The economic benefits of high-speed internet go beyond access and expansion, as examined by researchers from the University of Missouri Extension in their new study ‘The Economic Benefits of Expanding Broadband in Selected Missouri Counties.’ The study focused on three rural areas: Bollinger County has the lowest broadband adoptio
Governments can use American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay for broadband infrastructure. Experts say local governments are in the best position to know what initiatives will work to connect residents. Because barriers to broadband access vary widely from neighborhood to neighborhood and household to household, local governments are best positioned to figure out what assistance residents need in order to log on. A number of initiatives can help cities interested in using the federal dollars on broadband, including:
The US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.4 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Ann Arbor SPARK, Ann Arbor (MI), to construct 20 miles of underground fiber optic cable in the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to attract and retain high-tech businesses, specifically in the growing mobility sector.
The Federal Communications Commission created new innovation zones in and nearby North Carolina State University in Raleigh (NC) and Northeastern University in Boston (MA) to allow for advanced wireless communications and network innovation research.
Both T-Mobile and Verizon appear to have excellent timing in regard to their fixed wireless access (FWA) initiatives. They’re advancing FWA right when the US government is poised to spend billions to close the digital divide in America following the pandemic. In terms of the types of communities that are ripe for FWA, T-Mobile is targeting underserved areas of rural America, remote areas with challenging geographies, and lower-income neighborhoods in urban and suburban areas.
© 1994-2026 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.
