Broadband

Greene County, Pa., commissioners and other elected officials unveiled a $5.2 million project that will bring high-speed Internet connections to an isolated area with spotty service, where there isn’t service at all.

The bill aims to show where broadband service is currently available and it also allows customers to self-report the speed, price they pay and barriers they face with their Internet connections.

The city issued a request for qualifications for vendors to provide a fiber-optic network and broadband Internet service with upload and download speeds of at least 1 gigabit per second within two years of a signed contract.

The project includes 134 miles of line construction, funded through a $23.5 million grant from the Washington State Broadband Office and an additional $2.35 million matching funds from ISP ToledoTel.

The Monongalia County Commission has issued a request for proposals seeking partners to get high-speed Internet to all corners of the county. An unserved area in the western part of the county has been identified as an area of pressing need.

Plus, NTIA is calling for strong rules to prevent digital discrimination, the FCC has set dates for broadband providers to display consumer labels, and more.

The Biden administration is urging the Federal Communications Commission to adopt strong rules to address shortfalls in broadband service. The position sets up a possible clash with large broadband providers.

We run down a list of some of the government actions taking place for the week. Plus, Kansas releases its broadband digital equity plan for public comment, and a research program seeks to advance health equity.

A federal grant is helping to fund efforts to connect residents with affordable Internet service. Several community groups are involved in the work, which includes assistance navigating Affordable Connectivity Program eligibility.

On their annual tour of the state, administrators from the University of Illinois system are meeting with schools and local leaders to coordinate efforts to help families and small businesses get high-speed Internet.

Some $3.1 million of the $6.3 million budget under consideration is slated for a project to install fiber-optic cables in the rural area between Ariel and Cougar. The project is currently in the engineering phase.

Plus, the federal digital discrimination task force is holding a listening session this week in New York City; Charlotte is launching a pilot program to increase tech transparency; and more.

Federal funds are helping rural southwest Wisconsin expand access to Internet service. The Reedsburg Utility Commission received a $28 million loan in August for nine underground fiber-optic projects.

With state funding from the Department of Development, Ohio State University will connect high-speed Internet to a site that will be used as a demonstration area and proving grounds for autonomous farming equipment.

Bamberg County is working to develop a broadband system that will make high-speed Internet affordable for underserved communities with the help of a $12 million federal grant.

Plus, Maryland’s governor attends an ACP training session; Seattle has opened applications for its annual digital equity grants; new findings about Internet access; and much more.

The damage to an undersea fiber-optic cable happened in the middle of June when sea ice severed the cable, causing Internet and cell outages in several North Slope and Northwest Arctic communities.

Residents of the state will have until Oct. 10 to weigh in on a proposed five-year plan to upgrade broadband Internet availability, reliability and affordability statewide.