The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be facilitating $20.4 billion of investments into high-speed broadband networks across rural America over the next 10 years, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced during a briefing with President Trump on April 12.
Detroit announced it will hire Joshua Edmonds as its first director of digital inclusion to help make computer and internet access more accessible to the city’s citizens.
Broadband access is essential in the 21st Century. To achieve availability across the country, the Federal government must have accurate broadband access data to ensure that funds and resources are being spent to expand coverage to unserved areas. However, accuracy issues with the broadband map have plagued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)–the Federal entity tasked with compiling the data.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced on March 29 more than $4.9 million in grants to extend broadband services to areas that are currently unserved by any broadband provider. As a result of these grants, roughly 15,000 households and 300 business will gain access to broadband services.
The state of Vermont agreed on Thursday to suspend enforcement of its net neutrality lawsuit until a suit against the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is resolved. Similarly, telecommunication sector trade groups, who were suing Vermont over the law, agreed to delay their litigation.
Rep. William Hurd, R-Texas, stressed at IBM’s Think Gov event today that America needs to lead the world in developing 5G wireless networks and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, especially with China on the rise as a voracious international competitor, and said successful development and application of the two technologies are inextricably linked.
The mayor of Chattanooga, Tenn., pushed back today on the notion that 5G wireless services hold the key for rolling out big “smart-cities” technology improvements, and instead said his city’s gigabit fiber network can handle the job just fine.
Top officials from communications industry trade groups told members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today what few, if any, in the hearing room would disagree with: the United States needs to win the global race to leadership in 5G communications services and technologies.
