Monthly Archives: September 2025

Comcast has more winning BEAD applications (so far) compared to other large wireline operators

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Fierce Network reports…

The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program process is chugging along, as roughly half of the 56 states and territories have now released deployment plans and grant awards. While fiber remains the preferred technology, it’s a cable operator that’s amassed the most funds so far.

Comcast came out on top of the other large wireline operators, scoring $745 million to cover approximately 127,000 locations across 25 states, per New Street Research’s analysis. The company plans to use a mix of fiber and hybrid-fiber coax (HFC) for its BEAD bids.

Given deploying HFC is cheaper than end-to-end fiber, NSR expects more cable companies to participate in the program. Charter meanwhile received just $160 million for 35,000 locations, though the operator has said it intends to spend less on BEAD than it did for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) projects.

The Minnesota Draft BEAD Proposal include the following for Comcast…

  • Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC
    Number of projects: 3
    BEAD support: $31,849,085.18
    Local Match: $23,892,462.90
    Locations: 2760
    Counties: Scott, Washington, Wright

EVENT Sep 17: National Security and Resilient Critical Infrastructure

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From Broadband Breakfast...

Building critical resilience in today’s geopolitically volatile environment requires organizations and nations to develop comprehensive preparedness strategies that address both traditional threats like natural disasters and emerging challenges including cyberwarfare, electromagnetic pulse and other infrastructure vulnerabilities. Effective resilience must integrate robust backup systems for essential services, diversified supply chains, and layered security.

This session of Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Wednesday, Sept. 17 will explore how our nation can maintain a network of resilient critical infrastructure – in advance of the in-person Resilient Critical Infrastructure Summit on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. 

NTIA reports  36 out of 56 states and territories have submitted BEAD proposals

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NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) reports…

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that 36 out of 56 states and territories have submitted Final Proposals that outline how they will use Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding to close broadband gaps and connect all Americans to high-speed internet.

“After years of delay, the Trump Administration has made monumental progress in moving the BEAD program forward,” said Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth. “We appreciate the hard work of the 36 states that have submitted their Final Proposals, and we are eager to review these plans so that we can deliver on Secretary Lutnick’s goal of approving deployment projects by the end of the year and immediately begin connecting Americans across the country.”

In June, NTIA issued the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, which removed extralegal regulatory burdens and implemented critical reforms to lower costs, speed up deployment, and ensure all technology solutions were considered. States and other eligible entities had until Sept. 4, 2025, to comply with the Notice and conduct an additional subgrantee selection round that delivered the Benefit of the Bargain for American taxpayers.

In the plans submitted today, states are already projecting savings of at least $13 billion for American taxpayers – driven by a rise in participation by the private sector, increased matching commitments by subgrantees, and a surge of innovative technology solutions to deliver high-speed connectivity.

NTIA has committed to completing its review of the Final Proposals within 90 days of submission. The remaining 20 eligible entities have been granted short-term extensions and will be submitting their Final Proposals in the coming weeks.

FCC introduces a ruling that would jeopardize funding for Wi-Fi on school buses

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Telecompetitor reports…

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr yesterday introduced a declarative ruling that would reverse the decisions that enabled use of E-Rate funding to provide Wi-Fi on school buses. He also circulated an order for FCC reconsideration, which would end funding for Wi-Fi hotspots for children or library patrons for use outside of schools and libraries.

The press release announcing the moves says that the extension of the COVID-19 era rules exceeded the FCC’s authority. Carr also claimed the programs had a record of “poor stewardship of scarce funds, and invited waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Expansion of the Universal Service Fund (USF) Schools and Libraries program — also known as the E-Rate program — was approved by the FCC in July 2024.

Carr said expanding the E-Rate program after the pandemic was “in plain violation of the limits Congress imposed on the FCC’s authority. Indeed, the prior FCC eliminated many of the safeguards that Congress placed on those programs. The FCC also failed to demonstrate that these funding decisions would advance legitimate classroom or library purposes.”

Proponents of the added flexibility considered it part of the evolution of libraries. Larra Clark — the Deputy Director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Policy and Advocacy Office and Deputy Director of the Public Library Association — told Telecompetitor in August 2024 that libraries can be enablers that help bring the benefits of the internet to more people.

Testing of school bus Wi-Fi by Google in 2018 yielded positive results.

The news of the FCC ruling elicited immediate reaction.

Arvig promotes Lifeline Awareness Week

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The Pilot Independent reports...

Digital Connectivity and Lifeline Awareness Week is right around the corner, and Arvig is joining the effort to spread the word about this federal program.

Lifeline provides discounts to help low-income residents connect to the nation’s broadband and phone networks to find jobs, access health care services, connect with family and call for help in an emergency. For some people, being connected can be the difference between social interaction and complete isolation.

Arvig is promoting national Digital Connectivity and Lifeline Awareness Week from Sept. 7 to 13 as part of its commitment to providing resources that make high-speed internet and phone service available to everyone.

Staying connected to local resources and emergency services can improve and possibly save lives; and access to local emergency services and community resources is vital to all residents.

Under the program, low-income residents who participate in certain public assistance programs, or qualify based on income, can receive a discount of up to $9.25 per month off their monthly broadband-qualifying service bill; up to $5.25 off their voice-qualifying service bill; and residents on Tribal lands can qualify for up to an additional $34.25 per month.

More information on program eligibility and rules are available at http://www.lifelinesup port.org

A video in American Sign Language about Lifeline is available at: https://youtu.be/wwkjVrd5xHc

Arvig encourages all eligible customers to sign up at any time by going to https://arvig.com/savings or by calling (888) 992-7844.

Lifeline is a government assistance program that is non-transferable and is limited to one discount per eligible household.

Healthcare associations urge Congress to extend the hospital-at-home program

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Healthcare IT News reports…

A long list of healthcare stakeholders have signed a letter urging strong support for the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program in upcoming government funding decisions.

Writing to Congress this week, the organizations – including HIMSS (parent company of Healthcare IT News), AARP, American Telemedicine Association, Minnesota Hospital Association, Intermountain Health, Mass General Brigham, St. Luke’s Health System, UCAHealth and numerous others organized by Moving Health Home – said the evidence speaks for itself.

Patients, caregivers and providers are generally in strong support of at-home acute care, they said, and as such lawmakers should support the proposed five-year hospital-at-home waiver extension because the model has helped improve patient outcomes, lower healthcare costs and bolster older Americans’ access to medical care.

Moreover, it “will not lead to new costs” – they said in their letter on Wednesday.

They pointed to a 2022 study of patients at a New York City hospital, admitted to either hospital-at-home or inpatient care between September 2014 and August 2017, which found that one hospital-at-home program reduced costs by nearly $6,000 per patient compared with inpatient care.

Further, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has previously found that patients in hospital-at-home programs have lower mortality rates, readmissions and spending post-discharge, while resulting in positive patient and provider experiences, the 140 organizations pointed out.

These and other studies warrant the continued investment and innovation proposed in the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (S. 2237/H.R. 4313), they told the Democratic and Republican leaders.

Broadband Expansion Continues in Itasca and St. Louis Counties

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Paul Bunyan Communicaitons sent me an update and press release, for folks outside of Minnesota, I want to share the email intro to the press release sent during the first week or September!

The weather has turned quickly, a sure sign that the end of construction season is on the horizon.   We continue to make great progress on our broadband network expansion construction and, if mother nature cooperates, we anticipate each project will be built before freeze-out.

And today does feel like winter is coming, even in the Twin Cities, three hours from Paul Bunyan…

As the end of construction season approaches, Paul Bunyan Communications is on track to complete its planned broadband expansion projects across parts of Itasca and St. Louis Counties before freeze out.
Status of Paul Bunyan Communications Broadband Expansion projects:
• Itasca County:
City of Coleraine- Construction is completed with fiber splicing taking place. Services should become available in October
City of Bovey- Construction has started and is over 50% completed. Services should become available this winter.
Bearville(s) Township- Construction is done. Fiber splicing is in progress. Services should become available this winter.
• St. Louis County:
Sandy, Pike, & Wuori Township- Construction is done, fiber splicing is 75% done. Services should be available by the end of September
Alango & Owens Township- Construction is done and fiber splicing has started. Services should become available this winter.
Angora Township- Construction is done and fiber splicing has started. Services should become available this winter.
Balkan Township- Construction has started and is expected to be completed by mid-October. Services should become available this winter.
French Township- Construction is done. Fiber splicing has started. Services should become available this winter.
Great Scott Township & unorganized township north of Great Scott- Construction will start later this month and is expected to be completed by mid-November. Services should be available by end of winter.
Once the network is operational in an area, customers who signed up will be contacted to schedule service installations.
Sign Up Now to Ensure Fiber Optic Connection Residents and businesses in these expansion areas are encouraged to sign up for service now, before construction crews move on to ensure the fiber optic connection is brought up to the location. That can be done online at http://www.gigazone.com, by phone, or in person at our Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center.
Services Available Upon Completion Once the network is live, customers will have access to Paul Bunyan’s GigaZone® services, including high-speed fiber-optic Internet with speeds up to 10 Gig and dependable, low-cost unlimited local and long-distance GigaZone® voice services.

The Broadband Equity Project: Minneapolis gap between broadband availability and adoption

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The Broadband Equity Project highlights the rate of internet/broadband adoption across different zip codes in many major cities and metropolitan areas, and uses census data to find key factors. Unfortunately, they tool only looks at the 7-county metro area, but it is searchable by city and county.

Here’s what they found about Minneapolis:

It’s interesting to scroll over the map, especially if you are focus on the 7-county metro area or part of that area

Rural Broadband Cooperatives ask US Congress to rethink the Universal Service Fund

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

Rural broadband executives told lawmakers Wednesday that Congress must modernize the Universal Service Fund to keep small town networks affordable and sustainable.

“USF doesn’t just cover network construction, but also ongoing operations, maintenance, and upgrades,” said witness Karen Jackson-Furman, CEO of West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative. For a rural co-op like WK&T, she added, the program was often “the difference between operating and not operating.”

Her testimony came during a hearing of the House Committee on Small Business centered on how expanding broadband may revitalize rural, small businesses. Lawmakers and witnesses also discussed permitting delays, flawed federal mapping, and the Trump administration’s changes to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program that removed its emphasis on fiber technology.

US House Approves Undersea Cable Control Act

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Broadband Breakfast reports...

The House on Tuesday passed legislation to tighten U.S. control over critical fiber optic undersea cable equipment.

The Undersea Cable Control Act would require the Commerce and State Departments to develop a strategy to prevent foreign adversaries like China from acquiring technologies used in undersea cables. The bill passed by voice vote under suspension of the rules and now heads to the Senate.

Some details…

If enacted, the legislation would direct the Commerce and State Departments to identify key items in the cable supply chain, evaluate whether they belong on the federal Commerce Control List, and pursue bilateral and multilateral agreements with allies to prevent their sale to adversaries.

“Over 99 percent of the world’s data that crosses the oceans travels through the fiber optic cables that sit on the sea floor. This bill requires the U.S. to develop and execute a strategy to protect this critical infrastructure,” said Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., managing the bill on the floor.

The law also requires annual reporting to Congress and mandates U.S. engagement at international standards bodies that set technical rules for cable systems. …

The bill would require the Bureau of Industry and Security in the Commerce Department to deliver a relevant study. Thirty days after that report, the president would be required to begin briefing congressional committees on negotiations with allies, continuing every 180 days until agreements are reached.

EVENT Sep 10: New Research Getting to Broadband Adoption for All

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From the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society…

Join us on September 10 at 2:00 p.m. ET for a webinar on broadband affordability and policy. Available via the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s YouTube page, the webinar will feature new research about broadband affordability and state legislative approaches to ensure the availability of affordable high-speed internet access. The discussion will highlight how broadband affordability, availability, and adoption relate to each other and present current and future opportunities to improve universal access.

Current federal investment in broadband infrastructure will go a long way to improve broadband availability, but it must be accompanied by affordability support if all Americans are to adopt broadband service. The expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024, recent changes to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program’s requirements for a low-cost service option, and possible reforms to the Universal Service Fund have all influenced the current landscape.

Dr. Caroline Stratton, Research Director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, will moderate a discussion with:

  • Dr. John Horrigan, Benton Senior Fellow and national expert on technology adoption, digital inclusion, and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of programs designed to promote communications technology adoption and use. Horrigan will share insights from his recent research reports, Budgeting for Broadband and Marking Progress, Targeting Gaps: Lessons from Broadband Adoption Trends, and his past research on the Lifeline Program.
  • Jordan Arnold, Master of Public Affairs candidate at Princeton University. She previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Biden-Harris White House, where she led work on broadband and economic development in the Office of the Chief of Staff. Arnold will present lessons from her new Benton research report about how states are approaching affordability in the absence of federal policy action.
  • Ambika Nair, Community Development Research Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, conducts research and data analysis on the financial well-being of low- and moderate-income communities. Nair will share findings from a forthcoming publication about the relative affordability of broadband in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in U.S. cities.

Tune in to learn more about what the practitioner and policymaking communities can do to ensure that low-income households can afford reliable, sustainable access to broadband internet service.

Satellite is a sticky wicket in state BEAD plans

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

State broadband offices confront mounting uncertainty over whether to accept low-cost satellite internet bids as part of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.

Some industry experts, speaking at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event on Wednesday, warned that SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper cannot deliver the service quality required under the $42.45 billion federal broadband program.

The challenge has shifted dramatically as eligible locations may have dropped as much as 65 percent, from 11.9 million in 2023 to 4.2 million today, according to a study by the New York Law School. That has transformed BEAD’s program from being one of funding shortages to a potential too much money. Randy Leuning, founder of BroadbandToolkit.com, said: “Three years ago, we approached this as there’s not going to be enough money, and now we’re approaching [it] like there’s too much money, and so how do we adapt?”

In Minnesota, Amazon Kuiper has applied for $11,083,293.95 in funding and is offering $3,552,614.48 in match to serve 18295 Locations. And just yesterday, satellite service came up in OBD BEAD Final Proposal meeting in Hutchinson MN.

T-Mobile and KKR acquire US Internet and Metronet

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Telecom Lead has an interesting perspective on the US Internet acquisition…

Metronet announced the acquisition of US Internet, a fiber company providing internet services to residential and business customers in Minneapolis, following Metronet’s acquisition by a joint venture between T-Mobile and KKR. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. US Internet operates a fiber network offering symmetrical speeds up to 10 Gbps and currently reaches more than 140,000 homes and businesses in the Minneapolis area. With this acquisition, Metronet strengthens its fiber presence in Minnesota, adding to its existing markets that include Lakeville, Waconia, Shakopee, Owatonna, Faribault, and Rochester.

EVENT Sep 3: ILSR and AAPB Community Broadband Film Series II – Rocketeers: The UTOPIA Fiber Story

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From ILSR and AAPB…

Slated for Tomorrow, September 3rd from 4 to 5:00 pm ET, the livestream event will feature the film “Rocketeers: The UTOPIA Fiber Story” – an eye-opening documentary about how a publicly-owned fiber network has ignited local Internet choice and competition across dozens of cities, delivering connectivity at the speed of light.

Registration is free here.

OBD BEAD Final Proposal meeting in Hutchinson MN: detailed questions on the process and possibilities

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Today I attended an in-person version of the MN Office of Broadband Development Update: BEAD Final Proposal  held last week. For the PPTs and great detail, I recommend you check that post. Last week, I went to the in person meeting in Hutchinson; today I went to Owatonna. Mostly I took note of updates and questions from the attendees. There were about a dozen people in the room including both providers and community folks.

One big note: Public Comments deadline is September 3.

There are three more meetings this week:

  • Tuesday Sept. 2, 3:30—4:30pm, Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NWMF), Bemidji, 201 3rd Street NW Bemidji, MN.
    • Note: Attendees, please plan to find street parking.
  • Wednesday Sept. 3, 9—10am, West Central Initiative Foundation (WCIF), Fergus Falls, 1000 Western Ave, Fergus Falls, MN.
    • Note: Attendees, please park in the part of the lot on the south side of the building.
  • Wednesday Sept. 3, 3—4pm, Northspan, Duluth, 202 West Superior Street, Suite 600, Duluth, MN.
    • Note: Attendees, this is located in the in the WesternBank building. Parking can be found on the street, the Holiday Center, or in the Duluth Transit

Questions:

  • Is everything public now?
    Essentially, but we’re still working on some aspects like awards by county.
  • Is the provider negation still confidential?
    Yes.
  • How many homes are as expensive as the most expensive ($32,000)?
    Maybe 10 in a given area. And some areas were even more expensive $72,000 and a million dollars.
  • Rumor has it some providers low-bid areas to call dibs on those areas. Is that true? That could leave us in a RDOF situation again.
    Yes.
  • Did some providers choose not to participate?
    Yes.
  • Were there satellite applications in the original round of grant apps?
    No.
  • Why do we have LEO satellite?
    There are 2 providers Starlink and Amazon Kuiper Starlink claims to reach everyone. Amazon is asking for money for infrastructure. We do understand that satellite is very different from fiber.
  • Why has the amount of funding seemingly gone down?
    There’s non-deployment funds. We didn’t build in a contingency for deployment in the original funds because we wanted it to go to infrastructure. With the changes we have changed out plans. We have plans to spend the money on other things such as upgrading or adding towers.
  • Will that money stay in MN?
    We hope so. But the money may just go away. It’s likely to be state-to-state.
  • Where does line extension fit with BEAD?
    There will be another Line Extension program opening in the next two weeks. We are trying to maximize funding to areas that don’t qualify for BEAD. They went through direct negotiations.
  • What percent of applications were fiber/satellite/wireless?
    We will work on that. 110 applications 5-6 were fixed wireless; the rest were fiber. Satellite got through direct negotiations. We lost 20 applications from the first round. Mostly of the fixed wireless were for areas without a fiber bid.
  • Is there going to be accountability with providers who have been dishonest about the maps?
    OBD is not regulatory. OBD tries to do the best maps possible. Please continue to ask the regulators.
  • The maps online do not all make a ton of sense to the regular reader.
    NTIA required some very technical expertise and software.
  • It would be nice to have a statewide broadband conference. Would OBD think about something like that?
    We have been asked for that – but the pieces are moving too quickly. We will try again next year. Also, it would be nice to have our federal partners in the room.
  • Maybe the Initiative Founds could take up gauntlet for a conference?
    Folks have seemed interest. The MN Broadband Task Force is a good place to get information. There is a need for digital inclusion information and resources too.
  • 40,000 locations will benefit from broadband asis. Are they unserved or underserved?
    Most communities already have better than 25/3 because MN had been doing this for a long time. We have 70,000 that don’t qualify for BEAD
  • We are in a RDOF areas that didn’t get the actual funding (LTD Broadband) . Do you know if we qualify for BEAD? I have DSL. I get 2.4Mbps down and 1.6 up. (Goodhue County)
    OBD used data from Line Extension to make decisions on BEAD. We are working on an interactive map by county and location.
  • I see fiber going to towers. Much of it is unused. Can we find which areas have unused fiber and use it?
    Beyond the purview of OBD.
  • We have talked to different providers about leasing fiber to other providers who might want to finish broadband to the location.
  • Can we get earmarks for broadband in the future?
    Not earmarks have been for broadband. Infrastructure works well there, but it’s usually focused on money to local government – not a private provider. You need a community network if you’re going to go for an earmark.
  • Does the State know if there are RDOF funds that have yet to default? If that’s the case, maybe BEAD could pick up the slack.
    We did build a 10 percent contingency in all of the projects. So we hope that will help. If there’s something specific, please let us know and we can find out what we can.
  • Do you work with the DNR?
    Yes.
    I talked to DNR about working around a river in our community and they said it would take an act of god.
    It’s hard to find a solution.
  • What mechanisms are being set up to monitor the satellite connections?
    Good question. We need receipts and deliverables. Also hard to track new subscriptions. For those who have nothing, satellite will be an upgrade.
  • Will we see movement on December 4?
    You will see as soon as we see. It could be quicker.
  • Could OBD help create development services like Blandin used to provide? So many of us got started with Blandin.
    We don’t have money for development now that the digital inclusion funds are gone. But we would support something.