Broadband

U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers announced a $30.7 million grant to expand broadband services across the most rural parts of the state. Rogers said the infrastructure is a necessary part of building Kentucky’s answer to Silicon Valley.

Federal officials say that Louisiana has completed seven of eight requirements — more than any other state — toward awarding construction contracts that will deliver high-speed Internet.

Programs that subsidize Internet service for schools, libraries and low-income households hang in the balance under litigation by the nonprofit Consumers’ Research, which argues the FCC was not authorized to raise fees on phone calls.

Henderson County commissioners have approved an agreement with ISP Brightspeed to enhance regional broadband services. The project will connect nearly 5,000 locations by mid 2026.

Plus, the Broadband Infrastructure Playbook 3.0 arrives, the NTCA launches a new ad campaign promoting a sustainable Universal Service Fund, and more.

The Superior City Council has voted to create a new broadband utility. Under the plan, the city would provide wholesale access to Internet service providers and the ISPs would provide service to users.

A grant from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute will allow the city of Springfield and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to study and develop a blueprint to ensure everyone has access to high-speed Internet.

A $14.5 million project to develop a hybrid middle mile/last mile project to Idaho County and the city of Nezperce will bring a long overdue upgrade to Internet services in the north central part of the state.

Plus, advocates applaud federal efforts to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program, Empire State Development announces the members of its Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, and more.

The Federal Communications Commission recently extended E-Rate funding to cover WiFi on school buses, but some Republicans say this will raise fees on telecommunications providers and not improve learning outcomes.

The Oklahoma Broadband Office received official notification from the U.S. Department of the Treasury of the allocation of $167.7 million through the American Rescue Plan Act's Capital Projects Fund for broadband expansion efforts.

Plus, the FCC will vote soon on rules to eliminate digital discrimination, New Orleans wants residents to complete a slow Internet challenge, and more.

Spectrum will soon lay fiber-optic cables in parts of southern and eastern Bexar County that lack high-speed Internet access or broadband infrastructure. The county will spend more than $5 million on the effort.

The telecommunications company will be donating funds to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office to combat the ongoing incidents of copper theft. The grant will cover the purchase of new technology to assist deputies with the effort.

The Appalachian Regional Commission's Partnerships for Opportunity, Workforce and Economic Revitalization program awarded the grant to Washington County as part of an effort to get some 10,000 unserved or poorly served households online.

More than 2,200 homes and businesses in Armstrong County are now eligible for high-speed fiber Internet through a $2 billion multiyear, multistate investment by Internet service provider Kinetic.

The university is working with state officials and others to identify where broadband funding is most needed, according to a recent announcement. The effort comes amid increasing societal reliance on high-speed Internet.

Plus, Missouri is launching a new advisory council related to digital equity; Kansas is collecting more input on its broadband plans; Maryland is dedicating more money to getting people connected; and more.