Community Broadband Media Roundup - May 6

Alabama

Legislature advances broadband bill, funding by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News 

 

Arkansas

Community matters: Improving access to broadband by Sen. John Boozman, The Times Record 

 

Georgia

Bill clears electric co-ops for broadband services in Georgia by Stephen Hardy, Lightwave

 

 

Maine

ConnectME program launches $740K round of broadband grant funding, MaineBiz

 

Massachusetts 

Windsor annual town meeting preview, Berkshire Eagle

3rd candidate enters Ward 7 race for Northampton City Council by Bera Dunau, The Daily Hampshire Gazette

 

Michigan 

ISD part of team helping with rural Internet research by Phil Wenzel, The Sault News 

“Educators have been talking about the ‘digital divide’ for two decades, and while some progress has been made in closing the gap, inequities persist in communities across the country,” said Charlotte Bewersdorff, Merit’s vice-president of marketing and member engagement, in the release.

 

Minnesota 

Technobabble: Municipal fiber, could it happen to you? by Jason Ogaard, Hutchinson Leader

Bill funds broadband, housing, mental health initiatives by Sen. Torrey Westrom, AgWeek

Rural Minnesota needs full broadband funding by Nancy Hoffman, Herald Review

 

Missouri 

Conexon locates headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, Area Development 

 

New York

Residents tell local reps of Internet woes by Charles Pritchard, The Oneida Daily Dispatch  

 

North Carolina 

Lawmakers look for ways to reduce barriers to rural broadband by Taylor Knopf, North Carolina Health News 

Wilson launches new Greenlight website by Brie Handgraaf, Wilson Times 

 

Oregon

Portland is again blazing trails for open Internet access by Susan Crawford, WIRED

 

Pennsylvania

Mayor Peduto is in New York studying public fiber-optic networks. Here’s why. By Bill O’Toole, Next Pittsburgh 

 

Wisconsin

3C Co-op in Crawford County seeks input with broadband survey, Vernon County Broadcaster

Meeting aims to tackle broadband access issues in rural areas by Rashad Williams, WAOW 

 

Vermont

Internet access faulted in Shaftsbury survey by Patricia LeBoeuf, Bennington Banner

While about 92 percent of respondents to a town Internet survey reported they have Internet at home, 44 percent said it is not sufficient for their use — it is either "way too slow" or "not fast enough." And 7.4 percent of respondents said Internet service isn't available at their homes.

 

General

The regulatory pendulum by Doug Dawson, POTs and PANs

Want next generation precision agriculture? You'll need rural broadband, Benton Foundation

E-connectivity is not simply a rural issue; Internet expansion, economic productivity, and food security contribute to each citizen’s quality of life, regardless of where they live. The benefits of broadband e-connectivity accrue not only to the producers using Next Generation Precision Agriculture technologies, but also to consumers throughout America and the world who value a safe and efficient food supply.

Ajit Pai says he’s fixed giant FCC error that exaggerated broadband growth by Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica

AT&T withdraws from Lifeline program by Doug Dawson, POTs and PANs 

New Digital Equity Act website; House intro coming soon by Bill Callahan, NDIA

Why 9-1-1 needs fiber by Lisa R. Youngers, Broadband World News 

Rural carriers accept $65.7 million in new ACAM funding for rural broadband by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor 

USDA report puts economic value on broadband and precision agriculture by Phil Britt, Telecompetitor 

Broadband part of $2 trillion infrastructure deal between Democrats, Trump by Marguerite Reardon, CNET 

We are leaving older adults out of the digital world by Jessica Fields, TechCrunch 

A co-op future for broadband in America? By Miles Hadfield, Co-op News

Rural broadband co-ops create opportunity for next level of telehealth by Craig Settles, Daily Yonder