- Colorado Expands Digital ASL
- FCC to Change Consumer Labels
- Localities Partner for Connectivity
- Oklahoma Broadband Projects
- Report: Divide Is Narrowing
COLORADO EXPANDS DIGITAL ASL
The Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) has been on a mission in recent years to expand access to a digital tool known as Aira ASL, which provides real-time digital interpretation services with a live American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. This technology, which aims to improve access to government services and information, has now been expanded to 11 History Colorado museums and historic sites.
Colorado has a state law mandating all its agencies meet accessibility standards by July 2024, two years prior to the federal accessibility mandate deadline.
The state government’s use of Aira kicked off in 2023 with interpreter services for Coloradans who are blind or have low vision. By 2024, users were able to deploy the service in Colorado’s 42 state parks. As of April, the tool was being piloted at all 32 of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation locations and at 46 Workforce Centers.
Now, Aira will be available at select History Colorado locations in a limited-time pilot; feedback and usage data from the endeavor will inform a decision about its continuation.
“This innovative pilot program shows our dedication to strengthening communities by making history relevant and accessible to all visitors,” Dawn DiPrince, president and CEO of History Colorado and State Historic Preservation Officer, said in a statement.
The tool is being offered through OIT’s Technology Accessibility Program (TAP), which is one piece of the state’s digital accessibility ecosystem.
Kelly Tabor, TAP communications manager, said recently that an equitable digital government experience remains a priority for state leadership, even amidst changing priorities at the federal level.
FCC TO CHANGE CONSUMER LABELS
The FCC is underway on work it said is intended to simplify broadband nutrition labels, altering the label requirements in several ways.
One change is to no longer require providers to provide information about the Affordable Connectivity Program, which has now concluded. Other changes, however, may make the information less accessible to consumers. For example, one proposed alteration would no longer require labels to be available in machine readable format. Another would eliminate the requirement for providers to read the label to consumers over the phone.
The labels aim to provide transparency to consumers, but an August executive order from President Donald Trump revoked the 2021 executive order that established them.
While FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a statement that consumers are not finding the information they need through these labels, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez called the move to rescind broadband label rules “one of the most anti-consumer items I have seen,” as reported by one news outlet.
“Per the direction of Congress, broadband consumer labels are meant to provide the public with a clear understanding of what they are paying for and ensure no costs are obscure or misleading,” a filing from the nonprofit organization Public Knowledge said.
LOCALITIES PARTNER FOR CONNECTIVITY
Localities across the country are partnering with private-sector organizations to increase connectivity in their communities.
Los Angeles has teamed up with Cisco and a network of local nonprofits to launch public Wi-Fi along the Crenshaw Corridor, which will provide free Internet access along major streets, parks and public spaces near Crenshaw Boulevard.
The city of Morrow, Ga., has announced the completion of its Wide Area Network, powered by eCommunity Fiber, which marks the completion of the first phase of its smart city connectivity plan. The project converts city facilities onto a fiber network for improved connectivity.
In Charleston, S.C., IQ Fiber launched its all-fiber Internet network, bringing high-speed Internet to the area.
In Santa Fe, N.M., construction is set to begin on the first phase of Ezee Fiber’s high-speed Internet infrastructure.
Localities are prioritizing fiber technology, which has been deemed the “gold standard” of broadband technology infrastructure.
OKLAHOMA BROADBAND PROJECTS
At the state level, Oklahoma is expanding Internet access in the northeastern part of the state, with two projects totaling $5.4 million launched Oct. 24.
Both were funded by federal grants administered by the Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) and matching funds from the Internet service provider The Junction Internet.
“[This expansion] empowers businesses like Annabelle’s Fun Farm to flourish and spark new economic activity — proof that when we connect rural Oklahoma, we unlock the full potential of our people and communities,” OBO Executive Director Mike Sanders said in a statement.
The Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board made the awards; it has delivered about $525 million for expanding Internet access across the state.
REPORT: DIVIDE IS NARROWING
A new report from Ookla, a company providing connectivity intelligence, indicates that at least 60 percent of Speedtest users are meeting the FCC’s minimum standard for speeds in an increasing number of states — 38 and the District of Columbia in 2025, up from 22 and the District of Columbia in 2024.
While broadband speeds are improving for users, there are still some states struggling to deliver this connectivity standard to residents. Specifically, states with low population density and large areas of terrain are still behind, the report found. Rural communities face a unique digital divide.
The leading states with 70 percent or more users experiencing the FCC’s minimum speed standard are Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, North Dakota and Rhode Island.
