Localism

The city of Houston (TX) has started the deployment of digitally interactive kiosks, which will offer wayfinding information and act as Wi-Fi hot spots. In the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic shifted schools and government alike to operate virtually, digital equity has become a top priority for cities. Local governments have taken a number of routes to establish more public Wi-Fi hot spots, deploying them at libraries and even in smart streetlights.

A publicly owned, open-access fiber network could be on the way for 31 Vermont communities. Northwest FiberworX and Lamoille FiberNet are two communications union districts that have agreed to build and own an open-access fiber network. The network would host multiple service providers with the intention of serving everyone in its communities on the grid, both homes and businesses. Sean Kio, the executive director of Northwest FiberworX, says 50 to 60 percent of the estimated $109 million in costs will come from state and federal grants.

Hamilton (OH) has offered broadband services for some businesses during a beta test, but now is opening it up to any business in the city. City Council approved legislation that will implement a permanent offering for broadband services. “The intent is to provide local, reliable, affordable utilities to our customers and to provide those at a level of service that’s requested by our community,” said Edwin Porter, Hamilton’s executive director of Infrastructure.

Broadband internet will reach nearly all parts of Tippecanoe County (IN) after work finishes on a multi-million-dollar project. It's one of several county projects paid for by President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan. "Tippecanoe County will be one of the first to be able to say that we have that type of service to every single parcel," County Commissioner Tom Murtaugh says. "These are remote areas.

The Illinois General Assembly is currently considering legislation that will constrain the state's use of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act broadband funding and likely impair efforts to close the digital divide in Illinois.

In 2021, twenty-five community leaders from across Baltimore came together with national experts in areas related to network engineering, federal policymaking, community broadband networking, and grassroots organizing for a five-week online program, called “The Digital Equity Leadership Lab (DELL).” DELL was created by Rober

A new program in Chattanooga (TN)’s Orchard Knob neighborhood will expand access to internet connectivity - as well as digital technology and services - to improve residents’ health and quality of life. The pilot program, which aims to reach 1,000 residents, will be funded through a more than $600,000 grant from TVA’s Connected Communities grant program.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced exciting, new Transform Howard projects that will make remarkable progress in closing the digital divide in Howard County (MD) with broadband expansion to 85 percent of currently unserved households. Ball detailed three projects to implement public Wi-Fi and broadband in Elkridge to 100 households and expand broadband access in Western Howard County to 462 households.

For many months during the pandemic, Americans were forced to function remotely and were dependent upon internet access to stay connected with work or school. Those who lacked quality access fell behind. With recent passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, $65 billion in federal funds will be used to expand broadband infrastructure to underserved communities across the US.

The Utah Broadband Center, powered by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, has launched a statewide internet speed test campaign for Utahns to report their internet speed at home, work, or wherever they connect. In partnership with GeoPartners, a geospatial engineering firm, data from the Utah Internet Speed Test campaign will be mapped and used to identify areas of low or no access to high-speed internet.