Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Universal Service Fund, stakeholders are reengaging in the task of overhauling its outdated funding mechanisms. In this episode of All Day Digital, Mike Romano with NTCA lays out how USF supports rural broadband and what shape the funding mechanisms may take, potentially tapping broadband providers or big tech companies that benefit from connectivity.

Rural towns are attracting huge data centers that handle artificial intelligence training work, due in part to their location agnostic nature. In this episode of All Day Digital, data center expert Scott Schneider looks at how these campuses impact rural communities, including local broadband partnerships, auxiliary service jobs and water use.

The hyperscalers are transitioning to a new artificial intelligence platform, signaling a surge in computing power deployment is just ahead. In this episode of All Day Digital, Alan Bezoza, managing director at DigitalBridge, explains how this AI-driven investment cycle differs from previous money-losing cycles.

The new technology-neutral approach of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program means fixed wireless and satellite networks will likely play a larger role in rural broadband. In this episode of All Day Digital, expert Tim Courtney assesses the changing competitive landscape, the coming capacity of satellite providers, and ways rural broadband operators can lock in customer loyalty.

Data center financing is becoming more creative, with asset-backed securities claiming the lion’s share. CoBank Vice President Omar Oronia says total outstanding data center ABS issuances will double by 2027 to $50 billion. In this episode of All Day Digital, Oronia talks cancelled leases, how new financing is accelerating builds, and what the growth means for rural markets.

What will the new administration mean for broadband operators deeply invested in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program? In this episode of All Day Digital, Mike Romano of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association shares what his organization is watching for, including a possible shift away from “fiber first” and how that squares up with the definition of priority broadband projects.

Rural broadband operators are feeling a sense of urgency to deploy new network builds, but proper execution is critical. In this episode of All Day Digital, Marc Dyman, chief development officer for SQUAN, draws from his experience as both an operator and third-party provider to weigh the benefits of turnkey providers.

Data centers’ share of all U.S. electricity use could hit 12% by 2028 but beyond that is too hard to predict, according to a new DOE Lawrence Berkeley Lab analysis. In this episode of All Day Digital, researcher Dr. Arman Shehabi outlines the factors and efficient technologies that will shape future data center electricity consumption.

The data center industry is pouring billions of dollars to restart old nuclear facilities and develop new technologies as it searches for more energy sources. In this episode of All Day Digital, Mike King of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shares what the future of nuclear energy in the U.S. might look like.

 In 2025, Amazon’s Project Kuiper service is entering the satellite internet residential market, joining Starlink, HughesNet and Viasat. In this episode of All Day Digital, expert Tim Courtney assesses Amazon’s clear opportunity for bundling, satellite’s impact for rural areas and its potential to disrupt fixed-line providers.

Drawing from CoBank’s unique visibility into the private broadband market, Jeff Johnston shares his expert opinions in this year-end episode of All Day Digital. He explains why we’re seeing a decline in deal value, what’s behind the standoff between buyers and sellers and how investors could be lured back into the private broadband market.

While the BEAD funding program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand rural broadband coverage, some providers have decided the red tape burdens just aren’t worth it. In this episode of All Day Digital, Chad Duval with Moss Adams encourages small rural providers to think defensively and pursue BEAD funding for their service territories — otherwise, someone else will. 

About six years ago, rural operators were told to rip out and replace non-compliant, Chinese-made equipment from communication networks. However, the mandate is underfunded, operators need assistance and solutions are stalled in Congress. In this episode of All Day Digital, telecom policy expert and Rural Wireless Association general counsel Carri Bennet shares what’s happening behind the scenes in Washington.

Federal programs are helping bridge the digital divide, but what then? Maintaining, sustaining and keeping networks affordable is the next objective, says Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. In this episode of All Day Digital, Bloomfield shares NTCA’s creative approaches to current rural broadband challenges.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the FCC’s Universal Service Fund is unconstitutional, a split from two circuit courts’ previous decisions. In this episode of All Day Digital, the former executive director of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, Blair Levin, discusses what this means for rural telecom operators who rely on USF support and why he thinks the Supreme Court will take the case. 

Competition, growth opportunities and the race to get broadband service to the un- and underserved is forcing some providers to think more creatively about funding their capital budgets. CoBank’s Mike Harder explains how banks are innovating their lending to this market as borrowers look to increase their leverage and risk. 

From Virginia to Alaska, the U.S. government is boosting national security investments, creating new opportunities and challenges for rural broadband operators. Telecom investor and Army veteran Chad Crank warns that as world geopolitics become increasing unstable, the U.S. government should work with the private sector to reduce risks from bad actors.

 Over the last two years, more data has been created than in all of human history combined, and it’s not slowing down.
The “compute” phase of generative artificial intelligence — when computers are learning from other computers — doesn’t need to be near where the application is used. But it does take a lot of energy. In this episode of All Day Digital, data center investor Alexey Teplukhin explains why rural markets are ideal for this function.

Despite the uncertainties around BEAD implementation, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity rural operators should consider. In this episode of All Day Digital, Solarus CEO Justin Huebner outlines how his Wisconsin co-op is doing its homework, from collaborating with other operators to outsourcing assets to other participants in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program.

Whether rural or national, the growth opportunity for all wireless operators is in fixed wireless, says expert Tim Courtney with Further Enterprise Solutions. In this episode of All Day Digital, he points rural operators to BEAD funding as a strategy to offer fixed wireless where fiber does not make sense.