'5G'

On February 26, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced through a Report and Order the rules for a new Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB), funded for a one-time amount of $3.2 billion. The funds will be available until expended or until six months after the COVID-19 emergency declaration expires.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving ahead with its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and Rural 5G Fund proceedings.  The purpose of these programs is to encourage the development of infrastructure necessary within rural areas to ensure access to adequate broadband service.

The RDOF program will provide $20.4 billion in funding over a ten-year period to support broadband networks in rural communities across the country. This funding goes to service providers who agree to deploy infrastructure needed to offer broadband internet service to currently underserved areas at a fee and speeds comparable to the services provided in more urban areas. In essence, the RDOF acts as a means of subsidizing service providers, in order to have them provide broadband internet services to areas that they would not typically serve because there is not a business case for deployment from the provider's perspective. The FCC has designated underserved areas where service providers would be eligible for RDOF money should they wish to deploy broadband services in these areas. These areas are broken down by census tracts and a map of these areas can be found on the FCC’s website. 

On Thursday, December 10, 2020, the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee advanced with amendments, A-1116.  The purpose of this legislation is to provide for uniform regulation of small wireless facility deployment in the State and attempts to mirror and in some cases goes beyond current Federal law.