Network

An influx of federal funding for high-speed Internet has created an opportunity in Iowa that must be met, agriculture and business leaders in Iowa said during a roundtable discussion with the federal commerce department.

Dallas-based AT&T says by the end of this month, all emergency calls made through the wireless carrier will be routed to emergency call centers based on phone GPS data rather than cell tower data.

Through a collaboration between local ministries and RACE Communications, Williams Community Church is the first site with gigabit Internet in Colusa County, a step toward better Internet access in the rural community.

The Virginia-based wireless software and hardware company is deploying its private 5G platform on Google Distributed Cloud Edge, potentially lowering costs for schools to build and maintain their own wireless networks.

Federal and state officials say $50 million is headed to New Hampshire to be used to bring high-speed Internet to rural communities in the Granite State, with the money coming from the Capital Funds Project.

Nearly 88,500 Louisiana homes and businesses currently lacking access will get connected to the Internet, with this first release of funding approved under the American Rescue Plan's Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund.

A small island town in Maine must decide this month if it will continue to create its own broadband system or scrap the project and lose the hundreds of thousands of dollars it has already invested.

Plus, the FCC has launched a new help center with tutorials for broadband data collection; a new USDR report details experience of applying for child-care benefits; Minnesota to invest $200 million in rural broadband; and more.

As smart devices and classroom technology are increasingly integrated into the daily lives of network users, college and university IT departments must plan for more bandwidth and anytime, anywhere connectivity.

Plus, there’s a lot of news coming out of Utah’s Broadband Center, Vermont officials have announced millions in broadband construction grants, new poll finds overwhelming bipartisan support for net neutrality and more.

The massive sum that Maine expects from the federal infrastructure bill over the next five years may not be enough to bring roads and Internet connections up to date, an economist said at a recent conference.

Following a presentation of a new broadband study, officials recommended holding a meeting about taking a two-pronged approach to improve access to high-speed Internet, including discussion of a municipal network.

Many are left disconnected from critical infrastructure needed to connect with friends and family, buy goods and services, access health care, perform their jobs, for banking and investing, and more.

Pennsylvania could receive $1.2 billion in federal money to expand Internet access to residents — 10 times more than early estimates — but the window for determining exactly how much the state gets is quickly closing.

Greenlight Networks is laying fiber-optic lines and expects to connect its first area customer in late summer or early autumn, while soon installing infrastructure in other towns, aiming to reach 23,000 households.

Plus, new initiative seeks to bolster digital success among Latinos, several federal agencies enter into a new collaboration on broadband funding, an Oregon coalition is tackling broadband mapping, and more.

Gov. Tom Wolf visited Marion-Walker Elementary School on Wednesday to highlight how millions in federal funds could help bring Internet access to rural schools and communities across Pennsylvania.

County commissioners heard an update on the project to extend Internet service to under- and unserved parts of Cass County. The work is being done by Miami-Cass County REMC, a member-owned electric utility company.