Cornell Broadband Network Newsletter #4

Upcoming events:

• April 16, 2021—CBN’s next Zoom breakfast is on Friday, April 16^th at 8:30am EDT. We will be hearing from Scott Zuchorski Managing Director and Head of North America Infrastructure and Project Finance for Fitch Ratings. Scott will be briefing us on the current state of play in the financing of broadband infrastructure, with a particular focus on municipal and public-private partnership deals. 

• The format of these Zoom Breakfasts is 20 minutes of informal comments and then 30 minutes of questions and discussion. We do a hard stop at 9:30am. Zoom details are:  https://cornell.zoom.us/j/7234328433?pwd=b3NGY3pOaitsRGgxYklkMEttTUFVUT09; Meeting ID 723 432 8433; Passcode: CBN.

Notice of Grants:

• New: National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) https://cornell.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1835420   The NSF Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program within the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) offers researchers the opportunity to transform new knowledge into societal benefits through translational research and technology development efforts which catalyze partnerships to accelerate innovations that address significant societal needs.

  • Deadlines: Internal Submission Deadline-Wednesday, May 5, 2021; Funding Organization's Deadline-Wednesday, July 14, 2021

  • Anticipated award amount: PFI-TT up to $250,000 for 18-24 months. PFI-RP up to $550,000 for 36 months.
    
• The Office of Academic Integration requests applications for 2021 Multi-Investigator Seed Grants—For 2021 deadlines and application links,  view the Multi-Investigator Seed Grant RFA.

News:

• Building networks not enough to expand rural broadband, Cornell Chronicle, March 5, 2021. https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/03/building-networks-not-enough-expand-rural-broadband

• Policy Brief-Broadband as Civic Infrastructure: Community Empowerment, Equity, and a Digital New Deal, German Marshall Fund of the United States, March 23, 2021. https://www.gmfus.org/publications/broadband-civic-infrastructure-community-empowerment-equity-and-digital-new-deal?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletters

• Governor Cuomo Announces Launch of ConnectED NY Fund to Provide No-Cost Internet Access for 50,000 Students in Economically Disadvantaged School Districts, March 19, 2021. https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-launch-connected-ny-fund-provide-no-cost-internet-access-50000
  
• Investment Report: The Future is Digital: Digital infrastructure has earned its stripes as an essential service (and asset class) during the Pandemic, Morgan Stanley, March 2021 https://www.morganstanley.com/im/publication/insights/articles/article_thefutureisdigital_en.pdf?1616616987725
  
• Guide to Federal Broadband Funding Opportunities in the U.S., CTC Technology & Energy for the Internet Society, February 2021. https://www.internetsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Guide_to_Federal_Broadband_Funding_Opportunities_in_US-EN.pdf?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletters
  
• To Bridge the Digital Divide, Cities Tap Their Own Infrastructure: some cities to try new ideas for expanding internet access, Linda Poon, Bloomberg CityLab, February 8, 2021. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-08/cities-try-new-ideas-to-narrow-digital-divide?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletters
  
• Broadband ‘Rural America’s Critical Connection’ During COVID-19 Pandemic, Report Finds,  Foundation for Rural Service, March 8, 2021.  Nearly one year since COVID-19 shutdowns and stay-at-home orders forced millions of Americans to move their lives almost exclusively online, the Foundation for Rural Service today released a report focused on the impact the pandemic has had across rural America and the state of rural broadband in 2021.
• Letter to FCC: “As we begin the 117th Congress, completing accurate broadband maps remains a top priority in our ongoing efforts to close the digital divide. Almost a year has passed since Congress enacted Senator Wicker’s bipartisan Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act. This law reformed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadband data collection and mapping process to create more accurate and granular broadband availability maps. Congress also provided the FCC with $98 million to fund this effort.  With so many Americans still lacking high-speed broadband, we are concerned that delays in completing these maps could lead to further delays in distributing critical broadband funds.” Sen Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen John Thune (R-SD), Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Rep Bob Latta (R-OH), March 8, 2021.
• What Policymakers Can Learn From the ‘Minnesota Model’ of Broadband Expansion-Bernadine Joselyn of the Governor’s Broadband Task Force discusses state successes and lessons learned, The Pew Charitable Trusts, March 2, 2021. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/03/02/what-policymakers-can-learn-from-the-minnesota-model-of-broadband-expansion?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletters
• With KentuckyWired 'Substantially Complete,' Exclusive Provider Looks to Attract Customers, Louisville Courier Journal, February 19, 2021  https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2021/02/19/kentuckywired-broadband-networks-exclusive-provider-accelecom/4494763001/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletters&utm_source=sendgrid
• FCC Broadband Plan Includes $50 Monthly Subsidy for Millions, The New York Times, February 22, 2021. A proposal released by the acting chairwoman of the commission is an attempt to close the digital divide. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/technology/fcc-broadband-subsidy.html
• “States Couldn't Afford to Wait for the FCC's Broadband Maps to Improve-So They Didn't”, Shara Tibken, CNET, February 23, 2021. Georgia, Maine, Pennsylvania and others took mapping into their own hands, building their own granular data to pinpoint gaps in internet coverage and apply for federal funding. (This story is part of Crossing the Broadband Divide, CNET's coverage of how the country is working toward making broadband access universal.)
• The Emergency Broadband Benefit: Implementation and Future Policy Directions, Congressional Research Service, February 23, 2021. Summary of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) pursuant to the  Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11612?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletters 1 08:00 AM
• How to Set Up a 4G LTE Wi-Fi Network as an Alternative to Broadband, Wired, February 28, 2021. Connecting to cell networks is an increasingly viable option—here’s how it works. https://www.wired.com/story/4g-lte-wifi-broadband-at-home/
• NYC Seeks Proposals to Expand 5G and Broadband Access Citywide, Stacie Sherman, BloombergQuint, March 3, 2021. The city released today a request for proposals for a $157 million investment in expanding broadband to 600,000 New Yorkers.  https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/nyc-seeks-proposals-to-expand-5g-and-broadband-access-citywide

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The Cornell Broadband Network  is a virtual community of people

on Cornell’s various campuses and people outside of the University 

who are doing research on and are engaged in broadband-related projects.

 As a part of the Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy , CBN’s mission is to provide visibility 

into these efforts in order to build partnerships

and foster collaborations across the entire University.

For more information, email CornellBroadbandNetwork@cornell.edu.