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."
$1.25 million earmarked for broadband, library, park
The Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development had awarded a Keystone Communities Program grant of $500,000 to help Indiana County leaders to extend broadband internet access to underserved rural, outlying areas of the county. In total, the award of four grants to...
South Portland broadband plan could hit funding snag
An action plan for using $436,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds received unanimous City Council approval Tuesday night in Portland, ME. However, the plan to be submitted to the Cumberland County Commissioners, and eventually the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De...
5G raises twin privacy concerns, says former Bell Labs/AT&T Labs researcher
While 5G promises significantly faster mobile data connections, it also raises two privacy concerns, according a former researcher at Bell Labs and AT&T Labs Research. Dr. Steve Bellovin, who is now a professor of computer science at Columbia University, says the first issue is lo...
Contra Costa County approves controversial 5G small-cell antennas despite protests
Despite resistance from Contra Costa residents, Verizon Wireless will be allowed to install small-cell antennas and equipment in five public right-of-way spots around unincorporated Walnut Creek and Alamo. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted on this Tuesday after li...
AT&T strikes partnership with Microsoft involving network tech
AT&T is testing how to bring network edge compute capabilities into its 5G network with cloudcomputing service Microsoft Azure. In connection with the effort, AT&T is creating a site for the technology, which helps speed up wireless access for businesses, at the AT&T Foundry in Pl...
Rural broadband funding could connect more Ohio Valley communities to high-speed
With the new funding for a USDA Rural Development pilot program called ReConnect, which allows companies, nonprofits, and communities in under-served regions to apply for loans and grants to fund broadband projects, there may now be funding for building broadband infrastructure in...