Students around the U.S. are returning to school, though for many of them, this year will be different than any other on record. Millions of learners are getting accustomed to a fully online schooling environment as the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold. With thousands or hundreds of thousands of students going online simultaneously in a given … Continued
Google, Facebook, and Other Tech Giants Are Quietly Buying Up the Most Important Part of the Internet Fast Facts: Google owns major shares of 63,605 miles of submarine cables. Google will be the sole owner of 10,433 miles of submarine cables when the Curie cable is completed in 2019. Google holds partial ownership of 8.5% … Continued
Broadband Coverage Statistics and Average Internet Speed for All 50 US States Q2–Q3 2018 Broadband coverage and speeds are an economic development issue in all 50 US states. More than 90% of small businesses are Internet-dependent , and studies consistently link broadband improvement with increased employment. In spite of these facts, broadband competition and growth … Continued
Is Satellite Internet Good Enough to Bridge the Digital Divide in Rural Areas? According to a New Report From the FCC, the Answer Is “Yes.” The FCC’s 2018 Broadband Deployment Report has been raising eyebrows in Net Neutrality circles thanks to its move to classify satellite providers as fixed broadband — in spite of ongoing … Continued
Analysis of the FCC’s Broadband Internet Benchmark of 25/3 Mbps, and why it changes over time. The official FCC broadband definition is a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. This standard was introduced by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in 2015 as an increase to the previous standard of 4 Mbps download, 1 … Continued
The semi-annual FCC Broadband Progress Report is essentially a pass/fail grade for the entire telecommunications industry (meaning ISPs like Comcast, Verizon, etc). After all, before the FCC can determine how to regulate Internet providers, they have to determine what the big problem areas are. The FCC’s 2018 Broadband Deployment Report is a hot topic this … Continued
In Spite of Speed and Infrastructure Increases, the FCC Concludes That American Price-to-Value Is High Compared to Other Developed Countries. Data in the 2018 FCC International Broadband Data Report shows that US broadband speeds have climbed the charts to #10 among developed nations. As of 2016, the US pulled ahead of Norway, Finland, and several … Continued
Home Phone This post includes: An overview of the Lifeline program and how it works A comprehensive list of registered ETCs (Eligible Telecommunication Providers), including websites and states served. For state-by-state ETC listings including contact information for each provider, see the United Service Administrative Company “find a Lifeline provider” page. How Lifeline Works Lifeline, a … Continued
Telecom lobbyists have been doing their best to block municipal broadband networks. In spite of their efforts, public-owned Internet options continue to spread in towns throughout the US. The data set below, based on records from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, shows 528 communities served by public-owned broadband networks in the US. Municipal broadband expanding … Continued
Fiber optic internet, it is the buzzword that is on the minds of both consumers shopping for broadband and providers deploying infrastructure, but with so many providers promising to deploy fiber, we thought it worth taking a look to see where fiber currently is and isn’t available in the US. Fiber Optic Internet Map Below … Continued