And the Bidders Who Qualified for the 2.5 GHz Auction Are…

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC says 82 applicants are qualified to bid in Auction 108, the auction of flexible use overlay licenses in the 2.5 GHz band. Bidding is slated to begin July 29.   The agency reviewed short-form applications (FCC Form 175) for completeness and compliance with its rules. The list of those who qualified (attachment A) includes big names like AT&T Auction Holdings, LLC, T-Mobile License LLC, and UScellular Corporation. Smaller telecoms qualify as well, like Granite Wireless LLC, Michigan Wireless, LLC and SkyPacket Networks. The list indicates whether applicants claimed eligibility for a small business or rural service bidding credit. Continue Reading

Nebraska to Hold Reverse Auction for Broadband Funds

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

A new reverse auction by the Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) will allow telecommunication companies to bid on funds, reports the Star Herald. The PSC’s order, NUSF-131, sets the procedure for the reverse auction to bring broadband services of at least 100 Mbps to certain census blocks in the state. The affected areas are primarily in northeast and south-central Nebraska. This will be a first-of-its-kind effort for a state to pull off. “The FCC has done a couple reverse auctions, but to my knowledge, we’re the first state who’s tried to do one,” Cullen Robbins, the PSC’s director of telecommunications, told the Star-Herald. Continue Reading

TIM to Break Vertically Integrated Operations into Value-Added Parts

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

During its Capital Market Day yesterday, TIM, the big Italian telecom operator, headquartered in Rome, tabled a plan to separate its network infrastructure assets (referred to as NetCo) from its services delivery operations (ServiceCo). The company suggests such a transformation recognizes that the TIM Group operates in “an intensely competitive market yet is constrained by one of the most stringent regulatory frameworks in Europe.”  By breaking up the classical vertically integrated telco model, TIM hopes its regulated and unregulated businesses on their own will become more competitive and more profitable in their respective operations. Here’s how TIM is planning the breakup. Continue Reading

USDA Seeks More Time to Apply “Buy American” to Infrastructure Law

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The USDA is seeking a waiver of the “Buy American” provision of the Infrastructure Law.  It says the provision could delay several rural infrastructure projects, including construction and broadband deployment.   The USDA seeks six months of extra time (to October 2023) for its ReConnect program, specifically for iron/steel, manufactured products and construction materials. The ReConnect Program offers loans, grants, and loan-grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas that don't have sufficient access to broadband.    According to the USDA, the Infrastructure Law requires projects receiving federal infrastructure funding to use products and materials which contain at least 55 percent domestic content. Congress intended implementation of the provision on May 14. Continue Reading

FCC Authorizes SpaceX to Provide Mobile Starlink Internet Service

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC authorized SpaceX to provide Starlink satellite internet to vehicles in motion. “Authorizing a new class of [customer] terminals for SpaceX’s satellite system will expand the range of broadband capabilities to meet the growing user demands that now require connectivity while on the move, whether driving an RV across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while on a domestic or international flight,” FCC International Bureau Chief Tom Sullivan wrote in the authorization. It also approved a request from Kepler Communications Inc. to operate unlimited Ku-band Earth Stations on Vessels. Starlink is SpaceX’s network of satellites in low-Earth orbit, designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere on the globe. SpaceX has launched about 2,700 satellites to support the global network. As of May, SpaceX told the FCC that Starlink had more than 400,000 subscribers, according to MSNBC. Continue Reading

New Entrants to the Arctic Freeze-Out Current Broadband Offerings

Due to the high cost of last-mile broadband infrastructure, the Arctic has largely been left out of the loop. CircleID reported that historically, Iridium Communications had offered low-bandwidth connections and was the only option available. However, additional satellite broadband providers —  Starlink, OneWeb, Telesat, SES, The Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), and The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) —  are entering the market to spur competition. 

Starlink and OneWeb already have polar-orbiting satellites in place to serve the area. Telesat has partnered with the Canadian government to connect to indigenous communities, reported CircleID. The deal brings $690 million in preferred equity, $790 million in loans, and $400 million from the Quebec government to Telesat Lightspeed to complete its low-orbit satellite constellation, which will begin with 298 satellites to deliver speeds up to a gigabit across Canada. Continue Reading

Franklin Would Have Loved Wireless

By Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor

Justly credited as being one of the most American Americans to ever walk on this planet, Benjamin Franklin had an eye for invention, creativity, irreverence of the status quo and love of challenging the unknown. He would have been fascinated by the wireless industry and, no doubt, given time, would come up with an application we never thought of. The guy invented the lightning rod, for goodness sakes, and, to this day, his invention protects your towers. Think of the sheer audacity of the man. To feel like you could take on Zeus himself and bring his thunderbolts under control is not only the height of hubris but the essence of a truly American mind at work. We can change anything, is the American mantra, from royal rule to fuzzy vision. He is at rest here in my beloved Philadelphia at the corner of 5th and Arch. His marble slab is almost touching distance through the iron fence. Almost. So instead, people pitch pennies on the slab to commemorate his “Penny saved is a penny got” quote (he never said “earned.”) No doubt, he would rather everyone keep their pennies. Continue Reading