Digital Equity

City staff are close to proposing a deal with an Internet service provider that would build a citywide fiber-optic network. An official said they are negotiating with a potential vendor.

Most U.S. schools reported having Wi-Fi access in every classroom in the 2020-21 school year, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Education released last month. The figure was 96 percent in New York.

An initiative by the digital equity nonprofit Digitunity sent devices to over 41,000 students since 2021, but the success of the program hinges on tech support, device refurbishment and digital literacy training.

Post-pandemic federal funding for digital equity and broadband initiatives has pushed connectivity work forward exponentially. As the new year approaches, experts ask: How do we keep this going?

Comcast has donated $30,000 to the Aurora Public Library District Foundation for a digital navigator program that will offer residents access to skill-building and Internet resources.

The New Hampshire Department of Education will cover the $4.8 million costs of Tutor.com’s 24/7 services for all students in grades four and up, including adult high school equivalency diploma candidates.

With an election that promises to usher in a new administration for North Carolina, CIO James Weaver is focusing his energy on improving the foundations of state IT while also embracing new — and unstoppable — technologies.

Idaho County took a step forward with the broadband project between Grangeville and Orofino with an $11.5 million fiber-optic conduit grant from the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board. A $14.5 million grant was awarded in November.

Plus, a new survey has found that more than 80 percent of respondents have high-speed Internet through fiber; the Pittsburgh Digital Equity Coalition has released a new strategic plan; and more.

The county has secured $15 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to expand broadband infrastructure and improve Internet access for county residents. The county was selected from a pool of more than 113 applications.

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.