Broadband overbuild using taxpayer dollars has been an ongoing problem across this country. Some providers will obtain a grant or loan from a federal agency to build out broadband in rural communities and then use the funding to either deploy or upgrade equipment where broadband already exists rather than spend taxpayer resources on unserved communities […]
Congressional Eye Turns to DOD’s JEDI Contract
One wonders if the “Force” is working against the Department of Defense (DOD) with its Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure project (JEDI). The contract bid request that by some estimates could reach $10 billion to build an enterprise-level commercial cloud solution, including Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service, to support the all defense agencies […]
DOJ Files Suit Against California’s Onerous Net Neutrality Law
While not unexpected, it was still disappointing to see California Governor Jerry Brown (D) sign into law Senate Bill 822, creating the most restrictive set of rules for internet service providers (ISPs) in U.S. history. California has often attempted to set standards for the rest of the nation in everything from the environment to technology, […]
Proposed FCC Rules Push 5G Forward
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to make it easier than ever for communities across the nation to bring cutting-edge wireless service to millions of Americans. On September 26, 2018, the FCC will vote on a proposed rule that will hasten nationwide implementation of 5G cellular infrastructure. If adopted, the rules would limit the burdensome […]
FCC Commissioner Offers Commonsense Advice to Rural Utilities Service
Publicly-funded broadband overbuild is an ongoing problem across the country. It is far easier to deploy new services alongside existing infrastructure than to build-out to those who remain in unserved areas. On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1625, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which funds the government through September 30, […]
States Must Stop Diverting 9-1-1 Fees
The National Emergency Number Association estimates that 240 million 9-1-1 calls are made each year, with more than 80 percent of those calls originating from wireless devices in some areas of the country. The 9-1-1 emergency systems, including fire and rescue operations, are funded, in part, through fees imposed on consumer telephone bills. Unfortunately, over […]
California Takes Two Steps Back on Net Neutrality
The state of California has moved ahead with one of the most ambitious pieces of state-based net neutrality legislation to date. SB 822, the Communications: Broadband Internet Access Service, reinstates the restrictions put in place by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in 2015 and goes even further with additional regulatory restrictions. First introduced on […]
Streamlining 5G Deployment
On June 28, 2018, Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced S. 3157, the Streamlining The Rapid Evolution And Modernization of Leading-edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance Small Cell Deployment Act (STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act), which seeks to reduce barriers to deploying small cell technology. Creating a network of small cells is crucial […]
FCC Works Through the Mid-Band Spectrum
On July 12, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to adopt an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band (GN Docket No. 18-122). As noted by the 147 filings already received in this proceeding, there is strong interest across the communications industry in how […]
FCC Should Focus on Economic Benefits of T-Mobile/Sprint Merger
On June 18, 2018, T-Mobile and Sprint submitted their requests with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to merge their companies together to form a stronger, more nimble company called New T-Mobile. With this merger request, one can expect the usual outcry of those who believe that competition of three is anti-competitive, and the […]








