[ad_1] The focus on internet-only service makes sense when Google recently dropped its 100Mbps tier. Why pay for old-school TV when you have a gigabit connection that can stream video without so much as a hiccup? YouTube TV appears to be thriving with 2 million customers, and Google Fiber customers are a prime candidate for […]
Category: broadband
Bernie Sanders proposes $150 billion for public broadband improvements
[ad_1] The candidate also vows to “dramatically” lower the cost of service. He would require basic internet plans, up the FCC’s minimum definition of broadband from 10Mbps to 100Mbps, regulate rates and fully subsidize entry-level plans for low-income households. This would involve protecting and expanding the Lifeline program. He would outright ban data caps and […]
Google Fiber drops its 100Mbps tier in favor of gigabit-only service
[ad_1] The service started at a time when gigabit access was rare, and the average American internet speed was “crawling in single digits,” according to Google. Flash forward to 2019 and it’s a different story, with AT&T, Comcast and others offering gigabit broadband options. Google also pointed to rapidly growing demands on internet connections like […]
SpaceX hopes to offer satellite internet to customers by mid-2020
[ad_1] Shotwell added that the approval request for 30,000 extra satellites didn’t necessarily mean SpaceX would build and launch them all. It needs considerably fewer satellites (about 24 launches’ worth) to cover the planet. Rather, this is overhead that would let SpaceX offer customized service for clients. Elon Musk reiterated at the roundtable that SpaceX […]
Microsoft plans to bring broadband to 9 million more Americans
[ad_1] The measure is part of the Microsoft Airband Initiative, which aims to narrow the digital divide by expanding rural broadband access to more than 3 million people by mid-2022. The Federal Communications Commission estimates upwards of 21 million Americans don’t have broadband access, Microsoft, meanwhile, believes around 29 million people in the aforementioned states […]
Verizon will launch home 5G everywhere mobile service is available
[ad_1] The initial service ran on an in-house approach to 5G and offers typical speeds of 300Mbps. It won’t compete with gigabit fiber, but it’s faster than many landline connections and, if you get an indoor antenna, let you set up yourself. The main catch, as always, is the slow pace of 5G deployment. Verizon’s […]
FCC hopes to fix its broadband maps with more precise data
[ad_1] On top of this, the FCC is implementing a process to gather public input on the accuracy of internet providers’ maps. This includes a crowdsourcing portal that will take feedback directly from customers as well as local governments. Proposals could also bring in “additional technical standards” for more precise maps as well as the […]
Canada invests $85 million in internet satellites for rural areas
[ad_1] Navdeep Bains, the Canadian minister of innovation, said that high-speed internet access is not a luxury, and that Canadians should have access to it regardless of where they live. “Today’s announcements will provide us with a glimpse of what future connectivity of rural and remote communities will look like. It will also ensure that […]
Alphabet’s internet balloons have spent a million hours in the stratosphere
[ad_1] The record comes in part through the way the balloons operate. Instead of fighting the wind, they use AI to change their altitude and ride currents to their destination. That leads to routes that can be long and winding, but don’t require massive amounts of energy. Loon even encourages its balloons to “stroll” so […]
Amazon asks FCC for permission to launch internet satellites
[ad_1] They’d use Ka-band frequencies like those Iridium is using in its latest satellites, and Amazon is asking for clearance to use anti-interference technology to avoid headaches. And yes, Amazon is aware of the potential problems with space debris. The satellites would deorbit themselves in less than 10 years whether or not they were still […]