure. It highlighted that Dark Fiber offers counties greater network control and capacity and has the potential to support equal access t...
Making connections: State lawmakers introduce bills in attempt to bring better internet access to rural areas
Three Texas state lawmakers "have filed five bills this legislative session to help bring high-speed internet connectivity to those who live in rural areas." Senate Bill 1103 and House Bill 2423 "create a broadband office within the Public Utility Commission of Texas that would pr...