Community Broadband Media Roundup - February 3

Arizona 

For remote tribes, free airwaves licenses mean chance to connect by Jon Reid, Bloomberg Law

The effort is aimed at bringing internet connections to rural tribal lands—among the least connected parts of the country. Only 45% of people on those lands have access to fixed internet and LTE download speeds capable of streaming high-definition video, according to the latest FCC data. That leaves more than a million people without access to modern broadband internet service.

 

USDA invests $1.6 million in broadband for rural Arizona communities, USDA 

 

Colorado

A second broadband grant application for Chalk Creek Canyon by Jan Wondra, Ark Valley Voice

 

Kentucky 

USDA invests $55.3 million in broadband for rural Kentucky and Tennessee communities, USDA

 

Louisiana

USDA invests $15.5 million in broadband for rural Louisiana communities, USDA

 

Maine 

Maine gets nearly $10 million from federal government to expand broadband access, WMTW

 

Maryland 

Shore lawmakers to fight for high-speed Internet by Candice Spector, The Star Democrat

 

Massachusetts 

Port aims to provide better Internet in rural cities by Anthony Kuipers, Daily News

 

Michigan

Bills seek to expand rural broadband Internet access by Scott McClallen, Iosco County News

The bill would require an electric co-op to provide its pole access to certain service providers and a resolution path, as well as uniform pole attachments for other entities that enter into infrastructure agreement with rural electric co-ops.

 

Missouri

USDA invests $61 million to bring broadband to rural Missourians, USDA

 

Independence explores Internet option by Mike Genet, The Examiner

 

New Jersey 

Community leaders participate in first Northeastern NETWORK rural roundtable by Danielle Zito, TAPinto 

 

New York

New York Congress members push FCC for broadband funding by Massarah Mikati, NNY360

 

North Carolina 

New rural broadband deployment model: MCNC partners with Facebook on North Carolina build by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor 

 

Ohio 

Broadband access roundtable held in Marietta by Michelle Newbanks, Herald-Star

 

Washington

USDA invests $2.4 million in broadband for rural Washington communities, USDA

 

General 

FCC urged to collect broadband pricing information by Wendy Davis, MediaPost 

 

Improving broadband a priority by Walt Frank, Altoona Mirror 

 

Digital equity and broadband adoption, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 

The digital divide affects every region of our country, although communities of color and low-income Americans are far more likely not to have broadband. A recent study by the Pew Research Center showed 79% of white U.S. adults have home broadband, while the same is true of only 66% of black adults and 61% of Hispanics. The study showed that 92% of Americans making $75,000 or more annually have home broadband, while only 56% making less than $30,000 do.

 

Second round of ReConnect program to begin, CBS19 News