Protecting Public Airwaves

It has been over 4 months since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to overhaul the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum band (2.5 GHz) and prepare it for commercial auction. As EBS licensees, Voqal strongly opposed the Commission’s decision because it was an enormous missed opportunity not only to strengthen educational benefits, but also to

Back in September, Blair Levin and Larry Downes authored a much-talked-about opinion piece that made a bold claim: America’s Cities – not its rural areas – are the real cause for concern when it comes to the digital divide. Their main argument is that while many believe rural broadband access is the reason for the

Earlier this week, a federal appeals court upheld the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality. As strong believers of a free and open internet, Voqal has been closely following this case as it has developed. While the final outcome is disappointing, advocates for net neutrality did experience at least one critical victory. The court struck down

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition is one of the leading advocates for expanding broadband to anchor institutions. It is one of the reasons why Voqal and Mobile Citizen are members of SHLB and find so much value in the organization. October 16-18, SHLB will be hosting its ninth annual conference, AnchorNets in

The latest update from Voqal’s director of telecommunications strategy, Mark Colwell takes a look at the recent controversy around the accuracy of broadband maps. Closing the digital divide is an essential component of Voqal’s mission. According to the most recent data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 93.5% of Americans have access to 25/3 Mbps

The future of 5G has important ramifications for expanding high-speed internet access across the country and bridging the digital divide. In the following post, Voqal’s director of telecommunications strategy, Mark Colwell takes a deeper look at the future of this emerging technology.  Earlier this month, the Technology Policy Institute (TPI) hosted its 10th annual technology

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai has claimed on multiple occasions that closing the digital divide is his top priority. But a variety of decisions, including a recent proposed rule change to implement a funding cap for the Universal Service Fund (USF) – the largest digital divide subsidy program in the U.S. – significantly

In mid-July, the FCC voted to strip education from the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum band, the only slice of public airwaves dedicated to educational purposes. One of the major complaints from the educational community about the FCC’s rush to a partisan 3-2 vote was the lack of a conclusion in the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. What

July 17, 2019 In yesterday’s House Communications Subcommittee hearing, a handful of members expressed frustration with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about their recent decision to strip education from the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum band. This comes as no surprise, as over a dozen members of Congress, the Western Governors Association and the Trump

July 10, 2019 Today, the Federal Communications Commission approved, on a controversial 3-2 vote, new rules that strip education from the Educational Broadband Service (EBS). For over 50 years, EBS has been the only spectrum band dedicated to an educational mission. Today’s decision flies in the face of a robust public record which overwhelmingly supports