broadband

CPUC hikes surcharge to fill broadband subsidy fund faster

9 February 2014 by Steve Blum
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Pennies add up.

Half a percent would be added to phone bills to top up the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), if a proposal now under review is approved. Last year, the state legislature gave the California Public Utilities Commission permission to collect an additional $90 million for CASF by extending a tax on landline and Internet telephone service through 2020. It’s up to the commission to determine how much that surcharge will be, within limits set by the legislature.… More

CenturyLink stokes fiber demand in Utah


Picking the Utah state fruit.

Salt Lake City businesses will be getting gigabit service from CenturyLink soon, according to a company press release. It’s a follow-on to its fiber-to-the-home experiment in Omaha and its gigabit business service push in Las Vegas. Although CenturyLink doesn’t seem to be running quite as scared as AT&T, which is rushing to roll out FTTH service in Austin, it’s a fair bet that it’s feeling the heat from Google Fiber in Provo and the recently refinanced Utopia system, both just a short drive down Interstate 15.… More

CPUC delays expanding broadband subsidy eligibility

5 February 2014 by Steve Blum
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Picker takes a seat.

The California Public Utilities Commission put off consideration of new rules governing the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) today. The vote on how to expand eligibility for CASF grants and loans was put off until 27 February 2014. No reason was given for the delay, but it’s likely due – at least in part – to comments filed last week by The Utility Reform Network (TURN) that proposed allowing more flexible requirements for local governments that might want to apply for broadband construction subsidies.… More

$50 million for rural gigabit projects included in farm bill

4 February 2014 by Steve Blum
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Incumbents are still king.

The U.S. senate just joined the house in approving a new $50 million ($10 million a year for five years) “Rural Gigabit Network Pilot Program”. It’s in the farm bill just sent on for the president’s approval (or not). Unlike current rural broadband subsidy programs, it allows grants in addition to loans and doesn’t particularly favor incumbents.

An eligible applicant is one that does “not already provide ultra-high speed service to a rural area within any State in the proposed service territory”.… More

Wanaka speeds ahead in New Zealand Gigatown contest

31 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Jumping on board the Gigatown Wanaka bus.

New Zealand communities are slugging it out to become the country’s first “Gigatown”. It’s part of a national government sponsored effort to build out a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) network to something like two-thirds of New Zealand homes and businesses.

Would-be Gigatowns are competing via social media to be “the first town in the Southern hemisphere to access a one gigabit per second (1Gbps) internet connection”. The more mentions on Facebook, Twitter and other designated social media sites, the higher a community ranks.… More

Motorola sale sets a benchmark for judging Google's fiber strategy

30 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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As long as it takes, but no longer.

There’re two ways to look at Google’s decision to unload its Motorola handset business to Lenovo for $2.9 billion. It’s either a long overdue retreat and admission of failure, or it’s a model for gauging what Google will do with other hardware projects and acquisitions.

Getting past the “they shoulda done it sooner” carping, what Google did was snap up Motorola and chew on it a bit, before digesting what it craves – patents, expertise and operational experience – and spitting out the rest.… More

CPUC urged to recognise differences between public agencies and private companies

29 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Treat munis like munis.

A consumer advocacy group – The Utility Reform Network (TURN) – wants the California Public Utilities Commission to be more flexible in evaluating broadband subsidy proposals submitted by local governments. The comments came in response to proposed new rules that open up the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to organisations other than traditional telephone companies.

As the proposed rules now stand, cities (and other local agencies) would have to meet the same financial requirements as private companies (at least those that aren’t traditional telephone companies).… More

If you dig broadband in Santa Cruz, just dig once

28 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Caput likes the Santa Cruz economy just the way it is. Or something like that.

Any work done on public roads or otherwise in county right of ways in Santa Cruz County will have to include broadband facilities in the future. County supervisors approved a telecommunications infrastructure improvement ordinance today, although there’s still some work to be done to bring put what’s called a “dig once” policy completely into effect.

The ordinance was part of a package of broadband improvement measures championed by Aptos supervisor Zach Friend that won approval on a 4 to 1 vote.… More

Santa Cruz supervisors look at mandatory broadband upgrades

27 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Just save a little room for broadband.

Broadband upgrades – conduit, cable or other facilities – would be installed anytime any work is done on Santa Cruz County roads or other right-of-ways, if the Board of Supervisors approves a proposed telecommunications infrastructure improvement ordinance tomorrow. The key language that’d be added to the county building code is…

All construction, reconstruction or repaving of a County right-of-way will include provisions for the installation of telecommunications cable, conduit and other related equipment wherever practical and feasible…If a project includes excavation in or adjacent to a County right-of-way, installation of or upgrades to telecommunications cable, conduit or other infrastructure will be included as needed.

… More

Google's fiber crusade rolls on in Austin, sorta

24 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Some were shouting ‘Texas number one!’

AT&T will, it says, expand the reach of its fiber-to-the-home network in Austin, Texas. The company claimed, in a breathless press release, that uptake of its 300 Mbps service has been more energetic than expected…

“Austin’s response to our blazing fast broadband and enhanced TV services has been incredible and validates why we decided to roll this out in Austin first,” said Dahna Hull, vice president and general manager, Austin, AT&T Services Inc.

… More