County

FOCUS Broadband Completes First Round of GREAT Grant Projects in Chowan and Perquimans Counties

FOCUS Broadband announced that nearly 4,000 addresses in Chowan and Perquimans (NC) counties now have access to fiber optic high-speed internet with speeds of up to 5 Gbps, thanks to two North Carolina Department of Information Technology Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology Grants totaling $8 million. These grants, awarded to FOCUS Broadband in late 2022, have already connected over 1,200 homes and businesses. Work is currently underway with substantial progress having already been made on two additional projects in Chowan and Perquimans counties.

Appalachian Regional Commission Broadband Grant to Connect 200 Ohio Homes

Residents of Meigs County (OH)—a county whose eastern edge borders West Virginia and the winding Ohio River—are set to benefit from a $352,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

AI in Local Government: How Counties & Cities Are Advancing AI Governance

While much attention has been paid to the use of artificial intelligence by state and federal agencies, city and local governments also are increasingly using AI and should implement safeguards around public sector uses of these tools. City and county governments a

Rural Hospitals and Patients Are Disconnected From Modern Care

The Greene County (AL) Health System, with only three doctors, has no intensive care unit or surgical services.

US Ignite Leads Broadband Plan Development for Nation’s Third-Largest County

US Ignite is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Harris County (TX), the third-largest county in the United States. US Ignite will develop a comprehensive broadband plan for the county. The initiative ensures that Harris County’s Broadband Plan aligns with changes in technology, policies, and the county’s vision for connectivity. As part of this initiative, US Ignite will comprehensively evaluate Harris County’s existing broadband plan, ensuring it aligns with the field’s best practices and recent advancements in broadband strategy.

Cancellation of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Is Drastically Impacting the Delivery of Digital Inclusion Services for Millions Nationwide

Since 2020, the digital navigator model has spread like wildfire. Programs with trusted guides who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices, and digital skills are now in hundreds of communities across the U.S. Thirty-nine states and territories included digital navigator programs in their state/territory digital equity/opportunity plans, many of whom included libraries as key community partners.

Effective Dig Once Policies

I know a number of counties and cities that have adopted dig once policies that require that every major road project includes burying empty conduit along new or reworked roads. A lot of them have found out that dig once is more complicated than they imagined. It’s a common misconception that dig once just means laying conduit in the ground while roads are dug up for repaving. It’s not that easy.

Furious at the FCC, Arkansas jail cancels inmate phone calls rather than lower rates

Sheriff John Montgomery of Baxter County, Arkansas, isn't going to take it anymore—if by "it" you mean "having to offer lower phone call rates to incarcerated inmates." Noting that such phone calls are "not required to be provided by law," Sheriff Montgomery is ending all inmate phone calls on March 30, 2025. The cause of Montgomery's wrath, and of his March 30 date, is the Federal Communications Commission, which set an April 1, 2025, deadline for smaller jails to lower the obscene ra

Brightspeed Launches Transformative, High-Speed Fiber Internet to Thousands in Wake Forest (NC)

Brightspeed has made it easier for families and local businesses in Wake Forest and beyond to access multi-gig-speed internet. Joined by N.C. Department of Information Technology Representative Angie Bailey, State Representative Mike Schietzelt, Wake Forest Mayor Vivian A.

eX² Technology to Deliver an NTIA-Funded Fiber Optic Network in Pima County, Arizona, Enabling Long-Awaited Critical Connectivity Opportunities

eX² Technology announced the agreement to deliver an approximate $43.2 million fiber optic middle mile network in Pima County (AZ). The open-access fiber optic network will enable high-speed, reliable internet access to support remote learning, telework, telehealth, and more while fostering digital equity and inclusion. As communities across the country wrestle with limited internet options, Pima County is taking the necessary steps to drive its future connectivity forward.