Network

The National Association of Counties’ Broadband Task Force released a report last week highlighting the widening digital divide and the need for equitable Internet access in all U.S. counties.

To complete the expansion of broadband access to the remaining residential clusters in South Carolina would cost more than $600 million, according to a state agency tasked with expanding high-speed Internet.

A new state law creating a matching grants program could help leverage up to $100 million in federal support to expand high-speed Internet service to all corners of the state, according to Gov. Chris Sununu.

A recently signed state law provides a framework for deploying “small wireless facilities” — the infrastructure that supports 4G and 5G. That includes where the devices can go, and how much control local governments have.

The federal money, which the county received as a result of American Rescue Plan Act, will be used as matching funds to support broadband expansion projects in Eau Claire County, Wis., towns.

Seminole County, Fla., opened a computer lab on Monday to help residents apply for rental, utility and mortgage assistance, a recognition of the “digital divide” that exists within the region.

An Indiana-based Internet/cable TV provider is no longer planning to offer service throughout the city of Mankato, but Consolidated Communications is rapidly installing fiber-optic cable both there and in North Mankato.

One of the most troubling broadband disparities is that faced by poor or rural schoolchildren. About 90 percent of Oklahoma's school districts are considered partly or entirely rural.

A recent state law provides a legislative framework for deploying “small wireless facilities” — the infrastructure that supports 4G and 5G, including where devices can go, and how much local governments can control.

Plus, North Carolina unveils its new state Office of Digital Equity and Literacy; San Jose, Calif., announces a new donation adding up to a $250,000 boost for its San Jose Digital Inclusion Fund; and more.

The city of Springfield, Mass., will now study the feasibility of establishing its own municipal fiber-to-the-home high-speed Internet network, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno’s office said Wednesday.

A new resource center at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library aims to help bridge a gap that exists when it comes to accessing popular business and legal information online.

A one-year pilot in Eau Claire County, Wis., will provide free Internet to 50 residents through Elon Musk's satellite service, Starlink. The residents will receive equipment soon.

Plus, Chicago expands its education-focused digital equity program; Louisiana invests $180 million in expanding broadband infrastructure for underserved communities; and Boston launches a neighborhood database search.

El Paso County, Texas, will be part of a multi-partner program that will examine various critical factors related to the expansion of broadband access in the community. The program will last three years.

Quincy, Mass., believes its residents deserve more Internet service options. Rather than run its own broadband utility, the city plans to own an open access network where competition and automation will reign.

Last week, the Ohio Senate removed all broadband funding from the state budget. Commissioners in Scioto County, Ohio, believe this decision overlooks the very real connectivity problems that local areas face.

Multiple reports from Tutela, a company with access to network quality information, indicate that users, in many cases, are unlikely to notice differences between 5G and 4G based on data collected from 10 urban areas.