Digital Equity

A dozen Houston-area state lawmakers sent a letter to Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles asking him to restore a partnership with Verizon that provided free laptops and Internet access to thousands of students.

Ohio’s new policy aims to ensure AI accountability with human verification mandates, plus a council to set requirements for how agencies must use the new technology, among other considerations.

The grant award to Dairyland Power Cooperative comes through the National Telecommunications & Information Administration. Dairyland will supply the infrastructure groundwork for others to bring broadband Internet to rural areas.

Plus, the New York State Library is preparing to hold a digital equity roundtable, a report details the lack of Internet at rural Pennsylvania schools, and more.

A new executive order mandates that a council of representatives with backgrounds in IT, artificial intelligence, racial justice and cultural change will create a plan that outlines how government workers can use AI in a fair, equitable and transparent way.

A recap of 2023's pivotal trends in gov tech: transportation transitions, cybersecurity challenges and strides in digital inclusivity.

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico has introduced legislation to reauthorize a broadband grant program and refocus it specifically on rural communities. The bill would reauthorize the program for another five years.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is moving forward with plans for guaranteed high-speed Internet access for all residents of the state. Two draft plans have been released for public input.

In its fourth and final annual report on K-12 connectivity, the nonprofit Connected Nation found major increases in some states and nationwide in how many districts meet the FCC's Internet speed standard of 1 Mbps.

The explosion of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and fears about where the technology might be headed distract from the many ways AI affects people every day – for better and worse.

Nationally, 13.4 percent of rural households lack the minimum necessary broadband connection for streaming educational videos or virtual classrooms, according to the National Rural Education Association.

Plus, Maryland to put $27 million toward getting Internet devices for residents of underserved households, Colorado releases a new broadband workforce plan, and more.

Altafiber has spent $2.3 million of a $10 million contract with Butler County to connect residents to high-speed Internet. Officials say around 20,000 people will be online by the end of the year.

Through October 2023, only 296,000 households of the more than 1.1 million eligible in the state have enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, according to the White House.

The University of Southern California is developing Wi-Fi technology that will allow hearing-impaired students to tune into lectures and other campus events with their smartphones or receivers provided by the university.

Boyd, Carter and Rowan counties are among the counties to benefit from a $30.7 million project to expand broadband access to approximately 33,000 households across 16 counties and 196 communities.

Plus, support for continued ACP funding continues to grow; the FCC adopted final rules on digital discrimination; HUD has unveiled a streamlined enrollment process for the ACP; and more.

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.