regulation what is it good for?

Cost Models and Grants

Possibly the least understood aspect of the recent FCC RDOF grants is that the...

The White House Broadband Plan

Reading the White House $100 billion broadband plan was a bit eerie because it felt like I could have written it. The plan espouses the...

The Accessible, Affordable Internet Act for All – Part 2

This is the second look at the Accessible, Affordable Internet Act for All...

Taking the Short View

We need to talk about the insidious carryover impact of having a national definition of broadband speed of 25/3 Mbps. You might think that...

I was listening in on a webinar the other day and heard the comment that the RDOF grants don’t include any requirement to serve customers. Winners of the grants are required to build networks according to a specific...

Changing the Definition of Broadband

A group of US Senators recently sent a letter to the FCC asking to raise the definition of broadband to 100/100 Mbps. This speed has been discussed for several years as the logical step forward from the current 25/3...

No Longer News – Big Telcos Ignore Copper

In news that falls under the category of ‘why did they even bother’, the California Public Utilities System released a report that details how the big telcos in the state have allowed the copper networks to...

California Net Neutrality Rules Go Into Effect

A federal judge in the Eastern District of California has allowed the California net neutrality law to go into effect. The law was passed in 2017, soon after the FCC killed federal net neutrality along with broadband...

Disappointment with the New FCC Mapping

The FCC took its latest shot at reforming the notoriously inaccurate broadband maps in January. I put off writing a blog on this until now because I kept hoping that as I reread the new rules that I’d see something...

Why We Need Broadband Regulation

Anybody that reads this blog knows that I am in favor of broadband regulation. I’m sure ISPs read this and wonder why – because who doesn’t like being unregulated? My feelings on this go back to basic economics...

Another Idea for Federal Broadband Funding

It’s obvious that we need better broadband in the country, and much of that broadband is in rural places that are going to require financial assistance to build. The new White House and Congress are finally talking...

More Delays on CAF II

In the continuing saga of the FCC’s CAF II program, Frontier and CenturyLink recently notified the FCC that the companies did not fully meet upgrade obligations. The CAF II program flowed $11.2 billion to the big...

FCC Expands Siting Rules for Wireless Broadband

On January 8, the FCC expanded the over-the-air reception device rules (OTARD) to allow for the placement of wireless hubs and relays for the delivery of broadband or voice service. This ruling will make it easier for...

Mediacom Threatens ‘Excessive Uploaders’

Far too often in this industry I read something that makes me roll my eyes. The latest comes from a warning by Mediacom to subscribers about excessive upload usage. The company is calling and writing to customers who...

Misconceptions of Title II Regulation

It seems likely that a newly formed FCC will tackle the reinstitution of regulation. We can only speculate how they’ll do it, but the easiest path would be to declare broadband to be a “telecommunications service’...

Fixing the RDOF

A bipartisan group of legislators recently sent a letter to the FCC asking for transparency during the due diligence review of the long forms for the RDOF grants. The group was led by Representatives James E. Clyburn...

FCC’s 2021 Broadband Deployment Report – Part 2

As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the FCC is required to annually report on the state of broadband to Congress. The prior FCC chaired by Ajit Pai issued the 2021 report on January 19, the last day of Pai’s...

FCC’s 2021 Broadband Deployment Report – Part 1

On the last day of Ajit Pai’s term as FCC Chairman, the agency issued the 2021 Broadband Deployment Report. This is a report that is mandated to be delivered to Congress each year. One of the most extraordinary things...

The Legacy of the Pai FCC

As is normal with a change of administration, there are articles in the press discussing the likely legacy of the outgoing administration. Leading the pack in singing his own praises is former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who...

The Politicization of the FCC

Before the citizens of Georgia elected two new Democratic Senators, it looked like a Republican Senate was on a path to lock up the FCC by not approving any new Commissioners. This was threatened by Mitch McConnell and...

The Cost of Using Poles

The Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) passed a rule recently that reduces the cost of pole attachments to $1 per year per pole for anybody that builds broadband in areas of the state that the state considers to...

Let’s Try Another Approach – Part II

Yesterday’s blog talked about the many problems with the recently concluded RDOF grant process. The FCC has an opportunity to clear up some of these problems through the long-form approval process. But if the FCC...

Let’s Try Another Approach – Part 1

Anybody reading this blog already knows that I am not a fan of the recent RDOF grant program. If the FCC doesn’t figure out a way in the next few months to cancel the worse of the grant awards, when we look back six...

Is it Time to Kill ETC Requirements?

One of the requirements for receiving grants out of the FCC’s Universal Service Fund is that recipients offer telephone service and also obtain Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) status. That is a regulatory...

AT&T’s Regulatory Wish List

CEO of AT&T Communications Jeff McElfresh recently outlined four major regulatory priorities for the company going into next year. This list couldn’t be more different than the list I made recently from the...