The digital divide is evolving beyond household access to broadband. As artificial intelligence (AI) is woven into the fabric of everyday life - from smart homes and virtual assistants to creative and professional tools - a new divide is emerging: those with a fiber connection, and those without.
The state also announced that the ConnectALL program is awarding $5.2 million to four projects under its Connectivity Innovation Program. The goal is to expand mobile service, close rural and urban coverage gaps, and create replicable models for future deployments, according to the press release. They projects are in Otsego ($843,357), Schenectady ($1,627,430), Warren ($1,996,408), and Nassau ($731,192) counties. ConnectALL also will launch three requests for applications (RFAs). Two are under the Connectivity Innovation Program and one under the Regional and Local Assistance Program.
KeyBanc Capital Markets downgraded T-Mobile from sector weight to underweight, citing concerns about the carrier being 'fiber deficient in a converged/bundled world.' Their analysis indicated issues with T-Mobile’s fiber infrastructure and consumer value following recent pricing changes, raising concerns of customer churn. The downgrade was influenced by expectations that T-Mobile would benefit less than peers from potential tax changes due to the OBBB (Optimized Broadband Buildout Benefits). This change comes on the heels of T-Mobile’s launch of its Fiber Home Internet service, promising a five-year price guarantee.