The federal Affordable Connectivity Program has helped 23 million low-income households afford Internet connections to schedule or attend health-care appointments. But the program will soon run out of funds.
The state has completed all but one of eight bureaucratic requirements to award rural broadband construction contracts. Some experts expect nearly every household and business in the state to have an Internet connection by 2028.
Households in rural areas that earn less than $60,000 for a family of four can receive up to $75 per month for a broadband subsidy, but if those funds run out, many homes will be unable to afford continued Internet connection.
The upstate New York city is now offering free, high-speed and secure Internet service for hundreds of low-income residents. The city used $3.5 million in federal funding to develop the wireless network in many of the city’s least connected areas.
They are trying to take advantage of massive federal funding now available for broadband expansion and must deal with multiple hurdles. Resistance from major providers is just one of them.
Two years ago, state officials directed a total of $3.87B to close the digital divide and expand Internet access. But since then, the plans have been significantly reduced and lower-income neighborhoods have been left out.
Billions of federal dollars are coming to states to make broadband for all a reality, but funding alone doesn’t ensure results. Powerful resources are available to help state and local governments succeed.
Just a few months after the Starlink terminals began delivering connectivity, thousands of residents have signed up for the satellite-transferred service. While the connectivity isn’t perfect, the increased speed is life changing for many.
If you live in rural America, your Internet access can still be hard to come by. States can change the situation.
Charter, the parent company of the area’s cable and broadband provider Spectrum, will cover 100 percent of tuition costs for workers pursuing a high school diploma, undergraduate or associate degree and some certificate programs.
The state ranks 46th in the nation when it comes to Internet access and 7 in 10 residents do not have access to affordable connectivity, which is defined as below $60 per month.
Maine’s ambitious broadband expansion is creating demand for more workers to hang fiber. Women are increasingly responding to the opportunity.
The city council paused the $20 million contract with local nonprofit DigitalC with concerns that the $40 million broadband expansion initiative would be too large for the company to manage.
It’s especially hard to get low-income Americans living in multifamily buildings across the digital divide. But states and nonprofits are finding ways to do it.
Voter turnout is lower in rural places, something researchers say is a symptom of unequal amounts of civic infrastructure.
The results of a first-ever statewide broadband survey found that 37.2 percent of residents were unaware of the advertised speeds they are paying for and 23.7 percent reported speed dissatisfaction.
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