Broadband
Biden signs law easing rural broadband projects
The E-BRIDGE Act, included in a sweeping water infrastructure package, makes those projects eligible for certain federal grants and allows recipients to use private sector expertise in their development and deployment.
Feds still aren’t fully backing satellite for BEAD grants
States can use money from the $42 billion program to reserve space on satellite networks or reimburse providers when they hit certain milestones. But the tech can only receive money if no other options exists for an area.
Major broadband subsidy faces uncertain 2025
The Supreme Court will debate how the Universal Service Fund is financed amid questions over its constitutionality. Without it, states would lose a major resource in reducing the digital divide.
Rural Montana’s China tech challenge
Montana’s two largest telephone cooperatives took a multimillion-dollar hit when the federal government pulled the plug on Chinese tech company Huawei. Now they’re getting compensated to replace it, but is it enough to do the job?
Rhode Island looks to help older adults navigate a digital world
The nation’s smallest state has big plans to help aging individuals have more equitable access in an increasingly digital society.
High-speed internet to expand in rural areas impacting students in seven NM school districts
Nearly 40,000 households in seven rural New Mexico school districts will receive high-speed home internet in coming months, following state grants from the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion’s Student Connect program.
Feds push out dollars for states’ digital equity efforts
With just weeks left until President-elect Donald Trump takes office, the NTIA is sending millions of dollars out the door. But not everyone agrees it’s a good idea.
The drawbacks of government-owned broadband networks
As communities determine how to divvy up BEAD funding, a new report suggests deploying publicly owned broadband networks may not always be an effective use of the money.
Texas has billions pledged to expand broadband. Spending it is taking a while.
Despite the efforts of local governments and others, the move to provide internet access to millions of Texans has been slow and faces new challenges.
‘The $42B question’: What’s next for federal broadband funding?
The Trump administration could fiddle with the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program or even claw back funds. But the ball will be in states’ courts given how quickly they have moved, and the momentum behind getting people connected.
Featured eBooks
Report: Broadband can transform a rural community
New research shows a more than 200% growth rate for businesses in rural areas with high broadband utilization rates.
Is the effort to expand broadband nationwide going well, poorly, or just right?
A House subcommittee hearing highlighted various obstacles to implementing the $42.5 billion federal program to boost internet access.
How states are tackling the broadband worker shortage
COMMENTARY | The U.S. is investing more than $42 billion to bring affordable high-speed internet to all Americans, but there aren't enough skilled workers to get the job done.
‘Internet to go’ programs get a boost
The FCC recently voted to allow schools and libraries to use federal funds to support Wi-Fi hotspot lending programs, which caught fire during the pandemic. The efforts are viewed by some as a small, but critical, way to help close the digital divide.
Why North Kansas City pays its residents’ internet bills, and your city doesn’t pay yours
North Kansas City built a fiber network almost two decades ago that it now uses to provide its residents with gigabit internet. Here’s how it happened and why other cities in the country are, or aren’t, trying to do the same.
Could an extension of the federal broadband subsidy be close?
A Senate committee advanced a $7 billion funding vehicle for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which expired at the end of May.
Nearly $1B available for local digital inclusion projects
The goal of the new federal grant program is to fund local efforts that provide underserved communities with the tools and skills needed to access high-speed internet service.
23M households will no longer receive monthly federal internet subsidy
The Affordable Connectivity Program has officially run out of money. But more than a dozen internet providers have pledged to offer plans at $30 or less through 2024 for low-income households.
To meet class size mandate, officials look to virtual learning
To meet a new state mandate capping K-12 class sizes, New York City is considering offering remote instruction, a practice that could free up building space and allow students to take electives and AP classes from teachers on other campuses.
Efforts to reform federal broadband subsidy gain traction
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for tweaks to the Affordable Connectivity Program’s rules in a bid to keep it from sunsetting this month.
