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Plus, the public comment period is now open for the broadband programs within the new infrastructure bill; Maine has named the first leader for its broadband authority; and a New Jersey city works on digital inclusion.

Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, announced Wednesday she will introduce legislation to leverage an expected $200 million in federal dollars to expand Internet services in underserved Oregon communities.

During an Ector County, Texas, Commissioners Court meeting, Net Ops Communication made a case for using a portion of Ector County’s $32 million of coronavirus relief funds to lay high-speed fiber-optic lines in the area.

The emergency radio system in Delaware County, Pa., has been hijacked multiple times in recent years. The system, which was put in place during the 1970s, is overdue for a $50 million upgrade.

Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster has proposed using American Rescue Plan Act money, $3 million specifically, to help close the digital divide in the county. The county has a total of $11.74 million in ARPA funds.

Private investment, coupled with an unprecedented level of public investment from the recently passed infrastructure law, has presented the right mix of ingredients for even more public- and private-sector collaborations.

Thanks to Kinetic by Windstream, approximately 8,980 residents in London and East Bernstadt will have access to Internet services through a $2 billion initiative to expand gigabit Internet service.

The Triangle Lake area and Triangle Lake Charter School will benefit from Lane County’s slice of the $5.2 billion the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced will be spent on rural infrastructure.

Through a survey, the city of Eagle, Idaho, is now gauging citizen interest in a community-owned fiber system that would promote competition between multiple broadband providers through an open access network.

The Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program provides a $30 credit to low-income households for Internet services and replaces the Emergency Broadband Benefit.

AT&T and Verizon have denied a request from the federal government to delay the launch of a new 5G mobile service that could disrupt air travel, but the two companies would pause 5G deployment near specified airports.

The Erie County Legislature recently approved plans to establish a new, county-controlled corporation to oversee and manage the creation of ErieNet, an ambitious county-sponsored fiber-optic network.

Plus, USDA invests in rural infrastructure, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute extends digital equity programs, and appointments are made to the Texas Broadband Development Office Board of Advisors.

Federal and state officials are embarking on an ambitious partnership to bring broadband Internet access to all corners of the state, drawing from part of a $65 billion fund passed by Congress this fall.

Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel recently responded to a congressional letter requesting a timeline for critical FCC broadband map updates. No dates were provided in the response.

The new product goes deeper on geographic information, offering data such as property assessment, outlines, demographics and building type — even in rural and tribal areas. It comes amid an influx of broadband funding.

More than 800,000 Pennsylvanians lack access to high-speed Internet, with more than 520,000 of those residents living in rural areas, according to a 2020 study by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

The San Antonio Food Bank has teamed up with the San Antonio Public Library, nonprofit Feeding Texas and ISP Google Fiber to spearhead "Get Connected!," an effort to bolster digital literacy rates.