Localism

Charter showcases public-private partnership to expand rural broadband access

Cherokee County (SC) and Charter Communications have announced a public-private partnership that over the next two years is set to expand high-speed internet access countywide. More significantly this could be a model for expanding rural broadband access across the United States. Initial dollars for the ambitious project will come from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), a $20.4 billion fund established by the Federal Communications Commission to bring high speed fixed broadband service to rural homes and small businesses that lack it.

Hillsboro, Oregon’s HiLight internet service is years ahead of schedule

When Hillsboro (OR) officials first announced the city-owned high-speed internet service in 2019, they thought it would take about 10 years to roll out. Now they said half of all addresses in Hillsboro will have access to HiLight between 2024-25. The service first launched to about 800 neighbors about a year ago, but officials have updated their plan to expedite the process. HiLight officials plan to complete the rollout by 2027. HiLight offers city residents 1 gigabit per second for $55 per month.

The troubling new void in local journalism — and the nonprofits trying to fill it

Nonprofit newsrooms like States Newsroom keep close tabs on the state legislatures and regulatory agencies where decisions are being made that affect many aspects of daily life for citizens: taxes, environmental rules, health care policy, school funding, workers rights and much more.

Maine’s new broadband agency is readying its plan to expand high-speed internet

Later in December 2021, Maine's new broadband agency will submit its plan to the federal government to use $128 million to expand and improve high-speed internet access across the state. The Maine Connectivity Authority is just six months old, but the quasi-governmental agency is already sitting on $21 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan that Democrats in Congress passed earlier this year, and it will soon submit its proposal to the US Treasury Department to spend $128 million more.

Grafton County, New Hampshire's broadband push faces challenge from incumbent providers

Nik Coates, the town administrator for Bristol (NH), is working on a project that would bring New Hampshire closer to the goal of universal coverage. Coates is also part of the Grafton County Broadband Committee, which applied for $26.2 million in federal funds that would go toward building out broadband in that county. But the grant process – through the National Transportation Infrastructure Agency – is facing a challenge from incumbent providers who say they are already providing service in the region.

Gov Pritzker Announces Accelerate Illinois Broadband Infrastructure Planning Program

Gov JB Pritzker (D-IL) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Broadband announced the Accelerate Illinois Broadband Infrastructure Planning Program. The program – a collaborative effort by the Illinois Office of Broadband, Illinois-based Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, and University of Illinois Extension – will help local governments throughout Illinois receive expert support as they prepare to leverage new dollars that will be made available by the state as well as through the historic passage of the federal infrastructure program.

Quality rural broadband in the works in Platte County, Nebraska

Platte County and Loup Power District have joined a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for broadband infrastructure development, investigating a public-private partnership to bring higher quality broadband to the rural area. The partnership is the brainchild of Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) Special Assistant to the Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Innovation Pat Pope. Since retiring from his longtime position as the president and CEO of NPPD in February 2020, Pope has been working on rural broadband development.

Alaska is expecting infrastructure funds for broadband efforts

Alaska could receive more than $1 billion from the recently passed federal infrastructure package for high-speed broadband networks. According to Alaska Telecom Association executive director Christine O'Connor, that amount of funding would be “transformational.” “We’ve never seen an environment like this before for broadband,” she said. O’Connor was a member of a broadband task force established by Gov Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) that recently released a report on improving internet access.

What rural Louisiana stands to gain from the infrastructure law

Residents of St. Helena Parish (LA) have long driven on roads that seem to cave in as quickly as they’re fixed. However, local officials are lauding President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law as a chance for change. Broadband internet and roads — two resources that draw frequent complaints in this rural parish with deeply-rooted infrastructure troubles — are key areas the massive bill targets. It holds $65 billion for internet upgrades nationwide, and $110 billion to refurbish bridges and roads.

South Bend will expand its Open WiFi program in 2022

The city of South Bend (IN) has plans to expand free WiFi and become more fiber-friendly in 2022. The city currently has over 30 access points for free WiFi, many of which are in public parks or city buildings. Chief Innovation Officer Denise Riedl said the city has state and federal grant money to add even more access points in 2022. She said the city will start taking public input on where those access points should be in early 2022. Riedl said the city is also looking to expand its fiber optic cable capacity in the future.

Broadband infrastructure funding could be 'life-changing,' advocates say

Since President Joe Biden signed the $1 trillion infrastructure act into law last week, state broadband officials have expressed optimism that its $65 billion in broadband funding can close their digital divides for good.

ILSR Welcomes DeAnne Cueller as the New Community Broadband Outreach Team Lead

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is thrilled to welcome DeAnne Cueller to the Community Broadband Networks Initiative, where she will serve as the Community Broadband Outreach Team Lead. With the confluence of local, state, and federal energy pouring into finding the right broadband solutions joining an unprecedented amount of money flowing over the next few years, the opportunity exists to move the needle in connecting local broadband champions to each other, as well as the resources and tools they need to build more locally accountable, transparent infrastructure.

How the infrastructure package could fix rural America's internet problems

Many rural areas across the US lack access to high-speed, affordable internet largely because installing the infrastructure isn't worth the investment for internet service providers to take on. The unprecedented amount of federal funding for broadband included in the recently signed infrastructure law aims to fix the digital divide in a different way than the government has tried before. It will put money into the hands of communities that may know how to best address the issue.

Broadband providers have failed to reach all Maine homes. Now they’re fighting towns trying to do it themselves.

Towns in Maine are considering municipal-run networks that would reach residents who lack broadband access. At a recent Leeds (ME) town meeting, residents debated the creation of a town-run broadband network paid for through a $2.2 million bond. The Leeds broadband proposal sought a slice of the federal funds that have been flowing into the state since last year by leveraging a commitment from voters to borrow money to extend high-speed fiber to households who can’t get it, or that were unwilling to pay the thousands of dollars Spectrum, the only local provider, would charge them.

Louisiana aims to bridge digital divide by 2029

Louisiana’s goal is to have broadband service in all unserved areas of the state by 2029. To help bridge the digital divide, applications for Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) grants are being accepted until December 31. That program, run by the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity (ConnectLA), is designed to help private providers bring more accessible and affordable broadband service to areas that have download speeds of less than 25 Mbps and upload speeds lower than 3 Mbps.

Broadband is the Achilles' heel of telehealth

As wonderful as telehealth is, it has a serious Achilles' heel. The fate of telehealth adoption is tied to the fate of broadband adoption. And broadband in millions of additional homes isn't strong enough to drive telehealth. Redlining, politics, and adverse economics leaves low-income communities stuck with outdated, broken infrastructure. Annually, billions in government spending to replace obsolete networks passes over big cities and are squandered by large telecom and cable companies before broadband reaches rural homes.

Investments to Accelerate Digital Equity

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on developing the infrastructure necessary to provide low-income residents in the County with affordable, high quality and high speed, sustainable internet service. Approximately 364,000 households in Los Angeles County lack internet access due primarily to cost. The county will explore viable options to facilitate residential access to reliable broadband service in low-income communities that lack internet service and to return to the Board with quarterly updates. The Board:

Santa Barbara City Council to Tackle Broadband, State Street Master Plan

The Santa Barbara (CA) City Council is looking to spend $60,460 to work toward stronger broadband internet services. If the council approves the expenditure, which will be taken from American Rescue Act funds, it would join Santa Barbara County and other local agencies to work on a strategic plan.

Colrain, Massachusetts' town-wide broadband project nears completion

Nearly eight years after Colrain (MA) residents approved a bond to fund a town-wide broadband project, that project has just a “handful” of installations left to be completed. About 600 houses in Colrain are now connected to the broadband service. Michael Shuipis, a co-manager of Colrain’s Municipal Light Plant, said he has been “pleasantly surprised” by the number of people in town who have signed onto the service.

Bloomington, Indiana Signs Letter of Intent with Meridiam for High-Speed Fiber Network

Mayor John Hamilton (D-IN) announced that the City of Bloomington and Meridiam have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the firm to build and operate a fiber network to bring high-speed internet to Bloomington (IN) residences. By the end of 2021, the City plans to enter into an agreement with the infrastructure developer to construct an open-access fiber-optic network delivering gigabit-class broadband service throughout Bloomington, including the city’s low-income neighborhoods. Meridiam intends to begin construction in 2022.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission plans regional approach to broadband improvements

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is teaming with Carnegie Mellon University, Allies for Children and others to take a regional approach to improving broadband service in the 10-county area in an effort to take best advantage of $65 billion in recently approved federal infrastructure funds. For more than a year, the planning agency has been working mostly behind the scenes with consultant Michael Baker to identify broadband dead spots, areas with insufficient service, and residents who can’t afford service, under a program dubbed SWPA Connected.

Oakland Program Empowers Groups to Tackle Digital Divide

Ten organizations receiving funding through The Town Link, a program that aims to improve digital equity in Oakland (CA) will be offering various trainings over the next year to improve digital inclusion and literacy within their communities. The organizations will each receive $10,000 to inform residents about affordable broadband plans, pay for computers and tablets, and then teach them the necessary skills to use those devices. The campaigns are to be complete by fall 2022.

How the Infrastructure Bill Can Make Broadband Accessible to More Americans

President Joe Biden’s trillion-dollar infrastructure bill promises the largest public investment in telecommunications in the country’s history. Of the $65 billion allocated for high-speed internet—broadband—$42.45 billion is earmarked specifically for deployment projects through state grants.

City Of Greendale Partners With Cincinnati Bell To Bring Fiber Broadband To Residents

The Greendale (IN) city council approved a deal with Cincinnati Bell to bring fiber broadband to businesses and residents in the city. Mayor Alan Weiss says the fiber broadband will be a lot faster and more reliable than what Greendale businesses and residents are used to. Cincinnati Bell offers up to 1 GB which equals 1,000 MB per second. Currently, a lot of homes in Greendale have 25 MB per second or less. The minimum package offers 100 MB per second. Work to install fiber lines is expected to start in early 2022. It will take 18 months to two years to complete the installation.