Digital Equity

Plus, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration establishes two new offices aimed at strengthening U.S. broadband, and the California Public Utilities Commission is investing in digital equity.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need to address the digital divide in the Los Angeles area. However, it also led to funding and collaboration opportunities for government agencies to combat the issue.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that an additional $100 million will be used for broadband expansion through the newly minted Connect Maryland initiative to bridge the state’s digital divide.

Pittsburgh has launched two transportation innovations to make multimodal trips easier to book and navigate, and a program to make a package of transportation options more accessible for low-income workers.

A pilot project led by the South Carolina Department of Aging and Palmetto Care Connections aims to teach seniors the digital skills they need to combat social isolation and access telehealth services.

'This is not a luxury in many cases. It's an essential connection.' U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said these words Wednesday afternoon at the Boone County Government Center during a roundtable discussion on broadband.

Pennsylvania could receive $100 million to expand broadband infrastructure and subsidize service and devices for families who have access but can't afford it, such as low-income families in Philadelphia.

Through a multi-year partnership with Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the telecommunications company will offer high-speed Internet, and send modems and self-install instructions by mail, to eligible families.

Passed by the Senate and being read in committee for the state Assembly, a new bill aims to create a statewide program in the Department of Education to assess the needs of local schools and train teachers on technology.

Tens of thousands of people in Alamance and Randolph counties in North Carolina don't have broadband access. Both counties lag behind national trends in high-speed Internet access.

Measurement Lab, Marconi Society, and X-Lab at Penn State University is working with the Cuyahoga County Office of Innovation and Performance on the survey, which will be on the county’s website through November.

Plus, Baltimore makes concentrated effort to distribute computers with free Internet service to residents; Bloomington, Ind., invites applicants for second year of digital equity grants; and more.

The residents of Pennsylvania who don’t have access to high-speed Internet — or can’t afford it — will get help from the government if the House passes the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill, officials say.

As the city of Anacortes expands it high-speed fiber Internet network, state and federal funds may help get the city wired up sooner, staff said in a presentation to the Anacortes City Council.

The government is putting real money toward a historic expansion of America’s broadband services, but pulling it off may require accountability measures, affordable services and higher standards for minimum speeds.

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.