Digital Equity

Rural residents have lagged behind in Internet access, a divide made even more clear last year when rural residents needed to do remote learning, work from home and use telemedicine to consult with their doctors.

Niagara and Orleans counties in New York will both take advantage of American Rescue Plan funding to bring broadband to rural homes within their borders. A wireless provider will be working with the counties.

Communities throughout the state are trying local hotspots, limited virtual classrooms, Google Classroom, and private-public partnerships laying fiber in an effort to accommodate families with poor Internet connection.

The 21st Century Broadband Deployment Act, introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson of the state’s 8th congressional district, establishes grant programs to improve Internet access in underserved communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and various studies have exposed nationwide disparities in who has access to physical and mental health care, and a recent funding windfall for schools and broadband could help close those gaps.

Plus, National Day of Civic Hacking is set for next month; the Department of Commerce is putting $268 million toward connecting minority communities; and New Jersey is helping hearing-challenged individuals get online.

The port of Skagit is working with company Ziply Fiber to construct an open-access network in a rural segment of Skagit County. The fiber network is expected to connect 1,200 homes and businesses.

Oklahoma would receive more than $5 billion for roads, bridges, electric vehicle charging stations and rural broadband expansion under the infrastructure bill being debated this week in the U.S. Senate.

A new study in the rural Midwest found that the switch to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic caused stress, mental health concerns and other problems for Black families with limited Internet access.

Six technology providers were selected as part of the challenge for solutions in areas like transportation and economic development to assist cities in the Denver region with their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Continuing its online registration policy, Creston Community School District has set aside a designated day and location for families who have issues using or accessing technology at home to come in and get assistance.

Pharr, Texas — which is located in the Rio Grande Valley — will soon begin the first of three phases to install fiber-optic cable and provide Internet access to all local residents, working to bridge the digital divide.

The EquiTensors project from the University of Washington takes the abundance of open data produced by government and transforms it so that not only is it useful, it's also equitable and promotes privacy.

Plus, New York City moves to expand access to high-speed Internet for housing authority residents, and a Florida city wins a national award for using communication effectively to inspire change.

Qwasar and Cañada College at Menlo Park are offering a nine-month training program for software developers, with help from grant funding to achieve a low enough price point to draw applicants from low-income communities.

One state representative wants to ensure rural Pennsylvanians have access to high-speed Internet — particularly since the pandemic has made the persisting digital divide more apparent and problematic for those who don't.

Plus, Michigan announces $15.3 million boost to grants for projects that improve resident connectivity, San Jose, Calif., launches a community-built platform to connect youth with mental health services, and more.

Maryland announced Tuesday that its Department of Housing and Community Development’s Office of Statewide Broadband would be administering grants totaling nearly $30 million to support network infrastructure projects.