Broadband

With a focus on Internet quality and resiliency, Sen. Sean Ryan and Rep. Nily Rozic want to give the New York Public Service Commission more regulatory power over broadband service companies.

Following a 2019 pilot study, Pharr, Texas, will move forward with a program aimed at providing high-speed Internet access to all of its residents in a region that lags far behind the national average for connectivity.

With the goal of boosting high-speed Internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego loosened its rules Tuesday that govern how communications companies can install new infrastructure.

A newly proposed bill could establish the Maine Connectivity Authority and authorize it to build physical infrastructure, provide grants and loans for broadband projects, and build partnerships to expand Internet service in the state.

The discussion as well as the demonstrated need surrounding high-speed Internet access — a need that is particularly great in Maine’s more rural areas — have far outmatched the public investment.

The eighth annual Smart Cities Connect Conference & Expo opened with a panel discussion around digital equity and the need for all communities to expand access to broadband as they emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.

With society rapidly digitizing and high-speed Internet access fast-becoming a vital utility, government must work to balance the needs of underserved populations with financial realities.

As part of the internationally recognized Digital Inclusion Week, we talked with Delaware CIO James Collins about how broadband-related ideas like return on investment and digital equity may collide or coexist.