Coverage of how Internet service is deployed, used and regulated.
Internet/Broadband
What Progress Has Been Made in Closing the K-12 Digital Divide?
According to a report in February from the policy research firm Public Policy Associates, 2.1 million more children had broadband access in 2021 than 2019, following efforts at the local, state and federal levels to narrow the digital divide for online education during COVID-19 school closures.
Charter CFO says there’s ‘tremendous opportunity’ for rural broadband
Charter Communications has frequently talked up the pace of its rural deployments, reaching 68,000 subsidized rural passings in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023. CFO Jessica Fischer said the Charter has a “tremendous opportunity” to expand its footprint to rural areas. Charter was one of the largest winners in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction, and Fischer noted progress in those builds “has been going quite well” in terms of pace and penetration.
Oklahoma Broadband Office Launching ARPA Grant Competition
The Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) is launching an open process for internet service providers (ISPs) to compete for $374 million in America Rescue Plan Act (APRA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLFR) Funds to expand access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet service in Oklahoma. The OBO released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the program.
Washington State Broadband Office awards $14.5 million to provide one-on-one technical support, devices, and subscriptions to facilitate internet use and adoption
The Washington State Department of Commerce committed $14.5 million in grants to continue expanding access to the internet through digital navigator services. These grants were awarded to three organizations:
California Bill Proposes Regulating AI at State Level
State Senator Scott Wiener (D-CA) will introduce a new artificial intelligence (AI) bill to the California legislature that targets “frontier” AI systems at the threshold of capability. The bill proposes:
SHLB Submits BEAD Recommendations to State Broadband Leaders
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition issued a set of crucial recommendations to State and U.S. Territory Broadband Leaders as they shape their BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) Five-Year Action Plans and Initial and Final Proposals. “Community anchor institutions play a crucial role in ensuring open, affordable, high-performance broadband for everyone in the US,” said Adrianne Furniss, Executive Director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.
Senator Bennet Urges Leader Schumer to Consider AI Labels, Disclosures, Risk Assessments, and Audits
On August 30, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) wrote Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about Leader Schumer's SAFE Innovation Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI). Sen. Bennet suggested that several critical elements be considered when developing the framework:
Google has a new tool to outsmart authoritarian internet censorship
Google is launching new anti-censorship technology, Outline VPN, to increase access for internet users living under authoritarian regimes.
Building the nation’s largest municipal broadband program
A Q&A with the New York City (NYC) Office of Technology & Innovation’s Brett Sikoff centered on increasing broadband accessibility via the city's Big Apple Connect program. The program has delivered free high-speed internet to 220 public housing developments across the city: that’s over 300,000 New Yorkers who now have access to the internet for free.
Northwestern Vermont towns make a deal for broadband
Northwest Fiberworx, the communications union district (CUD) for 22 northwestern Vermont communities serving 30,000 customers, has signed a deal for fiber-optic broadband with South Royalton-based Great Works Internet (GWI) Vermont. The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) will provide funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.