Broadband and Network
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Plus, take a look at a visual of which states have had their BEAD proposals approved, find out about the Fiber Broadband Association’s new program for states and more.
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The funding, from grants via the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development, will pay for the extension of high-speed Internet mostly in rural Livingston and Berkeley.
Plus, the FCC has launched a new mobile speed test app, HUD’s ConnectHomeUSA program has expanded to new communities, more states have seen their initial proposals for BEAD program funding accepted, and more.
The Pennsylvania county will have access to a federal $1.25 billion digital equity grant program that’s part of President Joe Biden’s Internet for All initiative. It could help the county’s elderly improve their digital literacy.
Speakers at the Louisiana Rural Economic Development conference discussed the need for high-speed Internet in rural areas. Expanding fiber can stimulate local and global business, attendees said.
Buoyed by unprecedented federal funding as well as a widely accepted understanding that Internet is a fundamental part of modern life, states and cities confront the remaining obstacles to getting everyone online.
Parts of Pierce County might get access to faster Internet later this year, as crews begin building the infrastructure needed for broadband services to reach communities lacking access.
Plus, the FCC is taking steps to update broadband data collection, more states have had their initial proposals for BEAD funding approved, Oakland got a grant to expand broadband infrastructure, and more.
Provider Comcast will deploy fiber across the city starting in the southwest, covering about one mile a day. It’s part of a broadband expansion that will include all or parts of Corcoran, Cologne, Grant, Hugo, Rogers, and Stillwater Township.
Plus, initial proposals for BEAD program funding have been approved in two more states, findings from a new report emphasize the role libraries play in bridging the digital divide, and more.
Bids to date would put the total cost of the middle-mile fiber-optic network at $1.87 million. That’s less than the $2.2 million projected. If awarded, the contracts will connect as many as 865 homes and businesses to the city-owned system.
The list of potential uses for any leftover BEAD funding includes digital equity, and one state has a plan that would direct the money toward the work for years to come.
Plus, Massachusetts has added three members to its digital accessibility board, a federal resource on digital literacy aims to support community needs, and more.
A $45.5 million grant from the state and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute will pay for high-speed Internet for Pioneer Valley communities. Four Internet service providers will make the installations in about 2,000 locations.
Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen recently said that no resident within the county should be "left behind" when it comes to broadband Internet access.
Closing the digital divide has become a public responsibility, which was made clear during the pandemic when online access became essential for schooling, for working and for accessing health care.
