1. Monthly archive
  2. August 2021

August 2021

Cox Helps People Connect to the Internet through Emergency Connectivity Fund

Cox Communications is working with local schools and libraries to help provide internet service through the Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) to help people get connected to what matters most. The ECF program is open to students, educational staff and library patrons who would otherwise lack a sufficient connection to the internet for remote learning and remote library services. ECF will provide funding to schools and libraries to deliver internet services to individuals and families they determine need an internet connection.

Broadband Anchor Institutions Drive Telehealth in Rural Areas

The FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund is providing $7 billion worth of broadband and leading digital technology for two critical anchor institutions – libraries and schools. Three US Senators launched the BRIDGE Act to bring $40 billion to these and other anchor institutions. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) opened a $122 billion grab bag of tech and non-tech funds.

The ABCs of Telehealth in Schools

The Federal Communications Commission and the US Treasury Department are giving schools a tremendous opportunity to close both the homework gap and the healthcare gap.

Satellite internet firms head to India to close digital divide

Several satellite firms, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, Amazon's Project Kuiper and Bharti Airtel and the British Government's OneWeb, have made a beeline for the Indian market. A key reason is that 50 percent of India's vast population of around 1.3. billion is yet to be connected, mainly because of the high cost of setting up a network in rural areas with low returns spread over a long time.

Sponsor 

Fiber Broadband Association

Date 
Thu, 08/19/2021 - 14:00

Hosted by Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton

The Senate passed the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act by a vote of 69-30. The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill includes a $65 billion broadband title. While the bipartisan infrastructure legislation has been reported out of the Senate, there remains much work to be done in the House of Representatives before the bill would be sent to the President to be signed into law.


Deadline for Emergency Connectivity Fund Applications is August 13

Schools and libraries have until 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on August 13 to complete their applications for the Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Connectivity Fund. The program is designed to help close the digital divide by providing schools and libraries with funds to pay for the purchase of laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connections for off-campus use by students, and school staff, as well as library patrons, and is available to support off-campus learning.

5G’s Big Equity Problem

The conversation around 5G usually fails to address how it will likely exacerbate the already deep digital divide.

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