Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
Community Broadband Media Roundup - January 6
Alabama
$62.3 million to be invested in bringing broadband to Alabama rural areas by Henry Thornton, Yellowhammer
California
Why Internet stops once school ends for many rural California students by Sydney Johnson, PBS NewsHour
Colorado
Rural communities taking action to accelerate broadband by Judith Kohler, Government Technology
Rather than waiting for the big Internet providers to lay more fiber to sparsely populated parts of the state, more and more rural communities are using grants, local money and forming public/private partnerships to find their own solutions.
Indiana
Churubusco certifies as broadband ready, Building Indiana
Maryland
Governor, legislators need to support local broadband solutions by Katie Kienbaum, The Enterprise
Community broadband networks and public-private partnerships receive support from many state programs to great local benefit. Nonetheless, these networks attract negative attention from groups funded by the large cable and telephone companies that prefer their own monopolies to competition. Communities should be able to decide for themselves what model works best, without interference from special interests.
Missouri
Rural businesses struggle to get up to speed on high speed Internet by Tatyana Monnay, Komu 8
Missouri ranks 41st in Internet connectivity in the nation, according to BroadbandNow. The Federal Communications Commission considers an acceptable broadband connection is one that delivers a minimum of 25 Megabits per second of download speed. Only 20.3% of residents in Howard County have access to this speed. In Osage County, it’s less than 16%.
Ohio
Internet access for rural Ohio, The Tribune
Virginia
Roanoke County launches broadband survey for residents by Alison Graham, The Roanoke Times
Wyoming
FCC gives $8.5 million for local broadband by Daniel Bendsten, Laramie Boomerang
General
No more hidden fees: New law requires cable and satellite TV to disclose full costs by Ron Hurtibise, Lincoln JournalStar
Top broadband stories of 2019 – and what they mean for 2020 by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor
Policymakers wake up to the importance of universal broadband. Once viewed as a luxury, broadband increasingly is seen as a necessity – and that realization drove several key policy initiatives in 2019. FCC Chairman proposed a Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to replace the Connect America Fund, which expires in a few years. He also proposed a 5G Mobility Fund auction to replace an auction that would have focused on bringing LTE to unserved areas. Meanwhile, USDA has been awarding rural broadband funding through the ReConnect program and has announced plans for awarding another $550 million in ReConnect funding for 2020.
Related Stories
Community Broadband Media Roundup - June 8
Iowa
Iowa receives $26.2 million in emergency education relief to expand broadband access, Discover Muscatine
Minnesota
Community Broadband Media Roundup - May 25
Colorado
Little-known Internet network plans Western Colorado expansion to link students, nonprofits to supercomputers by Tamara Chuang, Colorado Sun
Louisiana
Community Broadband Media Roundup - May 18
California
Partnerships can close the digital divide by Apoorva Pasricha & Kevin Frazier, GovTech
Colorado
Community Broadband Media Roundup - May 4
Arizona
Mohave Electric Cooperative moves forward to build fiber optic network in partnership with TWN Communications, Cision PR Newswire
Arkansas