Universal Broadband

Telehealth can't succeed without expanding access to affordable broadband internet, witnesses told the Senate Commerce Committee on Oct 7. But extending the regulatory flexibilities around this access granted under the public health emergency, which are slated to expire when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, is also critical, they said, stressing that the benefits of telemedicine can't be understated.

A broadband expansion project in Fond du Lac County (WI) aims to increase access to high-speed internet for rural residents while also laying the foundation for further internet connectivity. The county will be the prime issuer of $80 million in bonds to support a multi-county broadband expansion project by Bug Tussel Wireless, LLC. The Fond du Lac County Board has approved a resolution to enter an agreement with Bug Tussel and subsequent intergovernmental agreements between the counties benefiting from the project.

On October 4, 2021, the National Lifeline Association (NaLA) met with the Office of Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel to discuss the Lifeline Program and the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program. The discussion focused on the Lifeline minimum service standards (MSS), getting the Lifeline program ready for the end of the EBB and certain Lifeline and EBB process improvements that should be made by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC).

The Connect Illinois program launched in 2019, pairing the then-largest state matching grant program for broadband expansion -- the $400 million Connect Illinois Broadband Grant Program - - with an appropriately ambitious commitment to digital equity and inclusion. The investment also included $20 million to enable the existing 2,100-mile Illinois Century Network to provide all school districts in the state with access to free gigabit broadband.

This report details the potential for broadband to increase economic, educational, and health care opportunities in the Black Rural South—152 rural counties with populations that are at least 35 percent Black. Key findings show:

Located along the Hudson River, Yonkers is the gateway between New York City and the Hudson Valley. Through Project OVERCOME, the leaders of the digital opportunity zone known as Yonkers Zone, or Y-Zone, will provide free Internet access to approximately 250-350 households in downtown Yonkers using spectrum in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) frequency band.

Nishal Mohan, founder and CEO of the tech nonprofit, Mohuman, wants to make technology more accessible and affordable for people in underserved communities. “I have lived experience on both sides of the digital divide, with a deep understanding of the complex systemic inequities perpetuating it, that go beyond devices and internet access. And I know how to fix it,” he says. “I want everyone to have an easier time than my family and I did, to succeed.

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) announced Purdue University's Roberto Gallardo will be assisting with the Next Level Connections Broadband Grant programs. In this role, Gallardo will be responsible for guiding the suite of rural broadband programs, including program delivery, compliance and reporting, trainings and policies, partnerships and fiscal integrity. Gallardo joins OCRA on a contractual basis and will continue to serve as the Director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development and a Purdue Extension Community & Regional Economics Specialist.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocates $65 billion to broadband infrastructure spending, with approximately $47 billion of this dedicated to building networks.

Cities Corinth and Lake Dallas as well as towns Hickory Creek and Shady Shores (TX), collectively known as the Lake Cities, are seeking a public-private partnership to deploy a fiber network to households and businesses in the area. The project, with the help of $4 million in American Rescue Plan funds, would include building a middle-mile fiber ring to support government services around the four cities, connecting public buildings and facilities.