broadband

Marginal communities losing wireline connectivity

5 July 2013 by Steve Blum
, , ,

It’s all fun and games until somebody cuts the cord.

“High potential” areas get fiber, low potential areas lose even copper connectivity. The latest evidence of that trend comes from Fire Island in New York. It’s a barrier island resort area just off the Long Island coast with about five hundred year-round residents and thousands of part-timers and visitors. It was whacked by hurricane Sandy last year, which, among things, swamped Verizon’s legacy wireline network.… More

Effort builds to revive California broadband subsidy legislation

3 July 2013 by Steve Blum
, , , , , ,

I’m not dead yet. I’m getting better.

A proposal to extend funding and eligibility for broadband infrastructure subsidies might get a second chance in the California assembly. Senate bill 740 failed to get enough “yes” votes in the assembly utilities and commerce committee on Monday. Contrary to what was thought at time, there is enough slack in the legislative schedule to take another try at getting the committee’s approval.

The actual deadline for the utilities and commerce committee to send SB 740 on its way to be considered by the full assembly is 16 August 2013.… More

Public housing projects go to the head of the line for California broadband subsidies

2 July 2013 by Steve Blum
, , , , , ,

It’s only a flesh wound.

Broadband subsidies for public housing are still popular at the California state capitol, even if it means reducing already dwindling support for infrastructure construction in unserved and underserved areas. The senate energy, utilities and communications committee approved assembly bill 1299 this morning. It would take $25 million from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and use it to install broadband facilities in public housing projects and support marketing programs aimed at convincing residents to sign up for service.… More

Cable lobby shovels California broadband subsidies to a halt

1 July 2013 by Steve Blum
, , , , , ,

A good day’s work for California cable lobbyists.

With utter disregard for truth and common sense, lobbyists from Comcast and the California cable industry successfully confused enough assembly members to halt senate bill 740 in its tracks. SB 740 would have added $90 million to the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and allowed independent Internet service providers and public agencies to apply for broadband infrastructure grants under some circumstances.

A long line of supporters – including, remarkably enough, AT&T – endorsed the compromise language negotiated last week.… More

Last chance to speak your mind on changes to California broadband subsidies

30 June 2013 by Steve Blum
, , , , , ,

Expect a united front from industry lobbyists.

Monday and Tuesday will likely be the final opportunity for public comments on new money and rules for the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Two proposals – senate bill 740 and assembly bill 1299 – are set for committee hearings. If approved, the bills head back into the machinery of the legislative process, which operates behind closed doors for the most part.

SB 740 is first up. It’s considered by the assembly utilities and commerce committee on Monday afternoon.… More

Funding and eligibility for California broadband subsidies back on track in Sacramento

27 June 2013 by Steve Blum
, , , , , ,

Open for business again.

The authors of legislation to top up the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and make more broadband construction projects eligible for grants and loans have put money back in and removed unworkable restrictions pushed by industry lobbyists.

The primary proposal, senate bill 740, was originally written by senator Alex Padilla (D – Los Angeles) to add money to CASF, because current grant requests would, if approved, zero out the fund.… More

Eligibility for broadband subsidies harder to prove under Senate farm bill requirements

20 June 2013 by Steve Blum
, , , , ,

Trail of tiers.

The version of the federal farm bill passed by the senate has problematic requirements for documenting eligibility for the broadband infrastructure grants and loans it authorises. It sets 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds as a minimum. If an area does not have at least one service provider offering that level of service or better, then it’s eligible for construction subsidies, assuming all the other requirements are met.

To prove an area is eligible, though, the lack of service has to be…

(I) certified by the affected community, city, county, or designee; or (II) demonstrated on (aa) the broadband map of the affected State if the map contains address-level data; or ‘‘(bb) the National Broadband Map if address-level data is unavailable.

… More

It sounds a little different when a city talks about acceptable Internet use

19 June 2013 by Steve Blum
, , ,

Unacceptable use.

Opelika, Alabama wants to be the first in the state to add fiber to the home service to its municipal electric utility. It’s set $41 million aside to build an FTTH system and hopes to get to profitability within five years. But it’s also wrestling with a question that often comes up when building municipal broadband projects: to what degree can or should a city control what happens on its network?

The discussion in Opelika centers on an acceptable use policy.… More

Changing partners in the California broadband subsidy dance

18 June 2013 by Steve Blum
, , ,

Whose happy ending will it be?

With the California state budget passed by the legislature and sent on to Governor Brown for his expected signature, broadband subsidy bills are starting to move forward again. Senate bill 740 and assembly bill 1299 were approved last month in their original chambers, and have now swapped places.

SB 740 is the bill that will determine the future of the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Originally, it would have added $100 million to CASF and made it possible for a wide range of independent Internet service providers and local agencies to apply for broadband infrastructure grants and loans.… More

The only loony thing about Google's Project Loon might be the name

17 June 2013 by Steve Blum
, , , , ,

Driven by computing power, not Newton or newtons.

New Zealand’s Canterbury Plain is hosting Google’s latest idea-that’s-so-goofy-it-might-work, appropriately named Project Loon. Thirty high altitude balloons carrying data relay equipment were released to drift over Christchurch, generally heading east towards the telecoms starved Chatham Islands. The concept Google is testing is to put enough balloons into the air to create a fleet of atmospheric satellites that can talk to each other and to the ground, and relay Internet service to hard to reach places.… More