Comcast, Charter dominate US; telcos “abandoned rural America,” report says

guest · Aug 27, 2019

U.K. may fight 5G rural dead zones with tall countryside towers
August 27, 2019
https://venturebeat.com/2019/08/27/u-k-may-fight-5g-rural-dead-zones-with-tall-countryside-towers/

While U.K. digital secretary Nicky Morgan formally focused attention on a £30 million competition to inspire up to 10 new rural testbeds for 5G, she wrote separately in a Daily Telegraph editorial of a new plan to let carriers build towers taller than 25 meters (82 feet), a move that could change the historically untamed look of the region’s rural areas.

The goal, Morgan explained, is to give rural users the opportunity to access cellular signals and meaningfully switch between providers to get the best signal. In the 5G era, some carriers plan to use long-reaching 600MHz to 700MHz radio signals to blanket many miles with slower but more available service, in addition to faster but shorter-distance millimeter wave and mid-band signals in more densely populated areas.
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ronjor · Aug 30, 2019

Comcast, beware: New city-run broadband offers 1Gbps for $60 a month

Jon Brodkin - 8/30/2019
Comcast's lobby failed to stop launch of Fort Collins municipal broadband.
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guest · Sep 6, 2019

Momentum Builds for Maryland’s Rural Broadband Initiative
September 6, 2019
https://www.govtech.com/network/Momentum-Builds-for-Marylands-Rural-Broadband-Initiative.html

States are grappling with the complicated task of bringing high-speed, consistent Internet service to citizens who live in more remote places.
Late last month, two interesting announcements occurred: Gov. Larry Hogan revealed a five-year, $100 million plan to expand rural broadband, and a new FirstNet cell site in Talbot County received its own ribbon-cutting event.

The goal, however, is clear: Maryland aims to establish broadband service, with a performance requirement of 25 Mbps/3 Mbps, for 225,000 households. Gordon said this number does not represent the exact total of unserved households in rural Marylan [...]
“As network construction starts, we plan to add adoption education and assistance to increase subscriber take rates and ensure our built networks are sustainable,” he said in an email to Government Technology.
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guest · Sep 11, 2019

North Carolina looks to challenge FCC over broadband coverage
September 11, 2019
https://statescoop.com/north-carolina-fcc-challenge-broadband-maps/

North Carolina officials are streamlining a self-reporting tool that allows residents to document their internet speed, in hopes of mounting a challenge against the Federal Communication Commission’s broadband coverage map data, which states and FCC officials themselves have scrutinized in recent months.
Jeff Sural, director of the North Carolina Department of Technology’s broadband infrastructure office, said the goal is to get federal broadband expansion funding for the parts of his state that remain unserved.

The state’s current self-reporting tool asks residents to enter their email and physical address, then directs them to a different page to take a speed test, revealing upload and download speeds. The users are then asked to transcribe the results back into an online form on NCBroadband.gov.
The information will be sent to an internal state map maintained by Sural and his team that’s used to identify unserved areas of the state.
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ronjor · Sep 12, 2019

Comcast, Cable Giants Sue Maine Over Law Forcing Them to Let Customers Pay for Specific Channels

Tom McKay 11 Sep 2019
Comcast and a bevy of cable giants including Fox, CBS, and Disney are suing the state of Maine and 17 municipalities over a recently passed state law that mandates cable TV operators allow subscribers to pick and choose which channels and programs they want to pay for, the Bangor Daily News reported this week.
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guest · Sep 18, 2019

50% of US homes still won’t have fiber broadband by 2025, study says
A cool $70 billion could help get the US to 90% fiber coverage, study says
September 18, 2019
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...wont-have-fiber-broadband-by-2025-study-says/

Fiber broadband is now available to more than 30% of households across the US, and fiber networks should reach 50% of homes by 2025, a new study says.

The study was commissioned by the Fiber Broadband Association, whose members include municipal broadband providers, private ISPs such as Verizon and Sonic, and various vendors that sell equipment to the broadband industry. The industry group hired consulting firm Cartesian to conduct the study and submitted it to the Federal Communications Commission last week (see full study).

Currently, 39.2 million households out of 127.6 million in the US are passed by all-fiber networks, the study said. At the current pace, "by 2025, an estimated 25.9 million additional households will be passed for a total of 65.1 million—about 50% of US households," the study said. There were just 12.2 million households passed by fiber in 2008, but there have been steady improvements each year since.
US lags behind
The US has many rural areas with low housing density, which helps explain the shortage of fiber coverage
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guest · Sep 18, 2019

Microsoft partners with Nextlink to bring broadband access to over 9 million Americans
The rollout will begin in 2024
September 18, 2019
https://www.techspot.com/news/81962...extlink-bring-high-speed-internet-access.html

The FCC isn't the only organization that wants to connect rural Americans with high-speed internet.
According to an announcement published by Microsoft today, the tech giant will be partnering up with ISP Nextlink Internet to bring broadband connectivity to around one million individuals in unserved or underserved rural areas. Outside of those areas, more than 9 million citizens are expected to receive broadband access.

This plan is part of Microsoft's "Airband Initiative," which is centered around closing the internet speed gap between rural and urban (or suburban) citizens.
Nextlink's broadband rollout will take place throughout 2024, and some of the states covered by this deal include Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Iowa. Nextlink was already deploying broadband tech to rural parts of Texas and Oklahoma before this deal, so those areas will likely be the first to receive full access.
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Microsoft: Nextlink Internet and Microsoft closing broadband gap in central US

ronjor · Sep 19, 2019

Comcast promised not to raise prices—guess what happened next

Jon Brodkin - 9/19/2019
Comcast offered customers in Utah a "lifetime" price guarantee in order to compete against Google Fiber, then later violated the lifetime promise by raising those customers' prices, according to a lawsuit pending in a federal court.
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guest · Sep 26, 2019

Ohio releases broadband report, priming statewide strategy
September 25, 2019
https://statescoop.com/ohio-releases-report-to-guide-broadband-strategy/

After considering input from 24 national and local wireless providers this summer, Ohio’s government modernization office is ready to begin crafting a statewide broadband strategy to bring high-speed internet to the state’s 300,000 unserved homes.

The state’s InnovateOhio office, led by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, partnered with the Ohio Department of Transportation to release a statewide broadband report on Tuesday [...]
The report is based off a request for information that the state filed in June, which garnered responses from 24 wireless carriers. Accomplishing the goals — to bring broadband to rural communities, build connected and autonomous vehicle-friendly roadways and ultimately fund a stronger network across the state — will require partnership with private carriers, Husted said.

“I’m not sure any state has found the magical solution for extending broadband and high-speed internet to rural areas that don’t have it,” Husted told StateScoop.
Challenges remain, however. Chief among them is connecting the 1 million people that lack broadband access in the state.
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guest · Oct 19, 2019

ronjor said: ↑

Frontier letting its phone network fall apart, state investigation finds
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Frontier gets away with “paltry” settlement after breaking 35 laws and rules
Minnesota approves settlement despite AG saying it lets Frontier off the hook
October 18, 2019
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...-settlement-after-breaking-35-laws-and-rules/

Minnesota regulators are letting Frontier Communications settle an investigation without admitting fault, despite the state attorney general's office calling the settlement "paltry compared with Frontier's alleged misconduct."

Frontier failed to properly maintain its telecom network in Minnesota, leading to "frequent and lengthy" phone and Internet outages, the Minnesota Commerce Department said in January. Frontier also failed to provide refunds or bill credits to customers affected by outages that sometimes lasted for months, committed frequent billing errors that caused customers to pay for services they didn't order, and failed to promptly provide telephone service to all customers who requested it, the department's investigation found.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted 5-0 to approve the settlement yesterday, the Star Tribune reported. Even though the Minnesota investigation found that Frontier violated "over 35 laws and rules," the settlement document says it "shall not be construed as an admission by Frontier of any specific violation."
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ronjor · Oct 21, 2019

The city with the best fiber-optic network in America might surprise you

By Jay Woodruff 10.21.19
Community broadband creates competition and better service and choice—along with giving local residents ownership.
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ronjor · Oct 23, 2019

Comcast’s “free” streaming box requires you to rent $13-per-month router

Jon Brodkin - 10/23/2019
Comcast says it will lift the restriction soon, let you use any modem/router.
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guest · Oct 25, 2019

Government and network operators back £1bn rural 4G scheme
Creation of the Shared Rural Network will see rivals cooperate to extend coverage in hard-to-reach areas
October 25, 2019
https://www.itpro.co.uk/network-int...nd-network-operators-back-1bn-rural-4g-scheme

The government has teamed up with the mobile networking industry to promote cooperation as a means of eliminating 4G blind spots across the UK.

Major network operators EE, Three, Vodafone, and O2 will pledge £530 million into creating the Shared Rural Network (SRA), which will be backed with an additional £500 million of public money. This is in an attempt to tackle the longstanding issue of network coverage disparities across rural and urban areas.
The newly-created organisation will use the £1 billion fund to expand 4G coverage to 95% of the UK by the year 2025.
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guest · Nov 14, 2019

New Mexico has 'no formal plan' for broadband expansion: Report
November 14, 2019
https://statescoop.com/new-mexico-has-no-formal-plan-for-broadband-expansion-report/

Despite investing more than $300 million of state and federal funding to increase broadband connectivity over the last four years, New Mexico “lags behind” the rest of the nation in adoption due to a decentralized broadband governance structure, according to a new report from the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee.

“Currently, New Mexico does not have formalized goals or a clear, unified broadband policy with respect to oversight of programs, funding, and infrastructure,” the report reads. “This fragmented and uncoordinated status quo is a common theme underlying this evaluation’s findings.”
Because much of New Mexico is rural, it can be costly to build out individual fiber-to-the-home networks seen in other states, state Chief Information Officer Vince Martinez said at a recent legislative meeting, according to the Associated Press.

“All too often, these initiatives get bogged down by funding issues, public rights of way processes, and other logistical barriers.”
To offset the costs, the legislative audit recommends that the state target cost-effective, last-mile networks in rural areas, rather than put money into a large statewide fiber rollout.
“Creative, concerted efforts are needed to close the digital divide, especially in a state with as much rural land as New Mexico,” Cooper said.
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guest · Nov 19, 2019

Comcast trying to drive local sports network out of business, lawsuit says
Lawsuit: Comcast wants to cripple Denver RSN and take over broadcasting rights
November 18, 2019
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...-sports-network-out-of-business-lawsuit-says/

A lawsuit filed against Comcast today accuses the cable company of using its market power to try to drive a regional sports network out of business.

The lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Colorado by Altitude Sports, a network that broadcasts games played by the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and other local professional and college teams. Altitude has been blacked out on Comcast since August 31, as the companies haven't agreed on what price Comcast should pay to carry the network.

"This complaint alleges textbook anticompetitive conduct," Altitude lawyer William Isaacson said in an announcement of the suit. "This lawsuit aims to stop Comcast from abusing its monopoly power to impose terms on Altitude to drive it out of business and prey on Denver-region families."
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Altitude Sports & Entertainment Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Comcast

ronjor · Nov 21, 2019

Many rural Americans still lacking broadband access

by Esther Shein in Mobility on November 20, 2019, 11:10 AM PST
The digital divide is closing, says the FCC, but a provider is partnering with local communications service entities to make it feasible to offer high-speed services.
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ronjor · Dec 18, 2019

No-fiber zone: FCC funds 25Mbps, data-capped satellite in rural areas

Jon Brodkin - 12/17/2019
Viasat gets $87.1M for rural broadband; no word yet on price or exact data caps.
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guest · Dec 21, 2019

mood said: ↑

Getting rural areas connected
December 18, 2018
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2018/getting-rural-areas-connected
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Ofcom reveals the state of UK broadband and mobile coverage in 2019
December 21, 2019
https://www.neowin.net/news/ofcom-reveals-the-state-of-uk-broadband-and-mobile-coverage-in-2019

With the year coming to a close, Ofcom has released a new report which looks at the state of broadband and mobile coverage in the UK and how it has developed since last year. [...] however, it said that rural areas still need improved connectivity.

Probably one of the biggest achievements has been to reduce the number of homes in rural areas that aren’t able to get a good internet connection. Last year, Ofcom reported that 677,000 rural homes were unable to get a good connection. This has fallen to just 155,000 thanks to the availability of wireless broadband services.
From March, homes and businesses that are still unable to get a good connection will be able to request one under the Universal Service Obligation, which Ofcom is responsible for on behalf of the government.
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Ofcom: Latest UK broadband and mobile coverage revealed

guest · Dec 25, 2019

America Is Still in Desperate Need for a Fiber Broadband for Everyone Plan: Year in Review 2019
December 25, 2019
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/...iber-broadband-everyone-plan-year-review-2019

Earlier this year, EFF noted that the United States is facing a high-speed broadband access crisis. For the foreseeable future, it appears that a supermajority of Americans will not have access to fiber to the home. Instead, it is cable monopolies or nothing at all.

Government data indicates that this problem is particularly pronounced in low-income neighborhoods and rural markets. But this future is not set in stone.
But more importantly, without a new commitment to the universality of future broadband access, then the digital divide of today will substantially worsen.
Rural Americans will fall even further behind with last century’s infrastructure (if they even have access to it) will hit its limited capacity with no means of upgrading absent a fiber transition.
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ronjor · Dec 31, 2019

Court backs Comcast, puts Maine’s à la carte cable law on hold

Kate Cox - 12/30/2019
Two of the three arguments probably won't fly, judge ruled, but third just might
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guest · Jan 8, 2020

FCC proposes rules for $20 billion rural broadband fund auction
The reverse auction will distribute funds to help close the digital divide in rural America
January 8, 2020
https://www.cnet.com/news/fcc-proposes-rules-for-20-billion-rural-broadband-fund-auction/

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on rules later this month for its proposed plan to allocate $20.4 billion in funding to broadband providers serving rural areas in the US. The fund, which will be allocated over the next 10 years, will also be available to cable providers, wireless companies and electric co-ops, which have traditionally been excluded from such government subsidies, in an effort to finally close the rural digital divide.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai introduced the proposed rules for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to FCC colleagues on Wednesday. The full FCC will vote on the rules on Jan. 30.

"This new fund would target rural areas across the country where residents currently lack access to adequate broadband and would deploy high-speed broadband to millions of rural Americans in an efficient and effective manner," Pai said in a statement.
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guest · Jan 17, 2020

Comcast settles lying allegations, will issue refunds and cancel debts
31,600 customers will get refunds or debt relief in Minnesota settlement
January 16, 2020
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...ut-its-prices-gets-away-with-1-3m-settlement/

Comcast has agreed to issue refunds to 15,600 customers and cancel the debts of another 16,000 people to settle allegations that the cable company lied to customers in order to hide the true cost of service. Comcast will have to pay $1.3 million in refunds.
The settlement with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, announced yesterday, resolves a lawsuit filed by the state against Comcast in December 2018.

"The settlement also requires Comcast to change its advertising practices to disclose to its customers the full amount that they will be charged for service."
How to get refunds
Comcast has identified the 15,600 customers who are due refunds and is required to send them claims forms via email or paper mailing within 45 days. Once customers receive the notice, they will have 90 days to complete and return the claim forms. After that 90-day period is over, Comcast will have 60 days to issue the refunds.
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guest · Jan 23, 2020

CenturyLink, Frontier took FCC cash, failed to deploy all required broadband
ISPs fell short of interim deadlines, leaving Americans without service
January 23, 2020
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...cash-failed-to-deploy-all-required-broadband/

CenturyLink and Frontier Communications have apparently failed to meet broadband-deployment requirements in numerous states where they are receiving government funding to expand their networks in rural areas.

CenturyLink notified the Federal Communications Commission that it "may not have reached the deployment milestone" in 23 states and that it hit the latest deadline in only 10 states.
Frontier similarly notified the FCC that it "may not have met" the requirements in 13 states. Frontier met or exceeded the requirement in 16 other states.

Under program rules, the ISPs were required to bring Internet access to 80 percent of funded locations by the end of 2019 and must hit 100 percent by the end of 2020. While CenturyLink and Frontier apparently failed to hit the 80 percent requirement in a bunch of states, they could meet the final goal in time if they ramp up construction.
We asked the FCC if it plans punishment or other action for CenturyLink and Frontier, and we will update this article if we get a response.
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As we wrote Monday, Frontier is reportedly planning to file for bankruptcy within two months.
Exact shortfall still to be determined
The findings that CenturyLink and Frontier missed the 80 percent deadlines were based on preliminary data, so the companies are still working to confirm whether they missed the targets in each state where the data shows a problem.
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guest · Jan 24, 2020

Comcast is jacking up its prices again thanks to NBC's Peacock streaming service
January 23, 2020
https://www.techspot.com/news/83693-comcast-jacking-up-prices-again-thanks-nbc-peacock.html

A hot potato: Annual rate increases for cable providers are nothing new, but sometimes the excuses the companies provide for the hikes create more animosity than they alleviate. It is especially frustrating when the increases are to compensate for a perk advertised as "free." Comcast is notoriously bad at explaining away fees, and the latest involving its new streaming service is no exception.

Comcast customers should see a rise in their bills once the Peacock streaming service goes live, if they haven't already. The internet TV channel enters early access on April 15, along with a rate hike.
The extra costs will not be readily evident to new customers as the rate increases mostly appear as hidden fees.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports, the broadcast television fee added to monthly bills on top of subscription rates will go up by $4.45. Internet rates and modem rental fees will also be increased by $3 and $1, respectively.

“We needed to pivot the whole company to the streaming world, and I think what’s exciting is how well our cable company has done that,” Comcast CEO Brian Roberts told CNBC.
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The cable giant justifies the increases claiming that programmers are to blame and that it bears most of the burden bringing customers these services.
The excuse falls somewhat flat since NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast.
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guest · Jan 28, 2020

Ajit Pai promised faster broadband expansion—Comcast cut spending instead
January 28, 2020
https://arstechnica.com/information...dband-expansion-comcast-cut-spending-instead/

Comcast reduced capital spending on its cable division in 2019, devoting less money to network extensions and improvements despite a series of government favors that were supposed to accelerate broadband expansions.

"For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, Cable capital expenditures decreased 10.5 percent to $6.9 billion," down from $7.7 billion in 2018, Comcast, the nation's largest home Internet provider, said in its earnings announcement last week. "Cable capital expenditures represented 11.9 percent of Cable revenue compared to 13.8 percent in 2018."
2019 was the second straight year that Comcast lowered its overall cable capital expenditures (though Comcast's spending on line extensions and scalable infrastructure rose in 2018).

The net neutrality repeal hasn't closed broadband gaps in rural areas, where industry trade groups say they won't expand service unless the government gives them more direct funding. As the trade groups explained, the key factor is that ISPs won't build in sparsely populated areas where they don't expect to get a high return on investment.
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