The state has devoted $350 million to a rural broadband initiative over the past four years but seen little progress due to fights between telecoms and utilities over access to poles.
As broadband expansion efforts increase nationwide, digital equity advocates are working to ensure that urban communities are included. New federal funding opportunities are adding fuel to these efforts.
Ensuring that billions of dollars of federal funding for broadband service are well spent – and that consumers get what they pay for – comes down to knowing the actual speeds internet users experience.
Two-and-a-half years later, cities across the country continue to adjust to the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boston; Mesa, Ariz.; and Oakland, Calif., are using different approaches to address their communities' needs and prioritize digital equity.
Access to broadband Internet can dramatically alter quality of life and economic prospects in rural areas, including long-neglected tribal nations. New federal funding is helping to fill some of the gaps in the high-speed network.
A prominent figure in New Orleans’ controversial broadband plan has resigned from his position as director of the Mayor’s Office of Utilities. According to an automated email response his last day was Friday, Aug. 12.
State officials hope to get a large chunk of the more than $65 billion that is available to improve broadband access across the nation through the infrastructure bill that was approved last year.
With billions of broadband infrastructure dollars at stake, states have to ensure that digital equity programs are sustainable long after federal money has been spent. Here’s how they can do it.
The New Orleans City Council voted unanimously on June 9 to hold two of Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s top aides in contempt for missing a deadline to turn over documents relating to the failed “smart city” broadband deal.
The Biden administration has taken its first steps toward releasing $45 billion of federal funding for broadband and digital equity, with the money going first to state governments tasked with executing the vision.
A recent study found that the state’s investment to connect 238,000 households by 2026 would raise worker wages, help bridge digital divides and boost the state’s labor income by $843 million annually.
The federal government has allotted millions of dollars to bridge the digital divide in Indigenous communities through infrastructure development and offsetting Internet costs to increase accessibility.
The amount the state receives will rely on how many people have poor or no Internet access. But time is short to accurately collect the information. The planning grant deadline is Aug. 15.
The federal government’s historic investment in broadband could fall short of its goals if it doesn’t improve digital skills. A leading expert explains the importance of digital human capital.
Despite some uncertainty as to the exact amount state agencies will receive from the IIJA funding, offices are hiring staff to identify financial need for projects such as roads, bridges, broadband and public transit.
The mayor announced that he will focus on affordable housing, violence prevention, broadband expansion, lead removal and City Hall upgrades in spending American Recovery Plan Act funds.
Most Read
