Network

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.

A preliminary report by the Albany Municipal Internet Commission recommends that the city pursue citywide broadband Internet as a way to increase high-speed Internet access for its residents.

Through its new consolidated Office of Technology and Innovation, NYC is working to expand connectivity access through various technology-related initiatives, including its most recent advancement: Big Apple Connect.

Following the construction of wireless facilities in Keene, city councilors heard from residents with concerns about possible related health effects, renewing discussion and ultimately electing to continue conversation.

Residents in Marysville, Calif., will soon have access to affordable broadband service and discounts on Internet-enabled devices through an event hosted through the Yuba County Library.

Plus, NTIA has announced grantees through the Connecting Minority Communities program, broadband-related legislation has been introduced, Connect Maryland applications are open, and much more.

Plus, Chicago has posted a new RFI related to expanding broadband access throughout the entire city, Pittsburgh has announced a new digital equity coalition, North Carolina has a digital equity grant program and more.

The Lincoln Board of Education gave initial consideration to a 10-year contract that would allow the district to connect to a network of dark fiber, which are unused strands of cable already installed that can be leased.

The City Council this week approved an application for a middle-mile infrastructure grant that was part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress and supported by President Joe Biden.

From “cloud first” to “cloud smart,” public-sector agencies have been moving systems off-premises for years. CIOs reflect on what is in the cloud, what can be and what it takes to make the leap.

The federal Affordable Connectivity Program helps people get high-speed Internet at home for $30 a month, but enrollment is at less than 40 percent among eligible households across the country.