StateScoop
North Carolina prepares for a $1 billion broadband push
Despite nearly 70,000 North Carolina households and businesses conducting internet connection speed tests as part of a year-long survey, the state “still has a lot more to do” before it can begin a $1 billion broadband expansion, according to state officials. The survey, launched in July 2020 by North Carolina State University’s Friday Institute, found that at least 450,000 households, or roughly 10 percent of the state, lacks adequate broadband coverage.
State IT officials say they're getting 'fair share' of relief funds
State IT officials are starting to see the effects of federal pandemic recovery money flowing in, and are using the funds to better equip remote workforces, improve network security and expand broadband. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that President Joe Biden signed in March 2021 included $350 billion tailored for state and local governments.
Tennessee to spend $500 million in American Rescue Plan funding on broadband
Tennessee will spend $500 million of its funding from the American Rescue Plan to expand broadband, though exactly where the money goes hinges on a statewide coverage map that’s still being developed.
Tribal wireless boot camp builds community for broadband
Several nonprofit groups held a “wireless boot camp” for Tribal nations from Northern California, the first in what organizers said will be a series of training sessions for Native American communities seeking to improve their connectivity where commercial internet service providers haven’t. Members of the Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe and Bear River Band met with experts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), the Internet Society and the University of Washington. The gathering, attended by about 20 people, was a chance for tribes that received
NSF and USDA fund rural broadband test site in Iowa
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Agriculture are spending $8 million to build a rural broadband testing site in Ames, Iowa, that both industry engineers and researchers from Iowa State University plan to use for developing wireless technologies and piloting rural connectivity strategies.
Cisco targets rural broadband expansion with North Carolina center
Cisco opened a Rural Broadband Innovation Center in North Carolina, which the company said will show off technologies designed for cost-effective broadband expansion. The center, located in Morrisville, a Raleigh suburb, is part of Cisco’s push to address the digital divide. Small, rural providers will play a key role in ensuring equitable broadband access, so they need access to the latest solutions and information on how to implement them, CEO Chuck Robbins said.
FCC leader shares 'cautious optimism' for broadband expansion in schools
Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel offered measured confidence about expanding broadband connectivity in schools following the pandemic. Addressing a virtual roundtable meeting of local officials from around Maryland, Chairwoman Rosenworcel promoted a trio of programs funded by Congress and the FCC aimed at improving connectivity for disadvantaged schools and communities.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel says ISPs are flocking to 'historic' broadband subsidy effort
The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing applications from internet service providers to join the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. The program has already received more than 380 applications from broadband providers interested in offering discounted services, though a program start date hasn’t been set. The FCC will send eligible households $50 per month for broadband service and as much as a $100 one-time benefit for a new computer or tablet.
New Jersey Gov. says digital divide among students is 'closed'
The New Jersey Department of Education announced that the state has entirely closed its digital divide among students, connecting every K-12 public school student with the devices and broadband necessary to participate in digital classrooms. A survey of New Jersey school districts conducted by the state’s education department at the onset of the pandemic revealed that more than 100,000 students in the state could not access the internet at home and that school districts would need more than 150,000 additional devices to serve their students.