Month: August 2013

California broadband infrastructure money tapped for mapping project

21 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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Truth is more expensive than fiction.

The core information resource used by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to decide where to subsidise broadband infrastructure projects is the California Broadband Availability map. It was originally funded by a $2.3 million grant from the federal stimulus program in 2009.

Over the past four years, it’s gone from being a difficult to read PDF printout to an interactive platform that can show broadband service availability down to the census block level, and includes both data provided by service providers and information gathered independently by the CPUC and others.… More

Admin costs take a bigger bite out of California broadband subsidy fund

20 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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I thought there was more in there.

The amount of money available to the current round of California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) infrastructure grant applicants is probably something like $135 million, considerably less than the $148 million I’ve been estimating. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has published the proposed budget for the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) for next fiscal year, which runs from July 2014 to June 2015. It shows a sharp increase in overhead costs for running the program, including an extra $1.5 million for the state’s broadband mapping project.… More

China has new national broadband plan, goals

19 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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I signed up for broadband and all I got was this little red book.

China wants to lead the broadband world in something other than malicious Internet attacks, 42% of which originate there, putting it comfortably ahead of the U.S., at second place with 10%. So China’s State Council – the equivalent of its cabinet – is setting a target of 50% national wireline broadband availability by 2015. By 2020, the goal is to connect the entire country – all 1.3 billion people or so – with a minimum of 20 Mbps in urban areas and 4 Mbps in rural areas, and top speeds of 100 Mbps.… More

California broadband grant requests inch toward decisions

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) staff have started drafting resolutions for funding at least some of the broadband infrastructure proposals submitted last February for subsidies from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF).

The fact that staff is putting the necessary paperwork together – preliminary environmental assessments and public safety impact, for example – doesn’t mean that a project will rate highly enough to be recommended, but it does mean that the preliminary task of determining whether a project is eligible for CASF money is complete, or nearly so.… More

ZTE might get some developer love with cheap Firefox phone

17 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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Or it might be chasing its tail.

ZTE isn’t big in the U.S. Only the least of the four major mobile carriers – Sprint – offers a branded ZTE smart phone on its website and then just a single model. Its only distinguishing feature is the number of flaming negative reviews written by unhappy buyers.

With little to lose, ZTE is bypassing mobile carriers and going direct-to-geek by selling an unlocked $80 phone – the Open – running the new Firefox mobile operating system on eBay.… More

Buyers might have to settle for stems and seeds, but Blackberry CEO won't

16 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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It was a lot bigger before I took a hit.

In the week when Apple is giving its new iPhone a final bath in unicorn tears and Samsung begins a campaign to put a mobile phone on every wrist, Blackberry went on sale. And for rolling a big fat one for shareholders, CEO Thorsten Heins will get $56 million.

He’d already pretty much given up on phones. Blackberry can’t sell much of anything to anyone who isn’t already using their devices.… More

Partnership of public and private interests floated for comprehensive fiber plan on California's central coast

15 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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Fiber for the Coast backer Bud Colligan.

Two entrepreneurs, Bud Colligan and Larry Samuels, have published a plan for improving broadband access in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties. The objective is to…

…be a foundation for an economic renaissance for all citizens of the Monterey Bay region. It can help create clean technology jobs, reduce out of region commuting and in region traffic, strengthen the tax base, and improve the educational and health care systems, all the while balancing the economic concerns with the longstanding ethos of environmental stewardship that characterizes the Monterey Bay region.

… More

California broadband subsidy debate moves behind closed doors

14 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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Waiting for the word.

Two bills that, together, will make significant changes to the way the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) operates face an uncertain future in the California legislature. Both are alive following Monday’s vote by the assembly utilities and commerce committee, but now need the blessing of key legislators to keep moving toward final approval.

Senate bill 740 adds $90 million to CASF and allows independent ISPs and cities to apply for broadband infrastructure subsidies.… More

CEO provides details on Digital 395 progess and cost overruns


Yellow dots highlight unfinished business.

If the Digital 395 project doesn’t get the extra $10 million its backers are requesting from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), it will still be technically capable of providing service to some eastern California communities. Michael Ort, the CEO of Praxis Associates, gave a progress report on the project to the California Broadband Council yesterday, detailing work done so far, what’s left to do and, most importantly, why the state should spend more money to finish it.… More

Second chance for California broadband subsidies

12 August 2013 by Steve Blum
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It’s not pretty, but it’s alive again.

The California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) has a new lease on life. The assembly utilities and commerce committee brought senate bill 740 back from the dead this afternoon on an 11 to 4 vote. If it makes it through the rest of the legislative process, it will add $90 million to CASF and (sort of) lengthen the list of eligible applicants.

All fifteen members of the committee were on hand for the special meeting.… More