Barbara Burba-Filoreto

RTT continues to expand

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The Broadband Catalysts team has been hard at work building new ways to evaluate high-cost areas in regards to broadband deployment. Too often we are seeing communities choose to direct funds to densely populated areas and leaving the high-cost areas out of their initial builds. This is problematic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the lack of a viable business case for a provider to serve just the high-cost areas. We recommend pairing high-cost areas with enough higher density areas in order to build a sustainable business cases to serve everyone. We love wireline service, but wireless internet is also a critical component of an overall connectivity strategy, and if we just fund the areas where the wireline providers can make a business case, we are inherently making it even more difficult to serve to rural and low-density areas. No provider, wireline or wireless, can afford to lose money every month. We've reached the point where the economics of broadband are critical to spending grant funds effectively. We need better tools to identify and evaluate areas that represent comprehensive coverage combined with sustainable business cases, and we are committed to building these solutions.

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Billions of dollars for broadband access are allocated to state and local governments. How do they allocate the funds effectively and equitably? Great question. In a roundtable hosted by GovExec and Comcast Business, experts gathered to address the current status of broadband accessibility and the specific obstacles to expanding infrastructure in their states. Download the attached article and DM me here to discuss our state & local government industry solutions. #broadband #enterprisesolutions #comcastbusiness #iworkforcomcast

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3 programs you should know as a leader in government. It’s essential to be aware of innovative public-private partnership programs that can significantly benefit your community. Here are three T-Mobile initiatives that stand out: Connecting Heroes: This initiative is a tribute to the bravery and dedication of first responders. T-Mobile offers 5G access to ensure connectivity needed to perform effectively and mitigate the risk of poor communications. Project 10Million: Provides free wireless service to 10 million homes with school-aged children who lack internet access. T-Mobile Emergency Response Team (ERT): The T-Mobile ERT is dedicated to maintaining robust communication channels during all-hazard events. Ensuring that communication systems remain operational when needed. These programs are not just about providing services; they represent a commitment to community support, technological advancement, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving. #5G #Publicsafety #firstresponders

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https://lnkd.in/eQtDN6xQ With proper financial modeling and design, FWA has a role to play complementing fiber and cable broadband. Four States have already got their approvals for the historic BEAD funding with public-privare partnership model. More States to follow in the coming weeks and months. While I like the distributed decision making model by giving the freedom for the states to shape their deployment strategy based on the unique requirements. But given the size, scope and complexity of this once in a generation endeavor, I definitely feel the critical need to continually evaluate and manage the risk of not only achieving short term affordable access to ALL locations but also long term sustainability & adoption from both top down and bottom up Adaptive Risk Modeling. Fabion Kauker #sensemaking360

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1 Million New Yorkers at Risk of Losing Broadband Due to ACP Defunding Almost 1 million low-income residents in New York City could lose their internet access due to the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This critical program provided discounts of up to $30 per month for broadband service, making it essential for many households. The lack of ACP funding impacts neighborhoods like East Harlem, the South Bronx, and Long Island City, where a significant % of residents relied on the program. Without this support, many will struggle to afford internet access, creating a digital divide that hinders education, employment opportunities, and overall well-being. https://lnkd.in/ei_i6jny What can be done? Should the city or state step in to fill the gap left by the federal government? Let's discuss this crucial issue in the comments below. #DigitalEquity #BroadbandAccess #NYC Carl Franzen Thank you for sharing.

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Learn more about the Broadband Forum #YANG #standards from active #members and experts!

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🎓📶 Discover how to navigate the broadband funding landscape with key learnings from Broadband Academy. The Funding for Broadband Services course teaches you all about funding types and eligibility requirements. It will guide you through the acronym soup of funding programs at the state and local level. You’ll also learn about private funding and pitching to investors. With easy-to-follow, self-paced online lessons, you’ll get to know best practices to maximize your chances of receiving funding for your broadband business. Accessing funding may seem daunting, but Broadband Academy is here to help. 🔗https://ow.ly/sKn150Sjb6e

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🎓📶 Discover how to navigate the broadband funding landscape with key learnings from Broadband Academy. The Funding for Broadband Services course teaches you all about funding types and eligibility requirements. It will guide you through the acronym soup of funding programs at the state and local level. You’ll also learn about private funding and pitching to investors. With easy-to-follow, self-paced online lessons, you’ll get to know best practices to maximize your chances of receiving funding for your broadband business. Accessing funding may seem daunting, but Broadband Academy is here to help. 🔗https://ow.ly/H3lU50Sjb6r

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Interesting Read - The Western Governors Association is pressing Congress and Federal agencies to cut thier own red tape around Broadband Funding. Historically, most all of the Federal programs around Broadband funding are frout with Polices, Decres and procedures that impede the approval process, and limit the ablity of many Rural Providers to bid on and win funding. Tha WGA is also pushing to standardize the approved definition of broadband to "at least" 100 megabytes per second (Mbps) for downloads, 20 megabytes per second for uploads, and "scalable to" 100 Mbps for both, across all Federal Funding. #ruralbroadband #ruralinternet, #ruralconnectivity, #wisp, #wirelessbroadband

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This is how you can future proof your community, support all your devices and raise your value. Contact me and let’s talk about how easy it can be.

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In a recent post, I wrote about the value of diagramming the ecosystem for your offering. Starting with the industry ecosystem view is helpful. The diagram below represents the fiber broadband industry ecosystem for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and other broadband network investments. Solid green lines reflect primary money flows between players. Scale, project formations, and procurement agreements can drive variations like the dashed lines. #ecosystem #fiberbroadband #broadband #ruralbroadband #BEAD 

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Your fiber plant faces constant challenges from maintenance, restoration, weather, and time-related changes. Read how Ciena Services' Fiber characterization testing helps determine if the fiber plant supports the network design and enables efficient service deployment.

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Great article and great insights! Policymakers have a real conundrum on their hands: should they prioritize accelerating the already fast connections even further, or focus on narrowing the digital divide? Nevertheless, satellites have a role to play in either scenario! #satellites #satcom #broadband

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The regulatory foundation for the Nations emergency communications (NG 911) is those that the FCC has defined The regulatory foundation for the Nations Warpowers communications (Command and Control) is those that the DoD has defined The two, as defined, cannot ‘integrate’, nor find interoperability / compatability solutions…. C2 and its ‘Assured Identity’ - validated credentials - Zero Trust vs Emergency Automatic Number and Location Identification regulations inhibit ability to comply as a integrated solution If this is known, then the only means is to develop a vertical architecture, a layered separation where telecom is the horizontal foundation to provide government localized common and emergency communication (defined as local access and transport authority) and support networks who provide specialized IT Infrastructure solutions

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Heading to D.C. for the Federal Communications Commission Technology Advisory Council quarterly meeting tomorrow 6/21. We are midway through the year and will provide an update alongside Brian Daly on #6G developments as part of our charter. We have explored the recently concluded first 6G workshop in 3GPP, interacted with IEEE 802.11 working group(s) to expand the horizon beyond cellular to unlicensed and #WiFi and looked at the state of the art and requirements for 6G of #URLLC applications in the automotive sector. The breath of technologies being investigated ( #ISAC, #RIS, #metasurface, #nativeAI, #quantum, #security ) will need motivating use cases and spectrum needs will tie it together. Look forward to updates from the spectrum sharing and AI working groups as well. Tune in on www.fcc.gov/live starting at 10 AM ET. https://lnkd.in/eeU38TJx

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Exciting News from the FCC about our journey to Next Generation 9-1-1 adoption! The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken a monumental step forward by adopting the first nationwide rules to expedite our nation's transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (#NG911). This initiative ensures that all originating service providers align with NG911, to enhance "interoperability, security, and system resilience." This move by the FCC is not just a win for public safety; it's a leap towards a future where technology and connectivity can save lives more effectively. #NG911 #PublicSafety #EmergencyResponse #Innovation #attemployee

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