Community Broadband Media Roundup - February 17

Monday February 17, 2020

Georgia

USDA invests $4.4 million in rural broadband infrastructure in Georgia’s Gilmer County, USDA

Illinois

State to release $50 million in grants to expand broadband by Kade Heather, SJ-R

Kansas

Not connected and no Netflix: ‘It’s frankly embarrassing’ in these Kansas towns by Kevin Hardy and Jonathan Shorman, The Kansas City Star

The lack of reliable and high-speed Internet is a well known problem across rural America. But the gaps in access continue to widen as more and more work, school and leisure activities migrate to the digital world. That has accelerated the need for ultra-fast speeds at a time when many parts of Kansas and Missouri have yet to reach the baseline of what’s considered high-speed Internet.

Missouri

How a new model can expand broadband access across communities by Blair Levin, Brookings Institution

New York

New York City and the FCC have two very different plans for expanding broadband access by Blair Levin, Brookings Institution

Wisconsin

Demand for broadband Internet remains high in rural Wisconsin by Shamane Mills, WPR

General

Electric cooperatives could be the key to solving the rural digital divide by Marguerite Reardon, C|NET

With broadband becoming as essential as running water, communities like the ones served by Wood's co-op say they need access to high-speed broadband to improve people's daily lives and provide a standard of living equal to that of urban and suburban parts of the country. It's a problem that spans the country from Oklahoma to New Hampshire.

Frustrated by flawed broadband maps, states are trying to create their own by Andrea Noble, Nextgov

The 5G experience in 2020, POTs and PANs

The cellular carriers are in full 5G marketing mode. If you believe the TV commercials, you’d now think that the country is blanketed by 5G, as each cellular carrier claims a bigger coverage area than their competitors. However, almost all of their claims are marketing hype. What’s the reality of 5G coverage in 2020?

Measuring the gap, NDIA