Broadband

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.

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.