USTelecom cites death of discount program in new call for payments from Big Tech.

In a repeat of the silliest blog I write every year, this blog covers the annual pronouncement from USTelecom that broadband prices have dropped again in 2025. USTelecom has a press release about t…

Jonathan Spalter, the President and CEO of USTelecom wrote an open letter to the White House and Congress with its wish list for government action in  2025. USTelecom is the trade association and l…

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2025 – USTelecom – The Broadband Association met with staff at the Federal Communications Commission last week to raise concerns about proposed changes to pole attachment rules. In an April 10 meeting with officials from the Wireline Competition Bureau, USTelecom representatives argued that adopting uniform make-ready timelines for large pole attachment orders could hinder, rather than accelerate, broadband deployment. The group warned that prescriptive rules supported by some would risk undermining deployment coordination and increasing disputes. ### Upgrade to continue reading Become a paid member to get access to all premium content Upgrade

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is now maneuvering to harm our democratic process with 4 deregulation orders, all tied together, so that no one…

“Fiber isn’t just wiring for today’s Internet – it’s the load-bearing infrastructure for whatever comes next,” USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter said,

USTelecom pointed to a number of states and some of their subdivisions that are slowing or stopping broadband deployment because of permitting.

💡 ■ FCC Giving Consumers New Tools to Fight Robocalls ■ Free State’s Andrew Long Slams Retail Broadband Price Caps ■ Starlink Ranks with Fiber in Customer Satisfaction, Analyst Finds ■ Strand Consult: U.S., Greenland Came Away Winners in Security Deal ■ Brian Dietz Leaving NCTA after 24 Years with the Cable Broadband Group ■ Ohio Making Effort to Become Home to the U.S. Space Academy ■ USTelecom CEO Urges Congress to Pass Permitting Reform Law ■ Optimum Spending $14 Million to Expand Fiber in New Jersey ■ FCC Approves Great Plains’ Acquisition of Fastwyre in Nebraska ■ AEI’s Mark Jamison: Personalized Pricing Can Come with Consumer Benefits ■ Rocket Lab to Focus on Government, Navigation Post-Iridium Close ■ NextNav Adds Marissa Mitrovich, Vijay Venkateswaran to Leadership Team ■ Jessica Soforenko Joins USTelecom as Senior Director of Communications Debt: Cable One is going deeper into debt – apparently to wrap up the acquisition of Vyve Broadband parent Mega Broadband Investments by the end of the month. In a Sept. 22 filing with the SEC, the Phoenix‑based broadband provider said it borrowed $700 million under its $1.25 billion revolving credit facility to increase cash on hand and preserve financial flexibility. The company said the borrowing occurred on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18 and may be repaid before the facility’s February 2028 maturity, according to Chief Legal Officer and Secretary**Christopher J. Arntzen**. As of June 30, 2026, Cable One’s gross debt balance was $3.06 billion, meaning the $700 million to by MBI would boost debt by nearly 23%.**_(More after paywall)_** Cable One CEO Jim Holanda ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

In filings with the FCC, groups including NCTA and USTelecom are hinting at legal challenges ahead to the FCC's rules on digital discrimination. The FCC will vote on those rules next week.

💡 ■ House passes Ratepayer Protection Act, 417 to 3 ■ California Urged to Reject NTIA’s Ban on Net Neutrality in BEAD Rules ■ Colorado Broadband Office Head Quits without Much Notice ■ Spectrum Offers Cox Customers Free, 12-Month Mobile Line ■ In a Rebrand, GFiber (formerly Google Fiber) is Now: gFiber ■ Maine PUC Losing Its Chairman Next Month ■ Sinclair, Nexstar Ramp Up Consumer Promotion of NextGenTV ■ GCI’s Maureen McCabe Moore Receives CCA’s Distinguished Leadership Award ■ Warning about Security Flaw in Calix Routers Has Been Withdrawn Capex: America’s broadband providers invested $92.6 billion in communications infrastructure in 2025, a 3.4% increase and the third‑highest total since 2003, USTelecom said in its 2025 Broadband Capex Report. Cumulative investment now nears $2.3 trillion since 1996. But the entire broadband sector is still no match for a Big Tech company like Google, which is spending $205 billion alone in 2026 on data centers and AI compute capacity. Meanwhile, Big Tech’s overall capex budget for 2026 could hit $800 billion. “Fiber isn’t just wiring for today’s Internet – it’s the load-bearing infrastructure for whatever comes next,” USTelecom CEO**Jonathan Spalter** said, urging Congress to pass permitting reform so providers ready to build can build. ** _(More after paywall)_** USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

The FCC has granted Verizon and Arcadyan expedited waivers for the agency's ban on new, foreign-made routers. Several organizations also want a waiver.

Chinese hackers infiltrated the nation’s telecommunications systems, gaining the ability to listen to phone conversations and read text messages

Two top attorneys for the Obama administration said the Federal Communications Commission—which this month gained a Democratic majority for the first time under President Joe Biden—shouldn’t att...

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2026 – As communications infrastructure theft grows, leading telecommunications trade associations are hosting a Capitol Hill summit to raise awareness about the issue. NCTA, USTelecom and CTIA will host a summit on July 15 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET to address and raise awareness around the growing threat of theft and vandalism that targets critical communications infrastructure. Learn about America250 / Telecom150 Learn about America250 / Telecom150 ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2026 – As communications infrastructure theft grows, leading telecommunications trade associations are hosting a Capitol Hill summit to raise awareness about the issue. NCTA, USTelecom and CTIA will host a summit on July 15 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET to address and raise awareness around the growing threat of theft and vandalism that targets critical communications infrastructure. Learn about America250 / Telecom150 Learn about America250 / Telecom150 ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2026 – As communications infrastructure theft grows, leading telecommunications trade associations are hosting a Capitol Hill summit to raise awareness about the issue. NCTA, USTelecom and CTIA will host a summit on July 15 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET to address and raise awareness around the growing threat of theft and vandalism that targets critical communications infrastructure. Learn about America250 / Telecom150 Learn about America250 / Telecom150 ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

USTelecom cites death of discount program in new call for payments from Big Tech.

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USTelecom asked operators what broadband policy changes they want to see, and permitting was on top of the listEven if a provider does get their permits in a | A cumbersome permitting process is the t...