July 2013 – Page 3 – Steve Blum's Blog

Handful of CASF projects ready to move forward

11 July 2013 by Steve Blum
broadband, casf, community networks, cpuc, public policy

Sorry, it’s not the popular boys who go to the head of the CASF line.

It’s been more than five months since thirty-two broadband infrastructure projects totalling nearly $250 million were proposed for funding by the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Five have been taken off the table for various reasons, leaving 27 still asking for about $223 million in grant money. Not all can be funded – there’s only $158 million left in CASF’s grant account – and not all may, in the end, be eligible.… More

Broadband infrastructure and public housing now a common cause

10 July 2013 by Steve Blum
ab1299, broadband, casf, community networks, cpuc, public policy, sb740

Doesn’t matter how many buckets you have if the well runs dry.

The officially amended version of a bill aimed at improving Internet access and increasing its use in public housing projects has been released, and its good news for broadband infrastructure in California.

Assembly bill 1299 would set aside $25 million from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to wire public housing units and pay for marketing programs to encourage residents to sign up for service.… More

Broadband faces another urban-rural divide in Washington

9 July 2013 by Steve Blum
broadband, farm bill, public policy, RUS

Is that a city pork or a country pork?

The fate of federal broadband subsidies in rural areas might hinge on a debate going on in Washington over food stamps. Every few years (five or whenever they happen to get around to it…) congress has to reauthorise the massive and complex system for managing and supporting U.S. agribusiness.

The farm bill, as it’s commonly called, has exploded far beyond crop insurance and commodity price supports. With a price tag approaching a trillion dollars, it’s become a vehicle to, among other things, direct federal funds toward rural development and urban social programs.… More

Primarily is primarily the problem with California broadband subsidies

8 July 2013 by Steve Blum
broadband, casf, comcast, community networks, cpuc, public policy, sb740

I did not have legislative relations with Comcast either.

The fate of the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) might come down to a single word. Last week, when an assembly committee killed senate bill 740, which that would have added money to the fund and expanded the list of eligible applicants, the heat of the debate focused on a single weasel word…

These requirements shall include that projects under this paragraph primarily provide last-mile broadband access to households that are unserved by an existing facilities-based broadband provider.

… More

Benicia, California is ready to invest in its broadband future

7 July 2013 by Steve Blum
benicia, broadband, community networks, public policy

Benicia’s broadband report card shows average or better service in revenue-dense residential areas, but failing grades in its industrial economic engine.

The City of Benicia, in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, is jumpstarting industrial grade broadband development. The city council gave a green light to a plan to put $750,000 the table and ask private companies to come up with ideas for bringing high capacity broadband access to a prime industrial park and the surrounding area.… More

Bell Labs bridges a gigabit over a copper gap

6 July 2013 by Steve Blum
bell labs, broadband, ftth, g.fast, innovation

The case for copper. Source: Alcatel-Lucent.

AT&T and Verizon should think twice about running away from older copper networks. Bell Labs has prototype technology that can already move half a gigabit through legacy wiring. Testing by parent company Alcatel-Lucent and Telekom Austria succeeded in pushing more half a gigabit over multiple legacy copper POTS pairs, using elements of the emerging G.fast standard and mixing in advanced vectoring technology – dubbed Vectoring 2.0 – developed by Bell Labs.… More

Marginal communities losing wireline connectivity

5 July 2013 by Steve Blum
att, broadband, public policy, verizon

It’s all fun and games until somebody cuts the cord.

“High potential” areas get fiber, low potential areas lose even copper connectivity. The latest evidence of that trend comes from Fire Island in New York. It’s a barrier island resort area just off the Long Island coast with about five hundred year-round residents and thousands of part-timers and visitors. It was whacked by hurricane Sandy last year, which, among things, swamped Verizon’s legacy wireline network.… More

HP's hope is going up the down staircase

4 July 2013 by Steve Blum
blackberry, business, firefox, hp, linux, mobile

Can HP face Palm again?

There’s a new report that Hewlett-Packard might be about to jump into the mobile phone business. Its last such venture – the capture and rapid slaughter of Palm and its webOS in 2010 – is generally regarded as a disaster. But HP has to try again. It has no choice.

Computer sales are slipping, both for HP and the industry in general as tablet sales climb. It does make a Windows tablet, but that pretty much says it all.… More

Effort builds to revive California broadband subsidy legislation

3 July 2013 by Steve Blum
ab1299, broadband, casf, cpuc, public policy, regional consortia, sb740

I’m not dead yet. I’m getting better.

A proposal to extend funding and eligibility for broadband infrastructure subsidies might get a second chance in the California assembly. Senate bill 740 failed to get enough “yes” votes in the assembly utilities and commerce committee on Monday. Contrary to what was thought at time, there is enough slack in the legislative schedule to take another try at getting the committee’s approval.

The actual deadline for the utilities and commerce committee to send SB 740 on its way to be considered by the full assembly is 16 August 2013.… More

Public housing projects go to the head of the line for California broadband subsidies

2 July 2013 by Steve Blum
ab1299, broadband, casf, community networks, cpuc, public policy, sb740

It’s only a flesh wound.

Broadband subsidies for public housing are still popular at the California state capitol, even if it means reducing already dwindling support for infrastructure construction in unserved and underserved areas. The senate energy, utilities and communications committee approved assembly bill 1299 this morning. It would take $25 million from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and use it to install broadband facilities in public housing projects and support marketing programs aimed at convincing residents to sign up for service.… More