Category Archives: Wireless

FCC denies Savage Communications request for waiver of the Commission’s RDOF non-compliance rules

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The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society report on a recent order from the FCC…

The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) denied Savage Communications, Inc.’s (Savage) request for waiver of the Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) non-compliance rules, finding that Savage did not demonstrate that good cause supports waiving the non-compliance rules or reducing the required support recovery. After being announced as an RDOF winning bidder, Savage filed a long-form application seeking to be authorized to receive support for the winning bids in exchange for providing voice and broadband service.  In December 2021, Savage was authorized to receive $6,090,479.10 in RDOF support over 10 years to serve 4,541 model-estimated locations in Minnesota.  In September 2025, WCB approved Savage’s transfer of its remaining RDOF support and obligations associated with its non-defaulted RDOF winning bids to Midcontinent Communications (Midcontinent). In November 2025, Savage officially notified the Bureau that it did not intend to meet its RDOF obligations in certain census block groups (CBGs) covering 1,310 model-estimated locations and acknowledging it “may be subject to the applicable non-compliance rules.” The Bureau stopped Savage’s future RDOF support and announced Savage’s default in a public notice in February 2026. In December 2025, Savage submitted a petition requesting waiver of the Commission’s non-compliance rules. Savage requested that the FCC generally waive its non-compliance rules, and if it denied this relief, Savage requested that the FCC reduce the required support recovery. Savage claimed there is good cause to grant the waiver, citing its inability to obtain a right-of-way access “despite good faith efforts and consultation with Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribe,” and explained that Consolidated Telephone Company (Consolidated) had received funding from a Minnesota county to offer broadband in one of the defaulted CBGs. Savage also indicated that it “was required to surrender four” of its RDOF CBGs as a result of being acquired by and transferring the RDOF support and obligations associated with the remaining 14 RDOF CBGs to Midcontinent, and emphasized its commitment to meeting the RDOF obligations as evidenced by the fact that had “connected 572 locations” across the defaulted CBGs. Finally, Savage claimed that the support recovery “would be unreasonable and disproportionate to the harm” caused by the defaults

How mobile use and data could redefine boundaries – starting with Wadena County

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The University of Minnesota Extension has an article on AI, mobile data and boundaries…

Today, with paved roads, remote work, and a highly mobile population, she [DeeDee LeMier} explains the limited data available to rural communities often obscures the real story of how they are functioning. But new mobile data tools are beginning to change this — offering a clearer picture of how people move, work, and connect across regions.

This shift is playing out in rural Minnesota where LeMier, an Extension community development educator, has been working with Placer.ai, a location analytics platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze anonymous mobile device data.

She talked about Wadena County as an example…

In Wadena County, community leaders asked Extension to help blur the lines between counties for an annual planning effort. The request reflected a growing recognition that people’s lives — and local economies — don’t stop at jurisdictional borders.

Ben Winchester, a rural sociologist with Extension, frames the issue as “living in the middle of everywhere,” explaining that since 2018 a majority of Minnesotans now leave their home county to work every day. “People move for regional assets surrounding quality of life rather than solely job opportunities. That is, they find a home in the middle of their desired social and economic life,” he says, challenging long-standing economic development strategies focused solely on industrial attraction.

Using Placer.ai, Extension analyzed three key dimensions of community life: resident activity, visitor patterns, and commuting behavior. The results offered insight that traditional surveys often miss. “For many small communities, especially those in rural areas, there is no detailed information available without spending huge amounts of money to do in-person surveys,” says LeMier. “By having real-time data, we can share local information with county leadership that would otherwise not be available.”

Wadena community leaders found the results immediately useful. “The most valuable insight was seeing how people actually move through, into, and out of the community — where they are coming from, how long they stay, and which destinations are most connected to Wadena,” says Hope Williams, executive director of the Economic Alliance, Wadena County’s economic development agency. “This provided a more accurate picture of regional relationships and economic activity than traditional data sources alone.”

Mobile data, for example, revealed that Wadena is a net importer of workers, meaning a larger number of employees work in the county than those who cross county lines for outside work. Nearly one-third of workers came from regional zip codes, most commonly from the Fargo, North Dakota, metropolitan area.

Williams says one of the most surprising findings was the extent to which Wadena functions as a hub for the surrounding area. “The data showed stronger and more frequent connections with neighboring communities than expected,” she says, “reinforcing the idea that Wadena plays a regional role in services, employment, and daily travel.”

Benton looks at WISPs’ place in BEAD

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society took a look at whether WISPs are sufficient for BEAD funds…

Sue Marek, Editorial Director of Ookla, has been looking at the speed performance of a variety of broadband technologies over time, including Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite providers. This week, Marek analyzed the performance of eight of the largest U.S. wireless internet service providers (WISPs) over several quarters from Q1 2021 until Q2 2025.

All eight WISPs studied by Ookla improved their speed offerings over the observed period. But are their current speed offerings enough for BEAD?

They take a look at 8 providers representing a variety of WISP setups. You can check out the article for specifics; I’ll just share the results…

Using Speedtest data collected in Q2 2025, Ookla compared the median download and upload speeds of the eight WISPs to determine what percentage of their Speedtest users were receiving the Federal Communications Commission’s minimum standard for fixed broadband speeds (100/20 Mbps).

Ookla found that Starry is able to provide the FCC’s minimum standard for broadband to the highest percentage of users at 66.9 percent. Resound Networks, the second-highest of the eight WISPs and one of those receiving BEAD funds, still only comes in at 41.5 percent of Speedtest users achieving wireless broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps. Wisper and Nextlink, the other two WISPs to receive BEAD funding, have users achieving 100/20 Mbps speeds at rates of 26.0 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively. The rest of the WISPs have lower percentages, with Rise Broadband being the lowest at just 6.7 percent.

So, according to Ookla’s analysis, most broadband consumers who will receive BEAD-funded fixed-wireless internet access service will not achieve the minimum speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

Of the providers mentioned only one is poised to get BEAD funding in Minnesota:

NextLink BEAD awards: Minnesota: $1,541,073 for 2,401 locations

FCC votes to end discounts for library Wi-Fi hotspot lending and school bus connectivity

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KSTP Channel 5 reports…

The Federal Communications Commission voted to end discounts for library Wi-Fi hotspot lending and school bus connectivity programs on Tuesday, drawing criticism from lawmakers and librarians who say the moves will make it more difficult for people who are low-income or live in rural areas to access the internet.

The 2-1 vote on hotspot lending reverses a Biden-era expansion of the discounts that allowed schools and libraries to use E-Rate funds for school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots so people could go online outside of schools and libraries.

The FCC said the agency “lacked legal authority for this expansion and that the agency failed to properly justify its decision” and said the program represented “unreasonable policy choices” and “invited waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The FCC to look into wireless access to municipal/community rights-of-way

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The FCC plans to look into state and local rules regarding wireline access to municipal rights-of-way, poles and conduit…

This Notice of Inquiry advances the Commission’s Build America Agenda by launching an inquiry into state and local statutes, regulations, and legal requirements that prohibit or have the effect of
prohibiting the provision of wireline telecommunications services in violation of section 253 of the
Communications Act (Act). To build out to consumers, providers must obtain authorizations from state
and local governments to deploy facilities in the public rights-of-way and use them to provide service.
This can be an onerous task, often requiring applications to be filed with numerous jurisdictions, and
resulting in delays and increased costs that impede deployments, disincentivize private investment in
modern networks, and potentially waste taxpayer funded federal support. In 2018, the Commission took
important steps to streamline requirements impacting deployments, which spurred significant
deployments in the ensuing years. Notwithstanding these improvements, the Commission continues to be
advised that wireline deployment projects are getting stuck in red tape created by state and local
requirements. This Notice commences in inquiry into actions the Commission could take to limit
processing times and fees for state and local authorizations in the wireline context, as it has done for
Small Wireless Facilities.
What the Notice of Inquiry Would Do:
• Seek comment on the delays that providers encounter when seeking authorizations to access and
use state and local public rights-of-way to provide wireline telecommunications services.
• Seek comment on the fees charged by state and local governments when providers seek
authorizations to deploy and provide wireline telecommunications services.
• Seek comment on in-kind compensation requirements imposed as a condition of obtaining
authorizations to access and use public rights-of-way.
• Seek comment on whether the fees, delays, and conditions imposed by state and local
governments prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the provision of wireline
telecommunications services in violation of section 253.
• Invite broad comment on other types of state and local requirements that have a prohibitive effect
on wireline telecommunications deployments and services, including the identification of any
specific state or local statutes, regulations, or legal requirements that the Commission could
consider preempting via a sua sponte preemption proceeding under section 253(d).

AT&T acquires wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar for $23 billion

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The Minnesota Star Tribune reports…

AT&T will spend $23 billion to acquire certain wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar, a significant expansion of AT&T’s low- and mid-band coverage networks.

AT&T said Tuesday that the licenses cover virtually every U.S. market — more than 400 total — which the company plans to deploy as soon as possible to lure more home internet subscribers and meet its growth goals.

The deal also fortifies the long-term services agreement between AT&T and EchoStar, enabling the latter to operate as a hybrid mobile network operator providing wireless service under its Boost Mobile brand. AT&T will be the primary network services partner to EchoStar.

Shares of EchoStar, based in Englewood, Colorado, soared 76% at the opening bell Tuesday.

In May 2025, I reported that AT&T also announced plans to acquire Lumen’s mass market fiber business.

PCs for People Introduces CONNECT FWA/Wired Service and pre-qualified for BEAD funding in MN

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Telecompetitor reports…

PCs for People, a nonprofit that describes itself as promoting digital inclusion, has introduced CONNECT, a fixed wireless service (FWA) and wired service.

The FWA element of CONNECT uses 5G and 4G LTE networking. The 5G service delivers download speeds as fast as 280 Mbps and uploads as fast as 80 Mbps. On the 4G/LTE side, the service runs as fast as 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds.

The new PC for People CONNECT service provides wired symmetrical 100 Mbps connectivity through a multiple dwelling unit (MDU) service.

Costs are “a fraction of the cost of traditional Internet providers,” the organization says. “We believe access to the internet is access to opportunity,” PCs for People CEO Casey Sorensen said in a press release about the new service. “With CONNECT, we’re doubling down on our mission to expand affordable, reliable internet in communities that have historically been underserved.”

The organization was founded in 2008. It claims to have connected more than one million people — including more than 3,000 MDUs — and deployed hundreds of FWA access towers. PCs for People said it plans to enroll 11,000 people in Cuyahoga County, Ohio in the new CONNECT service by the end of September.

In April, PCs for People was cleared by the FCC to apply for funding in Minnesota in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Do satellite providers get more time to meet BEAD speed requirements than other broadband providers?

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In the Office of Broadband Development Office Hour this morning, someone asked how many years low-Earth orbit satellite (LEO) had to deliver the speeds required to be eligible for BEAD funding. The answer was that OBD would adhere to NTIA guidance. So an hour later an article on LEO and BEAD in Broadband Breakfast caught my attention because it gave a more specific answer…

As broadband officials dig into the fine print of updated guidance governing a $42.45 billion federal broadband expansion program, many raised concerns Monday about new advantages carved out for low-Earth orbit satellite providers.

One of the clearest examples, they argued, was a provision under revised rules for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program, that gives satellite providers up to 10 years to meet performance benchmarks — more than double the four years allowed for fiber and other technologies to comply. The rules, released by the Commerce Department earlier this month, purport to be “tech neutral,” but critics continue to find biases within them.

Trump announces new Trump Phone and Trump Mobile 5G

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Trump.com reports…

Alongside the team from Trump Mobile, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump unveil T1 Mobile, a transformational, new cellular service designed to deliver top-tier connectivity, unbeatable value and all-American service for our nation’s hardest-working people. …

Trump Mobile will offer 5G service through all three major cellular carriers. At the heart of Trump Mobile is its flagship The 47 Plan, which is available for only $47.45 per month. Subscribers will receive the following added benefits:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data

  • Complete device protection

  • 24/7 roadside assistance thrugh Drive America

  • Telehealth services, including virtual medical care, mental health support, and easy ordering and delivery for prescription medications

  • Free International calling to more than 100 countries, including many with American military bases to help honor the families who are bravely serving in our military abroad

  • No contracts, no credit check

Here is what some of the mainstream media are saying…

CNBC:  Trump’s $499 smartphone will likely be made in China

The Trump Organization says the phone will be “built in the United States” — but experts note the phone was likely designed and would be manufactured by a Chinese firm.

“There is no way the phone was designed from scratch and there is no way it is going to be assembled in the U.S. or completely manufactured in the U.S.,” Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at International Data Corp., told CNBC on Tuesday. “That is completely impossible.”

 

MSNBC: Trump Mobile won’t make cellphones cheap again. Here’s what will.

Like many other Trump-branded products, Trump Mobile is a licensing agreement for the president’s name, in this case between the Trump Organization and a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), T1 Mobile LLC. That company is partnering with “all three major cellular carriers” (AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile) to provide 5G service, and using Google’s Android operating system for its phone.

While Trump and his family profit from the licensing deal, Trump Mobile is a poor deal for consumers. At launch, its single prepaid wireless plan is $47.45 a month. That’s a reference to Trump being the 45th and 47th presidents, but it’s also nearly 20% more expensive than the equivalent plan from the three major U.S. phone carriers. In comparison, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile’s prepaid carriers offer unlimited talk, text and data for $40 a month or less. Other MVNOs’ plans are even cheaper. …

Not only are there just three major phone carriers in the U.S., most Americans’ cellphones are made by two companies — Apple and Samsung. Under the first Trump administration, the already concentrated market further consolidated from four to three large players after the Justice Department approved the T-Mobile Sprint merger in 2019. The two companies claimed they needed to combine in order to compete with AT&T and Verizon “more effectively,” and that they would offer consumers and businesses “lower prices [and] greater competition” while creating “thousands of new American jobs.” In reality, this deal resulted in higher prices and a number of layoffs despite the promise of new jobs.

 

NY Times: Trump Mobile Phone Company Announced by President’s Family, but Details Are Murky

Trump Mobile is the latest in a string of Trump family deals that were inked or accelerated after Mr. Trump won his second term, including a digital currency that is now a significant source of his wealth. Governance experts have said that the projects pose an unprecedented array of conflicts of interest for an American president.

“Good luck getting a federal agency to hold the company accountable if service fails or things go off the rails,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, a nonprofit watchdog group.

It will be interesting to see if this has an impact on broadband policy and federal funding, especially with all of the recent changes to BEAD and the greater focus on wireless networks.

WISPA tells members to update their unlicensed fixed wireless coverage with FCC maps to prep for BEAD

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

Under new rules for the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program released Friday, states will have to make ineligible for funding some locations served with unlicensed fixed wireless. It’s a victory for the group, which has been pushing for the chance to update BEAD maps.

Broadband offices will have to consult the FCC’s coverage map to see where coverage is reported, and then will reach out to those ISPs to quickly verify they can adequately mitigate interference before running an additional grant application round.

“If you’re looking to defend the areas you’re servicing now, then you need to make sure that your information is up to date,” WISPA CEO David Zumwalt told members on a webinar Thursday. “It’s critical that you make sure that your BDC information is up to date.”

For communities, this means if the updated maps change the number of unserved (to served) locations, they may lose BEAD eligibility for those locations.

Should the smartphone-broadband bundle should be on every rural operator’s radar?

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CoBank posts an article on “Why the smartphone-broadband bundle should be on every rural operator’s radar.” Here are their key points:

  • Bundles are winning: Customers increasingly prefer bundled smartphone and home broadband services for simplicity and savings – national carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, Comcast, and Charter are capitalizing on this trend and gaining market share.
  • Rural competition is heating up: Massive federal funding, expanded wireless coverage, and improving satellite options (like Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper) are intensifying competition in rural markets.
  • Technology is enabling growth: Advances like the 6GHz band and next-gen FWA systems (e.g., Tarana) are making wireless broadband more viable and scalable – even in hard-to-serve areas.
  • Smaller operators are taking notice: Regional players like WOW!, Midco, and Mediacom, along with NCTC members, are beginning to offer mobile services to compete with bundled offerings.
  • The risk of doing nothing is rising: While offering mobile isn’t easy or cheap, not responding to the bundled threat could mean higher churn, lost customers, and long-term erosion of market share.

Recent study on consumer takes on various broadband technologies

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Telecompetitor reports…

A study conducted on behalf of Amdocs finds that consumers value reliability, affordability, and uninterrupted access — and suggests that providers may benefit by offering all three via mixed-technology networks. …

Cable has the highest level of internet access (39%). It is followed by fiber (31%) and FWA (9%). The study found that 3% of consumers do not have a dedicated internet connection at home.

Fully 60% of respondents say their home internet is very reliable, but at the same time cite cost as the biggest issue. Commentary in the press release says that this illustrates the need to balance performance with affordability.

Overall, the priorities are closely divided. An equal percent (38%) of consumers prioritize speed and reliability when choosing a provider. The study commentary suggests that CSPs can put together offerings in their networks that eliminate trade-offs.

FWA and satellite broadband are the new kids on the block. Amdocs says that FWA is emerging as a strong competitor but that more than half of consumers — 47% — have never heard of it.

The broadband satellite sector is even newer. The survey found that 67% of consumers would consider switching if it provides a comparable experience. Concerns about cost, reliability, and speed persist. The study found that 37% of consumers are unfamiliar with satellite Internet. This, Amdocs Research says, points to an education gap about the technology.

Questions about what’s happening with the 5G Fund and how it might impact rural areas

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Light Reading reports…

Criticism is mounting against the 5G Fund, a long-gestating US government program that would distribute billions of dollars to wireless network operators, with the goal of funding the construction of 5G networks in rural areas.

Indeed, the issues are so lengthy and complex that T-Mobile has suggested just ending the program altogether.

“Given the unprecedented infusion of billions of dollars of federal and state funding as well as ongoing private investment in 5G Fund infrastructure, it is premature for the commission to proceed with the 5G Fund auction,” T-Mobile told the FCC in a recent filing. “Indeed, the auction may not be necessary at all.”

5G Fund money would likely be allocated through a reverse auction, where the lowest bid to cover a particular location with 5G wins.

T-Mobile isn’t alone…

T-Mobile isn’t the only company criticizing the FCC’s 5G Fund. However, most other companies argue for a delay in the program, not an end to it. And many are urging the FCC to ultimately expand the size of the 5G Fund from around $9 billion to about $36 billion.

“There are several significant objectives that should be completed before conducting the 5G Fund auction, to avoid wasting or improperly targeting 5G Fund support in rural America,” wrote the Coalition of Rural Wireless Carriers, which represents some small wireless network operators in the US.

The article talks about the option to delay…

The coalition argued that the FCC should wait to allocate 5G Fund cash until the BEAD program is well underway. That way, wireless network operators will know exactly where they can expect to obtain suitable backhaul connections for their rural cell towers.

Also, there’s satellite…

Finally, it’s worth noting that satellites may now play a huge role in the future of any discussion about 5G in rural areas.

Today, satellites are connecting to millions of regular smartphones all over the country, including in the rural areas targeted by the 5G Fund. Specifically, several generations of new Apple iPhones can connect to Globalstar satellites, while T-Mobile’s agreement with SpaceX could expand that kind of capability to millions more.

Libraries, school and others ask Senate to protect FCC wi-fi order

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Broadband Breakfast reports...

National education groups are concerned that the Senate could prevent millions of people from accessing the internet with federal assistance.

A coalition of 31 education and library groups urged senators in a letter Monday to reject a resolution by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that would roll back the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to allow E-Rate funds for wireless hotspots.

“Almost 20,000 schools and libraries across the country are currently in the process of applying for several hundred thousand hotspots,” the letter stated, adding that millions of Americans could lose access to essential online resources if the measure, S.J.Res.7, is approved.

Winona County has 2,100 homes that are underserved or unserved

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Winona Post reports…

In recent years, broadband expansion projects have reached thousands of homes in rural Winona County. Still, an estimated 2,100 homes are underserved or unserved in Winona County, Minnesota Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Bree Maki said. The county is reaching the point where the remaining areas are also the most difficult to serve, she said. Maki said she is hopeful that in the four to five years, all of Winona County will be served. “I think especially during the pandemic, we realized that broadband is something that is essential to almost anybody, whether it’s trying to access medical records or medical appointments, as well as our students in education,” she said. Broadband access allows people to live and work in rural communities, she said.

There were five grant awards to different providers in the county over the past 10 years, Maki said, connecting about 2,000 homes and businesses with broadband.

Most recently, in January, MiEnergy secured a $14.1 million federal grant to help bring fiber to areas in Winona and Fillmore counties, including properties east of St. Charles, surrounding Utica, east and south of Lewiston and south of I-90. In 2022, Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc. (HBC) and Winona County announced they would collaborate on a $2.6 million project to bring broadband to Sylvan Heights, Saratoga, Big Trout Drive, Spillway Drive and the Arches areas. In 2020, with federal funding, HBC expanded existing networks near Pickwick and Rollingstone, as well as in Dakota County. AcenTek received a DEED grant in 2020 to upgrade broadband from copper to fiber-optic cables in Houston and Winona counties. According to HBC, the organization has also expanded the network in Pickwick and Rollingstone by adding 35 homes to fiber optic services with federal funding and, with some state funding, connected 3,000 homes to fiber optic services in Cedar Valley, East Burns Valley, Elba, Pickwick, the Whitewater State Park area, Wilson and Witoka.

With the county’s bluffs and karst landscape, Maki said it can be challenging to put fiber in the ground for broadband access. HBC Community Relations Manager David Dicke agreed that there are parts of the county where that is hard, because of the topography. “You can’t get fiber there because of the rock,” he said. “It’s astronomically expensive and makes it really not feasible financially.” HBC offers a wireless option, HBC Air, Director of Customer Operations Cory Limberg said. “… Where you’ve had some of these farm properties or out in the bluffs, in these areas where they just couldn’t get internet or any reliable cell service, we’ve had a product that our team can go out here and install in grain silos and other areas … where we can get them good internet access,” he said. Another challenge with expanding broadband access is running and managing a network after building it, Limberg said, so HBC considers these factors when weighing where to build. “And we’re in this for the long haul. HBC is not an organization that has been sold and bought and purchased and changed names many times … whereas some of these other companies that come in to build a network may be doing it to just sell it to another company.”