December 24, 2020 Original photo by Flickr user Richard Drdul
Note: This is part three in an ongoing series. Be sure to check out the other posts:
Part 1: Fiber to the Clubhouse: Pai Subsidizes Broadband for the Rich
Part 2: Broadband Boondoggle: Ajit Pai s $886M Gift to Elon Musk
Part 4: Ajit Pai s Broadband Legacy: Haste and Waste
Part 5: Plan Fail: How Pai Imperiled a Rural Town s Fiber Network
Chairman Ajit Pai wants the world to think that the broadband-subsidies auction the FCC just concluded is a crowning achievement of his four years heading the agency.
The $9.2-billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) is Pai’s twist on the longstanding Universal Service Fund (USF), and while the money hasn’t gone out the door the auction bidding wrapped up earlier this month.
For The Inter-Mountain
CHARLESTON The West Virginia Public Service Commission could approve Frontier Communication’s bankruptcy reorganization plan next month, though Frontier plans to use its winning bid of federal rural broadband dollars to sweeten the deal, raising concerns.
Last Friday, the PSC made available the joint stipulation and settlement agreement between Frontier, PSC staff, and PSC Consumer Advocate Division, and the Communication Workers of America union. If approved by the full commission on Tuesday, Jan. 19, West Virginia would be the 11th state to accept Frontier’s bankruptcy reorganization plan.
According to the proposed agreement, Frontier’s operations in West Virginia would be known as “InvestCo.” As part of the designation, Frontier agreed to voluntarily deploy gigabit broadband services to no less than 150,000 locations in West Virginia by Dec. 31, 2027.
ROGER WICKER: Mississippi receives $495 million for broadband deployment djournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from djournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
New $900B COVID-19 Relief Package Set to Provide $7B in Funding for Broadband Access
December 21, 2020
On Sunday, Congressional leadership reached agreement on a $900 billion additional COVID-19 pandemic relief package, which includes $7 billion in funding for broadband internet access. Legislators say this is critical funding as Americans continue to learn and work from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so access has become crucial.
According to Sen. Ron Wyden, (D-Ore.), “Broadband connections are essential for Americans seeking to get news jobs, and access school health care and other government services. Ensuring working families can stay online will pay massive dividends for kids’ education, helping people find jobs and jump starting the economic recovery next year.”
Staff writer
CHARLESTON The West Virginia Public Service Commission could approve Frontier Communication’s bankruptcy reorganization plan next month, though Frontier plans to use its winning bid of federal rural broadband dollars to sweeten the deal, raising concerns.
Last Friday, the PSC made available the joint stipulation and settlement agreement between Frontier, PSC staff, and PSC Consumer Advocate Division, and the Communication Workers of America union. If approved by the full commission on Jan. 19, West Virginia would be the 11th state to accept Frontier’s bankruptcy reorganization plan.
According to the proposed agreement, Frontier’s operations in West Virginia would be known as “InvestCo.” As part of the designation, Frontier agreed to voluntarily deploy gigabit broadband services to no less than 150,000 locations in West Virginia by Dec. 31, 2027.