Enacted on December 27, 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (“Act”) establishes or re-appropriates a number of significant broadband-related support programs. Reflecting the urgency of the COVID-19 situation, the Act calls for unusually prompt implementation by the administering agencies. For example, solicitations of
Broadband
Georgia PSC Pole Attachment Ruling to Promote Broadband

The electric cooperatives in Georgia (Georgia EMCs) Tuesday received an outstanding pole attachment ruling from the Georgia Public Service Commission, protecting Georgia EMCs and their more than four million member-owners, but also providing hope for more fair pole attachment regulation elsewhere in the country.
With the first and only ruling of its kind in the…
A Fresh Look at Enterprise Telecom (and Broadband) Procurements in 2020

Trends Impacting Wireline Procurements
The preeminence of cloud computing warrants a “fresh look” at wide-area network design, particularly for enterprises considering wide-area network procurements. Enterprises have an important network design choice: either (i) maintain the current MPLS-based design with its uniform security policies, substantial traffic backhaul, and site-based defined routing, or (ii) migrate to one…
The Essential 21st Century MDU Amenity—Highspeed Broadband Service

MDU developers and owners know they are on the frontline of the broadband revolution. During the pandemic, working from home with expansive use of online conferencing is the new normal. With school starting across the country, online learning will place more demands on local broadband networks. E-commerce is booming as owners can attest by virtue…
COVID-19 Broadband Funding


As policymakers work to help Americans cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these efforts are rightfully directed at broadband funding. Congress and the Agencies continue to build on the programs described in our blog post, “The Increasing Importance of Broadband and Federal Funding in Uniting the Country,” with a focus on distance…