Universal Broadband

Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced the latest ConnectSD broadband grants. These awards will make quality, high-speed internet available to underserved households in South Dakota. Over $32 million in grants were awarded for 13 projects from nine applicants.

The Aloha State was not prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic's stay-at-home/work-from-home orders. The immediate halt to most in-person interaction resulted in disruptions to business, education, healthcare, the provision of other essential services, and social functions—demonstrating Hawaiʻi’s vulnerabilities, which were exacerbated by inadequate digital infrastructure. As a result, providing equitable access to broadband, improving digital literacy, and effectively applying digital tools in essential sectors are now among the state’s most pressing challenges.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit joined the 5th Circuit in rejecting an attack on the constitutionality of the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (USF). The  USF is a critical means of reducing the cost of broadband and other telecommunications services for schools, hospitals and libraries, for low-income consumers, and for residents of rural America. The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, MediaJustice, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance are intervenors supporting the FCC in this case.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced a new Affordable Connectivity Program application landing page available at GetInternet.gov.

Connect Humanity is investing in a fiber network in Macon County, Alabama. The Macon County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA) has been working diligently to expand internet access in the county, where 40% of families have lacked access to home internet at broadband speeds. With support from Rural LISC, MCEDA entered into a public private partnership with rural internet provider Point Broadband to build out a fiber network that would deliver quality, affordable broadband to families and businesses across the county.

After four years at the helm, Francella Ochillo announced that she will move on from her role as Executive Director of Next Century Cities (NCC), an organization committed to bringing connectivity within reach for every resident in every community. Since joining Next Century Cities in 2019, Ochillo has been recognized as one of the most impactful digital rights advocates in the country.

High-speed internet access is expanding in rural Oklahoma. The Cooperative Broadband Coalition, or CBC, celebrated a major milestone: 100,000 Oklahomans who previously did not have access now had access to high-speed internet. The Cooperative Broadband Coalition said 10 electric cooperatives with fiber subsidiaries are experiencing adoption rates as high as 52% in rural Oklahoma, adding about 2,000 subscribers a month.

Approximately 1.4 million locations currently eligible for funding in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program would not be eligible if the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) were to change its definition of “reliable” broadband, according to an analysis by telecom consultancy Vantage Point Solutions. At issue is whether fixed wireless access (FWA) service deployed in unlicensed spectrum bands is considered “reliable.” Currently, NTIA doesn’t consider it to be reliable because of concerns about the long-term ability of unlicensed spectrum to s

The Maine Connectivity Authority is launching a new program to provide targeted support to Broadband Utility Districts (BUDs) in Maine. Broadband Utility Districts are community-based organizations formed to build and operate broadband networks to increase access to high-speed internet. The utility district ownership model is a critical part of helping enable regional scale impact resulting in improved connectivity and digital equity in Maine. The districts often partner with service providers to operate the network, while the communities in the districts own the internet infrastructure.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many of society’s inequities into sharp relief, but arguably none were more exposed than a digital divide that had been growing steadily over three decades – a divide that disproportionately left low-income, minority, and rural Americans without a lifeline as a global crisis unfolded. Digital inclusion issues manifest in several different ways, including inequities tied to infrastructure, devices, affordability, and digital literacy.