Latest news with #BEAD
Engadget
06-08-2025
- Business
- Engadget
Trump tells states they'll lose out on broadband fund if they try to dictate rates
States will lose out on their share of a $42 billion broadband fund if they attempt to dictate rates that internet services providers (ISPs) charge low-income customers, according to a new FAQ from the Trump administration seen by Ars Technica . That means ISPs — which are subsidized by the government in order to provide low-cost plans — will be able to set such rates under the BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) program. The new language appeared in a BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice (RPN) from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in June. "Per the RPN, states may not apply state laws to reimpose LSCO (low-cost service option) requirements removed by the RPN... violation would result in rejection of the final proposal [for states to receive funds]." It added that the the NTIA would only approve plans with low-cost rates set by ISPs. The new language would hand ISPs a major win if it holds up. New York state, for one, requires ISPs with more than 20,000 customers to offer $15 broadband plans with minimum 25Mbps download speeds, or $20 plans with 200Mbps speeds, to low-income customers. That law, the Affordable Broadband Act, has held up despite attempts by providers to strike it down in court. Other states are reconsidering similar laws now. California recently withdrew a bill requiring $15 broadband plans after the NTIA said it could lose out on BEAD funds worth up to $1.86 billion. That decision was excoriated by consumer groups who pointed out that the Supreme Court itself declined to overturn New York's law. As he's done many times now, Trump is using federal funds as a cudgel to keep states in line — despite the fact that states' rights are usually supported by US courts. New York assemblymember Amy Paulin, who spearheaded the state's $15 broadband law, said that she believes the NTIA rule only applies to the other 49 states that don't have price mandates. "It's our understanding that any [ISP] BEAD awardee would have to comply with the Affordable Broadband Act regardless of federal subsidy," she told Ars Technica .
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Starlink Faces A New Alphabet Rival: This Google-Backed Startup Wants Federal Billions To Beam Internet Through Air
A startup created by Google parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, GOOGL)) is stepping into the broadband spotlight as it goes after a share of the federal government's $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program. The company, Taara, says in a blog post that its wireless Lightbridge technology can beam high-speed internet over the air, offering an alternative to both fiber and satellite options. Taara has stated on X that it is 'BEAD-ready,' referencing the initiative backed by the U.S. government. The post followed a major revision to the BEAD rules by the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced in early June, which now encourages technology neutrality rather than prioritizing traditional gigabit fiber. That change gives companies like Taara a chance to compete directly with Elon Musk's Starlink and T-Mobile's (NASDAQ:TMUS) 5G Home Internet for funding. Don't Miss:$100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in the announcement that the revised BEAD guidelines reflect a shift toward technology neutrality, aiming to deliver high-speed internet more efficiently and cost-effectively without prioritizing any single approach. Taara is led by Mahesh Krishnaswamy, a former Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google engineer who spun the project out of Alphabet's X moonshot factory after working on its earlier initiative, Loon. He has been focused on bridging global connectivity gaps since his early days in Chennai, India. "Today, there are like 3 billion people still unconnected, and there is a dire need to bring them online," Krishnaswamy told Wired. His mission, he says, is to find scalable ways to bring high-speed internet to the places the fiber can't reach. Rather than laying cable underground or relying on orbiting satellites, Taara says it uses devices installed on towers to send internet signals through the air across distances of up to 20 kilometers. The company positions this technology as a solution to the "middle mile" infrastructure gap, which connects the main internet backbone to local delivery systems like fiber or 5G towers. Trending: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — According to Taara, this part of the network is especially crucial in remote and challenging environments, where last-mile connections often remain isolated without an efficient link to the larger grid. "Without it, even the last-mile fiber connections or 5G cell towers remain stranded, unable to reach the broader internet," the company wrote in a LinkedIn post. Alphabet's GFiber says Taara's Lightbridge can deliver speeds of up to 20 Gbps with ultra-low latency and no packet loss under clear weather conditions. This was demonstrated during a test in San Francisco with GFiber, which reported performance that matched high-end wired networks and exceeded traditional wireless radio May, Taara partnered with Digicomm International, a major telecom equipment supplier, to help deploy its Lightbridge system at scale. Digicomm announced that it will deliver Taara's Lightbridge to broadband providers, businesses, and municipalities seeking fast, high-capacity wireless internet. Wired describes Taara as a high-speed, earthbound alternative to Starlink, one that's already shown success at events like Coachella and in cities where laying fiber is cost-prohibitive. Whether the federal government will see Lightbridge as a worthy investment remains to be seen, but Alphabet is clearly placing a bet on the future of middle-mile infrastructure. Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Elon Musk's Starlink Faces A New Alphabet Rival: This Google-Backed Startup Wants Federal Billions To Beam Internet Through Air originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AT&T Outpaces Industry in 6 Months: Reason to Buy the Stock?
AT&T, Inc. T has gained 26.7% over the past year compared with the Wireless National industry's growth of 10.3%. The stock has also outperformed the Zacks Computer & Technology sector and the S&P 500's growth of 5.9% and 4.6%, respectively. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The company has outperformed its peers like Verizon Communications Inc. VZ and T-Mobile US, Inc. TMUS. Verizon has gained 7.6%, while TMUS has increased 8.5% during this period. AT&T fiber network recently reached 30 million consumer and business locations across the United States. Per a report from Grand View Research, the U.S. fiber broadband market is expected to witness a 7.5% compound annual growth rate from the 2024-2030 period. Growing usage of high bandwidth-intensive applications, government initiatives such as the BEAD program funding to bridge the digital divide, are major drivers for this is heavily investing in fiber expansion to capitalize on this emerging market trend. The company aims to reach 60 million by 2030. In the first quarter of 2025, the company added 261,000 fiber customers. Per our estimate, the company is expected to add 1,048,000 fiber customers by the end of 2025. The acquisition of Lumen's fiber business will significantly boost its fiber footprint with the addition of 4 million fiber locations across 11 U.S. company's strong focus on improving services for its business customers is a tailwind. It recently introduced AT&T Turbo for Business, a premium mobile service feature that offers greater performance and consistent connectivity on AT&T's network. A robust network experience, 24/7 priority treatment is provided without any extra software and management tools. The Business Unlimited Premium 2.0 with Turbo plan for smartphones comes with unlimited prioritized data treatment and 200 GB of hotspot data. Such cutting-edge features make it easier for businesses to conduct essential operations like point-of-sale transactions, high-speed financial trading, and dispatch systems. The new service is ideal for sectors that require fast data transmission, such as retail, logistics, fintech and healthcare. This is expected to boost AT&T's commercial prospects in the B2B is also steadily expanding its portfolio to gain a competitive edge. The company has introduced several enhancements in its Next Generation 9-1-1 emergency communications platform, AT&T ESInet. The new features seamlessly support picture and video messaging capabilities and also offer automatic vehicle crash alerts. Such initiatives highlight AT&T's strategy of expanding its portfolio offerings for diverse use cases in various sectors. This augurs well for long-term growth. AT&T operates in the highly saturated U.S. wireless market. Intensifying competition with T-Mobile, Verizon, and Comcast is weighing on its margin. Companies like Verizon and TMUS are also expanding their portfolio to gain traction in the B2B space. In the first quarter of 2025, Verizon introduced Verizon Business Assistant to support small business owners. The generative AI-powered solution comes with enticing features that streamline customer interactions. T-Mobile is also expanding its wireless offering for small and medium businesses. Its newer plans, like Business Unlimited Edge, Ultimate, and Advanced, are gaining popularity. This can intensify competition for AT&T in the B2B is facing a steady decline in linear TV subscribers and legacy services. Continued cord-cutting remains a perennial challenge as consumers increasingly cancel pay TV packages for cheaper streaming options from Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and other services. The company's effort to attract customers with healthy discounts, freebies and cash credits is putting pressure on the margin. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have remained unchanged over the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, AT&T appears to be trading at a premium compared to the industry and trading above its mean. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company shares currently trade at 13.55 forward earnings, higher than 13.36 for the industry and above the stock's mean of 10.63. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research AT&T has undertaken an aggressive fiber expansion strategy with a multidimensional approach that includes enhancing its regional fiber network, strategic buyouts, public-private partnerships and more. This is expected to drive fiber customer growth in the upcoming quarters. The effort to venture into new markets by advancing its portfolio offerings is positive. A customer-focused approach will likely bring long-term intensifying competition in the U.S. wireless industry is hindering growth. Weakness in the wireline business due to lower demand for legacy voice and data services is a concern. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), AT&T appears to be treading in the middle of the road, and new investors could be better off if they trade with caution. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AT&T Inc. (T) : Free Stock Analysis Report Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Gigapower Appoints Donna Rattley Washington as Head of Strategy
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gigapower, a joint venture between AT&T and a fund managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock with the goal of expanding high-speed, reliable fiber internet through open-access networks, has appointed Donna Rattley Washington to the position of Head of Strategy. In this role, Washington will lead Gigapower's engagement with strategic partners to identify new and innovative growth opportunities. She will also work with the company's executive leadership team to maximize emerging initiatives with internet service providers (ISPs), technology companies, public sector entities and digital platform providers with the ultimate goal of driving performance and revenue. Her charge includes turning Gigapower's infrastructure advantage into a diversified revenue engine. 'Donna brings a unique blend of strategic foresight, legal acumen, and business development expertise to Gigapower,' said Jeff Seidenfaden, Chief Revenue Officer. 'Her track record of unlocking growth through partnerships and policy makes her the ideal leader to help us build our open access network and shape the next phase of our business strategy. Donna's leadership will be instrumental in accelerating Gigapower's impact and value.' Prior to joining Gigapower, Washington served as General Counsel for Boundless Broadband, where she led all legal, regulatory, and government affairs functions. Before that, she was the Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy at EducationSuperHighway, directing national legal and regulatory advocacy to shape implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), including BEAD and Digital Equity programs. In addition, Washington held senior roles at Comcast, spearheading regional Smart City initiatives. 'Gigapower has a rare opportunity to build a new kind of broadband business — one that delivers real value through openness, choice, and innovation,' said Washington. 'I look forward to shaping strategic alliances and launching new revenue-generating services that fully leverage our infrastructure investments and bring more opportunity to the communities we serve.' About Gigapower: Gigapower builds, owns, and operates a state-of-the-art fiber network to serve internet service providers and other businesses in select locations within the US. Gigapower builds networks that enable multiple internet service providers (ISPs) to use it, resulting in a 'build it once' construction event that can be utilized by multiple ISPs, enabling choice and competition for residents and small businesses within your community. With Gigapower, AT&T — one of the largest investors in fiber in America — and BlackRock — one of the largest investors in infrastructure — have come together through a joint venture to deliver access to super-fast, reliable, high-capacity fiber to more communities.
The Hill
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Blackburn says AI deal with Cruz is off
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said Monday that a deal to update language of a provision in President Trump's tax package seeking to bar states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI) is off. Just one day earlier, Blackburn announced she had reached an agreement with Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on new text that would bar states from regulating AI for five years and featured exemptions for laws on child online safety and publicity rights. However, she pulled support for the updated provision Monday evening. 'While I appreciate Chairman Cruz's efforts to find acceptable language that allows states to protect their citizens from the abuses of AI, the current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most,' Blackburn said in a statement. 'This provision could allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives,' she continued. 'Until Congress passes federally preemptive legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act and an online privacy framework, we can't block states from making laws that protect their citizens.' Blackburn has been a key proponent of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which she reintroduced last month alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Senate leadership. 'For as long as I've been in Congress, I've worked alongside federal and state legislators, parents seeking to protect their kids online, and the creative community in Tennessee to fight back against Big Tech's exploitation by passing legislation to govern the virtual space,' she added. The Tennessee Republican now plans to co-sponsor Sen. Maria Cantwell's (D-Wash.) amendment to strip the AI provision from the reconciliation bill, in addition to filing her own amendment, according to Cantwell's office. Cantwell, in turn, also plans to co-sponsor Blackburn's amendment, alongside Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Earlier in the day, she had slammed the deal between Blackburn and Cruz, arguing it did 'nothing to protect kids or consumers.' 'It's just another giveaway to tech companies,' Cantwell, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, said in a statement. 'This provision gives AI and social media a brand-new shield against litigation and state regulation. This is Section 230 on steroids.' 'And when [Commerce Secretary] Howard Lutnick has the authority to force states to take this deal or lose all of their BEAD funding, consumers will find out just how catastrophic this deal is,' she added. The provision is tied to $500 million in AI infrastructure and deployment funding under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Under the updated language, if states want access to the funds, they cannot regulate AI for five years. The measure previously sought to bar state regulation for a 10-year period. Blackburn's last-minute shift on the provision comes at a key moment, as the Senate has been voting for hours on amendments to Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which Republicans are hoping to get across the finish line before the July 4 holiday.
