Politically powerful AT&T, a very generous contributor to legislators' campaign kitties, opposes the governor's plan. So does the cable TV industry. They object to the state creating competitors.
A public-private program launched last year has helped thousands of students in Tennessee’s Hamilton County Schools acquire reliable Internet, building upon existing fiber-optic networks in Chattanooga.
State lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the creation of a new public authority to coordinate the investment of tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for broadband infrastructure in Maine.
The GOP-led budget committee voted to borrow $125 million for broadband expansion projects throughout the state, overriding Gov. Tony Evers’ initial proposal of about $200 million over the biennium.
The Kandiyohi County commissioners reached a consensus this week, committing $1,314,386 to a project that will expand high-speed broadband to Dovre, Mamre, St. Johns and Arctander townships.
Building on its existing 5G small cell networks with AT&T and Verizon, San Jose, Calif., asked the companies to shift expansion to neighborhoods of high need, creating a “virtuous cycle” to boost connectivity.
Ohio Republican lawmakers are trying to strangle municipal broadband programs in Ohio and hold up $190 million in proposed state funding to expand high-speed Internet to underserved areas of the state.
The Essex County, Mass., Community Foundation has announced a new $2 million initiative that seeks to help connect thousands of residents who lack access to a computer or an Internet connection.
Polk County, Fla., has had a broadband advisory committee and broadband plan for years, but many residents still have trouble performing duties for school and work due to a lack of affordable high-speed Internet.
A coalition of senators, led by Washington's senior Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, is behind a proposal that would funnel $1 billion in grants over five years to help close the digital divide.
