April 2022

Conquering the St Louis, Missouri, Digital Divide: Steps Necessary to Bridge the Gap

The St Louis (MO) Community Foundation released a report on the digital divide in St Louis and the steps necessary to bridge the gap. This report provides a detailed and actionable assessment of the digital landscape in St Louis City and County. The digital divide impacts broad swaths of the St Louis population, and is most acutely felt by low-income and minority communities. This assessment positions St Louis to understand the breadth and depth of the digital divide, and establishes the necessary framework to catapult the city as a national leader in digital equity.

Public Utility Commission of Texas Approves Middle Mile Broadband Rule

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) adopts the first middle-mile broadband rule for the state of Texas. The rule permits electric utilities to lease their excess fiber capacity to internet service providers to provide broadband in unserved and underserved areas of Texas. While the PUCT does not regulate broadband service, this rule will help electric utilities, which the PUCT does regulate, partner with internet service providers to expand broadband access to Texans.

What US courts learned using video communications platforms

In courtrooms across the US, judges hear from lawyers, prosecutors, plaintiffs, law enforcement officers, witnesses and others, all with the mission to resolve criminal and civil disputes fairly and transparently. Most observers agree, however, that the volume and complexity of cases before the courts in recent years have slowed the proverbial wheels of justice to a crawl. Then suddenly, the courts came to grips with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and scrambled to defer in-person hearings. Many feared cases might grind to a standstill. Instead, something remarkable happened.