Local/Municipal

Seattle’s Equity-Based Approach to Digital Inclusion

The City of Seattle’s Information Technology department (Seattle IT) supports digital equity programs and services as a coalition organization. The City began its digital equity work in the mid-1990s in response to community advocacy concerning access to information technology.

Conexon Connect expands footprint across rural Florida, delivering broadband access to 14,000 homes and businesses throughout Big Bend region

Conexon Connect, the internet service provider (ISP) arm of rural fiber broadband leader Conexon, has reached another key milestone in Florida.

Q&A with South Bend CIO Denise Linn Riedl on city’s digital transformation

Among several cities with 75,000–125,000 residents, the city of South Bend (IN) was named the No.1 Digital City at the 2024 National League of Cities Conference. Established by the Center for Digital Government to recognize cities improving constituent services through innovative technology, South Bend won first place for incorporating generative AI, expanding the Open WiFi Network, and the revamped Police Transparency Hub. Inside INdiana Business spoke with South Bend Chief Innovation Officer Denise Linn Riedl about the digital transformation that is occurring within city government.

Mayor Scott, BCIT Award $2 Million Grant to Waves to Expand Internet Access to Low-Income Households

Through the Connect Baltimore Broadband Grant Program, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Office of Broadband and Digital Equity—a division of the Baltimore City Office of Information and Technology—have awarded Waves a $2 million grant as part of the Scott Administration’s efforts to improve internet access, adoption, and utilization in underserved neighborhoods. Waves, a division of the nonprofit Digital Harbor Foundation, is an internet service provider based in Baltimore.

The Digital Literacy Alliance Announces Recipients for its Fall 2024 Grant Cycle to Address Digital Inclusion

The Digital Literacy Alliance (DLA) announced its Fall 2024 grant cycle recipients. The latest cycle focused on innovative community engagement practices that address digital inclusion through resident volunteers, peer leadership, and/or community ambassador models. The Independence Public Media Foundation awarded the Digital Literacy Alliance $157,000 to support this particular set of initiatives.

Introducing ‘Fiberhoods’: untapped opportunities for broadband investments

Right now, fiber-to-the-home providers have a unique opportunity to become market leaders in small cities, large towns, and high population density rural areas where cable modem currently is the only option. We call these areas “fiberhoods” because they are neighborhoods large enough to support a privately funded fiber deployment but small enough that the incumbent cable provider is not motivated to upgrade on their own. The first company to deploy fiber to such a market typically captures the majority of customers in short order. The ideal fiberhood has:

The Divide: Gigi Sohn on growing, funding and defending public broadband networks

According to data from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), there are now more than 400 public broadband networks in the US, serving over 700 communities. Moreover, several (but not all) communities have prevailed in recent years at changing existing state laws preventing the launch of public broadband networks, including most recently Colorado and Minnesota.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves and Recommends for Award D.C.'s Digital Equity Capacity Grant Application for More Than $3.8 Million

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award an application from Washington, D.C., allowing D.C. to request access to more than $3.8 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. D.C. will use the $3,804,000 in funding to implement key digital equity initiatives, including:  

City of San Diego’s Broadband Master Plan Aims to Address Internet Access and Digital Equity

The City of San Diego has taken the first steps to create a new Broadband Master Plan, an initiative that aims to provide an analysis of current broadband access and make recommendations to increase access, adoption and affordability in identified locations.

Transforming our nation’s public safety broadband network

The FirstNet network, operated by the FirstNet Authority as an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), enables the fire service, EMS, and law enforcement to do their jobs more safely and effectively, no matter where they are located. The network is exclusive to emergency services, giving responders the ability to access the resources they need in real time as they respond to incidents.