Broadband

San Diego adopted a new $2 billion budget Monday that increases spending on homelessness efforts, lifeguards, litter removal and improving Internet access in low-income areas.

Pennsylvania's share of the $42.45 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funds will be less than before the state took up challenges, according to new data compiled by a policy analyst.

The state and local organizations have been pushing to close the Internet service gaps – ahead of a looming federal deadline – through partnerships with nonprofits capable of providing high-speed connections.

Plus, Detroit’s parks are getting public Wi-Fi; the White House has launched invest.gov; New York continues to up enrollment in broadband program; and more.

Centre County Commissioners have voted to advance broadband expansion project proposals from two Internet service providers. The county will apply for part of $200 million in state funding for the final proposals.

The Oklahoma Broadband Office is holding information-gathering meetings in order to solidify the Oklahoma Broadband Plan, which aims to provide high-speed Internet access to 95 percent of the state by June 2028.

The Detroit Parks Coalition, along with the city and Connect 313, announced that they will be installing Wi-Fi at five parks as part of a $265,000 program aimed at closing the digital divide.

The $20 million contract meant to connect every Cleveland resident to high-speed Internet was put on hold this week when concerns were raised about whether the nonprofit DigitalC has the capabilities to see the work through.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, the Indiana Broadband Office and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs have announced that Ohio and Dearborn counties, the town of Moores Hill, the town of Dillsboro and the city of Rising Sun are the newest Broadband Ready Communities.

Plus, Mississippi nets more federal funds to connect residents to affordable Internet, Connecticut directs $10 million to upgrade its senior centers, and more.

Sen. Joe Manchin announced the addition of some 86,000 unserved locations to West Virginia’s portion of the FCC broadband map. The map will be used to distribute funding to areas in need of Internet expansion.

School-approved devices in participating districts can connect to secure Wi-Fi well beyond the classroom or student homes under Kajeet's expanded partnership with eduroam, a roaming Wi-Fi service for school networks.

With staffing issues and few resources, rural counties are most likely to have missed the deadline for correcting the broadband map, meaning they will miss out on millions of dollars in federal funding meant to bring the Internet to rural America.

A fiber-to-home broadband project in the village of Poplar was one of 24 to be awarded a 2023 State Broadband Expansion Grant. The $523,423 grant for the project will be matched by the ISP overseeing the work.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday signed an agriculture and broadband spending bill into law. The new law earmarks $100 million in funding for rural Internet expansion.

Plus, San Francisco launches a new initiative to support awareness for the Affordable Connectivity Program; Charter Communications commits another $1 million to a digital education initiative; and more.

Yakima County, Wash., has been awarded more than $11.3 million by the state's Broadband Office as part of $121 million in grants awarded to 19 projects in underserved communities statewide.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, the Indiana Broadband Office, and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced Decatur County has been designated as the state's 77th Broadband Ready Community.