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US COVID-19 relief bill includes $7 billion for broadband internet access
Congress' COVID-19 relief bill includes $7 billion for broadband internet, including $3.2 billion to bring access to low-income families.
Alphabet will use beams of light to deliver internet in Kenya
It’s been a while since we’ve heard about Alphabet’s Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) project. If you’ve forgotten all about it, we don’t blame you: the acronym doesn’t stick in the mind quite like Google Fiber or Project Loon. To solve the problem, Alphabet’s ‘X’ division has renamed the initiative Project Taara.
T-Mobile expands LTE home internet to over 130 more cities
T-Mobile has expanded its LTE home internet to more than 130 additional cities, although 5G will have to wait.
FCC launches a $9 billion fund to expand 5G in rural areas
The goal is to close the digital divide over the next 10 years.
T-Mobile expands LTE broadband to rural areas 'abandoned' by AT&T
T-Mobile says it'll expand its program into 450 areas that only get DSL.
FCC chairman cited false broadband data in spite of warnings
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai used false broadband data for progress claims despite staff pointing out problems years earlier.
House approves $100 billion in broadband funding for rural areas
The US House of Representatives approved the Moving Forward Act this week, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that puts $100 billion toward bringing high-speed broadband to underserved areas. The main objective of the broadband portion of the bill is to bring high-speed internet to “unserved and underserved rural, suburban, and urban communities,” as well as adequate support for it, according to a Moving Forward Act fact sheet from the Department of Transportation. It prioritizes remote learning for children by providing digital equipment and outfitting school buses and school libraries with WiFi.
Cox slows an entire neighborhood's internet after one person's 'excessive use'
Cable company Cox Communications is slowing internet speeds of a whole neighborhood if one resident is a heavy user, Ars Technica reported.
SpaceX's latest batch of internet satellites includes one with a sun shield
SpaceX is launching more Starlink satellites, bu this time one will have a visor that stops the sun from reflecting off its body.
Virgin and O2 might merge to create a UK telecom giant
Virgin Media and O2 might unite in the UK, creating a mobile, cable and internet behemoth.
FCC outlines $200 million COVID-19 telehealth plan
Today, the FCC announced a few additional measures to help the US during the coronavirus pandemic. Chairman Ajit Pai shared plans for a $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program, which would equip healthcare providers with the broadband connectivity and devices they need to provide telehealth services. The FCC also eased off its ongoing crackdown on cell phone subsidy abuse, saying that it won't de-enroll participants until at least May 29th.
Satellite internet startup OneWeb declares bankruptcy to look for a buyer
OneWeb's dreams of satellite internet access have hit a major setback. The startup has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after attempts to get crucial financing fell through. The company said it was "close" to getting support, but the COVID-19 pandemic produced a "financial impact and market turbulence" that cut the deal short. Chapter 11 bankruptcy will let it use debtor-in-possession proceeds to sell the business and keep its existing work going.
Verizon gives customers extra mobile data to deal with COVID-19
More cellular carriers are taking steps to ensure people can stay online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is giving consumer and small business customers an extra 15GB of LTE data speeds per month on their plans, with no action required. This applies regardless of the device you're using, and whether your service is a regular subscription or prepaid. It's not the completely unlimited access you might hope for, but it could help you stay online if you depend on your phone's data for work.
Alphabet's Loon, telecoms unite to boost high-altitude internet
Alphabet's Loon just got a big boost from telecoms in its bid to provide high-altitude internet to the world. The company has partnered with several industry giants to form the HAPS Alliance, a group devoted to promoting the use of stratospheric vehicles for internet access. Most of the allies are telecoms like Deutsche Telekom, SoftBank, Bharti Airtel, China Telecom and Telefonica, although the group also includes a diverse range of equipment makers like Airbus, AeroVironment, Ericsson, Intelsat and Nokia.
Facebook's gigabit wireless rolls out in Puerto Rico
Facebook's Terragraph WiFi technology is delivering high-speed broadband to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This week, AeroNet, Puerto Rico's internet service provider, announced a six-month Terragraph pilot meant to deliver reliable, affordable high-speed service. It's now live in and near Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Jose in Old San Juan.
Google Fiber stops offering traditional TV service to new customers
If you're ready to sign up for Google Fiber but want TV service at the same time, you'll have to go online. Google has stopped selling conventional TV service to new customers as of today. Instead, it'll give customers the choice to sign up for YouTube TV (as announced in December) or the sports-oriented fuboTV. The company characterizes this as reflecting the modern reality. "Customers just don't need traditional TV," Google said.
Bernie Sanders proposes $150 billion for public broadband improvements
Bernie Sanders has unveiled his plan for US broadband if he wins the 2020 presidential election, and it won't surprise you to hear that his strategy would focus on making high-speed internet as widely accessible as possible. He intends to earmark $150 billion (as part of the Green New Deal) for infrastructure grants and technical help for "publicly owned and democratically controlled, co-operative or open access" broadband. He would also ensure free broadband in public housing and override state laws (frequently written by private ISPs) that block municipal internet.
Google Fiber drops its 100Mbps tier in favor of gigabit-only service
Google Fiber's main selling point has been its gigabit internet access, but there has usually been a low-cost option like the $50 100Mbps plan. However, that choice is going away. Google has announced that it no longer offers the 100Mbps tier to new customers -- it's either the $70 gigabit plan or nothing. If you ask the company, it's a reflection of evolving internet technology and usage habits.
SpaceX hopes to offer satellite internet to customers by mid-2020
SpaceX has Starlink internet satellites in orbit, but when is it going to offer honest-to-goodness service? You may have to wait a little while. Company President Gwynne Shotwell told a media roundtable that SpaceX hoped to offer Starlink broadband to US customers in mid-2020. Service will depend on putting enough satellites into use, and that will require six to eight missions including the one from May. Just don't ask about prices and plans at this stage -- the only clue is that this will be "additive" to SpaceX's main business instead of a primary money maker.
Court rules the FCC can't block state net neutrality laws
The FCC has won a key bid to uphold its repeal of net neutrality, but at a significant cost. A federal appeals court handling a Mozilla complaint has ruled that most of the repeal can stand, but that the FCC had "not shown legal authority" to ban states from implementing their own laws. The regulator was trying to "categorically abolish" states' established power to regulate communications within their borders, according to the court.

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