Network

In heavily wooded Cook Township, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, the average Internet speed is so slow that it barely qualifies as broadband, according to the new federal minimum standard.

A General Dynamics-backed coalition that also includes other major tech players wants to develop 5G-powered tools for state and local agencies. Government use cases for 5G continue to expand but challenges abound.

Plus, a new report details how to make broadband a priority in affordable rental housing development projects, the FCC is partnering with the Department of Veterans to help those who served get connected, and more.

Ahead of the Federal Communications Commission's goal of rolling out new broadband labels this month, telecommunications industry experts from the Fiber Broadband Association and Carnegie Mellon weigh in on the subject.

Carlsbad's Viasat said that it expects to begin launching its next-generation broadband Internet satellite constellation early next year — marking another delay in getting the terabyte-class satellites into orbit.

Joplin city officials agreed Monday night to proceed with a search for potential broadband providers, with the City Council approving a paid consultant to issue a request for proposals for Internet service.

Hackers often seek to penetrate a network and then escalate their privileges until they can access — and exfiltrate — sensitive data or widely deploy malware. That makes Active Directory security essential.

Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties, along with the Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, are working together on this initiative to expand broadband needs to underserved populations within the area.

Champaign County, Ohio, libraries are providing a technology trainer at the branches there, and workers in the county are also pointing to a local need for better Internet access and digital literacy.

Residents in rural and urban areas across the state are being encouraged to test their Wi-Fi connections and submit results that will be formulated into a map to inform future broadband funding.

Plus, the General Services Administration is working to ensure that the American Rescue Plan will advance equitable outcomes, the federal government is expanding its TechWomen mentor program, and more.

Officials in Washington County are continuing to press ahead with an ambitious high-speed Internet access expansion plan by earmarking up to $50 million to connect 5,000 homes, schools and businesses.

Decatur Utilities took a step toward a public fiber-optic broadband Internet system this week when it hired a consultant to do a financial analysis of the project, one of several expenditures the board approved Monday.

The city-owned electric utility, EPB, has announced a new Internet service that can boost residential speeds and strengthen parental controls. The service, Smart Net Plus, was made available to customers this fall.

Rather than laying a lot of new fiber lines to homes and far flung farm sites under the ground, a new project uses a system of towers and antennas to get high bandwidth signals to customers in rural areas.

While cities are limited in the restrictions they can place on 5G infrastructure by federal law, Ashland residents are urging officials to take action on an ordinance that would guide where and how 5G cellphone towers are built.

Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said the project was a priority for him and the city commission after Brownsville was twice consecutively ranked among the least connected places in the United States.

Lynbrook, N.Y.'s Internet Outage Continuity Plan takes an in-depth look at how the local government can maintain critical services — even in the face of a six-month-long Internet outage.