1. Monthly archive
  2. September 2023

September 2023

One More Mapping Challenge

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is requiring state broadband offices to have one final mapping challenge at the state level before the state can issue the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grants. This final challenge is the one that folks have been waiting for since the NTIA suggests that there can be a challenge against the claimed broadband speeds. My consulting firm has been working with communities, and we are still seeing a lot of inaccurate information.

Virginia is getting an extra $250 million for broadband expansion, thanks to researchers at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech bested the Federal Communications Commission in mapping the commonwealth’s broadband needs. The prize: an additional $250 million in federal money to help fill those high-speed internet voids. The Virginia Tech’s Center for Geospatial Information Technology calculated that the FCC had undercounted by 180,000 underserved locations and challenged the numbers. The FCC conceded about 80,000 locations that are now eligible for support from the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act’s (IIJA) Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Sponsor 

ALLvanza; the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC); LGBT Tech; OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

Date 
Tue, 09/12/2023 - 12:00 to 13:30

A conversation on online privacy.

During the event, experts will discuss the complex landscape of online privacy as it pertains to vulnerable communities, and the innovative approaches, tools and policies that can empower underserved groups to navigate the digital ecosystem securely and assert their right to privacy.


Digital Equity in Rural Areas

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 46 million U.S. residents living in rural areas make up 14 percent of the U.S. population. Historically, internet providers have underserved rural areas due to a myriad of factors, including smaller rural populations providing fewer customers, decreased rural adoption rates, and more difficult rural terrain in comparison to urban areas. Even when internet is available in rural areas, less competition among limited providers may result in higher prices and limited speed options for residents.

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