Alabama 

New map illustrates state’s rural broadband issue by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Colorado

Fiber optic line, now being installed, expected to bring high speed Internet to rural Ouray County by Leslie Brown, Montrose Press 

Georgia

Georgia designates Evans County as broadband ready community by Juile Braly, The Claxton Enterprise

Massachusetts

Massachusetts pursues its own route to broadband expansion by Jed Pressgrove, Government Technology 

With the new broadband system, parents in Montgomery can work from home and students can do their schoolwork without interruption. Firefighters in training can access up-to-date digital materials. Town administrators can start storing and transmitting forms electronically. Emergency managers can share natural disaster information and receive assistance from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

North Dakota 

Minot selectmen review broadband expansion report by Eriks Peterson, Sun Journal 

Pennsylvania 

Pennsylvania counties eye broadband connectivity study by Jeff Himler, Government Technology 

Arkansas 

New federal funding for broadband aims to expand rural Arkansas efforts  by Roby Brock, TBP

Massachusetts 

$10.2 million federal award to increase broadband access in Western Massachusetts by Zack DeLUCA, Greenfield Recorder

New York

New York has a plan to fix broadband by introducing actual competition by Karl Bode, Vice

The city is also promising that unlike incumbent ISPs, the city’s new network will respect concepts like privacy and net neutrality once completed. With the FCC now widely viewed as a rubber stamp for industry desires, the onus rests on localities to pick up the slack.

North Carolina 

Local agencies spending more time bridging ‘digital divide’ for those who don’t use tech in Johnson County by Leah Wankum, Shawnee Mission Post 

North Dakota

USDA invests $23 million broadband for rural North Dakota communities, Williston Herald 

Daktel Communications will use a $1.8 million ReConnect Program grant to provide broadband service to 406 households and three educational facilities over 354 square miles. Daktel Communications is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier that provides services within the Jamestown, N.D., exchange.

Virginia

USDA invests $48 million in broadband for rural Virginia communities by CJ Paschall, NBC29 

General 

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

Alabama

Two more grants awarded through Alabama broadband accessibility fund by Sean Ross, Energy Institute of Alabama

California

Roughly 25 percent of Fresno County, Calif., lacks Internet by Tim Sheehan, Fresno Bee

Maryland

Support Choptank's broadband initiative, Star Democrat

Minnesota

Koochiching County establishes benchmark with Intelligent Community Report, International Falls Journal

Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri, Iowers emphasis on ‘smart city’ projects by Ryan Johnston, Statescoop

Pennsylvania

How Pittsburgh built equity, National League of Cities

Rhode Island

Town to enter talks with broadband vendor by Lars Trodson, Block Island Times

South Dakota

Connecting South Dakota’s rural communities to opportunities in business, education, health care and beyond by Julie Gross, USDA 

Texas

Fed-up with slow and spotty Internet, a small Texas town decided to build its own high-speed network by Melissa Repko, The Dallas Morning News

Virginia

Colorado

Residents react to broadband roll out by Jessica Jenkins, TrailGazette 

Fort Collins has already won with Connexion broadband by Patrick Burns, Coloradoan  

Georgia 

Georgia authorizes electric cooperatives to deliver rural broadband, Benton Institute for Broadband and Society 

“FCC maps, which use data submitted by current service providers, have been grossly overstating the areas considered “served” by broadband providers. Why are the FCC maps important? Simply put, federal funds for rural broadband have been distributed using the FCC’s flawed maps. It’s no wonder that rural broadband access is such a mess. Thankfully, Georgia is leading the way nationally in defining the broadband problem with new, accurate maps.”

Kentucky 

One of the poorest, most desperate regions in Appalachia is experiencing an economic miracle thanks to fiber run by a New Deal-era co-op by Mitch Wagner, Boingboing

Maine

MaineCF’s community broadband program awards $100,000 in grants, CentralMaine.com

Maryland 

Choptank electric looking to bring broadband service to rural communities by Cate Douglass, WBOC TV

Broadband in rural Maryland? How Eastern Shore could get new provider by Lucas Gonzalez, Delmarva Now 

North Dakota  

Alabama

USDA invests $62.3 million in rural broadband infrastructure for Alabama families by Jacqueline Susmann, USDA

Alaska

USDA ReConnect program grants almost $19 million for Alaska broadband by Carl Weinschenk, telecompetitor. 

“The New Internet Communications for Everyone in Yakutat (NICEY) FTTH network will target all 662 year-round residents and businesses in the community. The network will be connected via a 230-mile Cordova Telecom microwave middle-mile network to the community of Cordova. There, the network will connect to the provider’s submarine fiber.”

Yakutat to hop aboard the broadband wagon by Ari Snider, KCAW

Kentucky 

The one-traffic-light town with some of the fastest Internet in the U.S. by Sue Halpern, The New Yorker 

Lakeland

Lakeland has 2 deals with possible broadband partners by Sara-Megan Walsh, The Ledger

Ohio

Internet access for rural Ohio by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, The Highland County Press

Medina fiber secures funding for phase 1 of its build out by BBC Wires, Broadband Communities 

Virginia 

California

Lakeport may adopt broadband telecommunications ordinances by Aidan Freeman, Lake County Record-Bee

In tandem with the city council’s small cell facilities ordinance, the city may also adopt a “dig once” policy on Tuesday, which would seek to promote construction of infrastructure to support more widespread broadband Internet access. The City of Clearlake and the County of Lake are also considering similar ordinances this year.

Colorado

Use of broadband up in communities on Western Slope by Charles Ashby, The Daily Sentinel

How Colorado’s rural communities could benefit from $600 million in federal broadband grants by Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun 

Idaho 

Task force expanding broadband should be top Idaho priority by William L. Spence, Lewiston Tribune, Government Technology 

Kansas 

USDA invests $5.2 million in rural broadband for Kansas families, USDA

Massachusetts

Colrain proceeds with broadband make-ready work by Maureen O’Reilly, Greenfield Recorder

New York 

Study says Dryden broadband will make $3.7 million after a decade by Andrew Sullivan, Ithaca Times

Ohio 

California

The City of Redding wants to bring the city up to speed with high speed Internet for all by Sade Browne, KRCR News 

Connecticut 

Courts shoot down another barrier to community broadband by Karl Bode, VICE 

Iowa

Iowa communities continue to work for better Internet by Robbie Sequeira, Ames Tribune

Ohio

Electric co-op inaugurates new rural broadband funding, The Ironton Tribune

Ohio's Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative’s $2.5 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative for the installation of 168 miles of fiber project that will connect the co-op’s substations in six counties of the eastern portion of its service territory was hailed by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as “critically important for the future of the region.”

Utah

Broadband Internet access coming to Navajo Nation communities in San Juan County by Zak Podmore, Salt Lake City Tribune 

General

Killing net neutrality was even worse than you think by Karl Bode, OneZero

Should the Internet be a public utility? Hundreds of cities are saying yes by David Elliot Berman and Victor Pickard, FastCompany

More muni, more money by Mike Farrell, Multichannel 

Arkansas

Leaders advocate for rural broadband service, Hot Springs Village Voice 

Colorado

As net neutrality repeal looms, Boulder takes closer look at city-owned broadband, Stock Daily Dish 

Colorado Edition: change of plans, KUNC

Connecticut

Victory over telecom industry gives Connecticut towns a way to provide their own faster, cheaper Internet service, Hartford Courant 

Barkhamsted to hold meeting on broadband Internet service, NewsTimes

Indiana

Local leaders urge broadband for rural areas by Jordan Fouts, Elkhart Truth

Iowa

Cedar Falls Utilities broadband Internet is expected to get faster soon by Andrew Wind, The Courier

Massachusetts

City-run Internet service? Here’s how it would work in Quincy by Mary Whitfill, Patriot-Ledger

Michigan

Partnership aims to improve high-speed Internet access in northeast Michigan, Gaylord Herald Times 

Ohio

Colorado 

Loveland breaks ground on city-owned broadband utility by Carina Julig, The Denver Post

Removing banned tech from China’s Huawei will cost rural Colorado telecoms over $300 million. Will it even fix the problem? by Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun 

City unanimously approves contracts with Colorado Boring and On Trac for Pulse project by Max Levy, Reporter Herald 

Idaho

Reader Comment: Idaho is behind on broadband, MagicValley 

Illinois

Statewide broadband access goal of ‘Connect Illinois’ by Bernard Schoenburg, State Journal Register 

“We are planning to take a measured approach,” Schmit said, with perhaps $50 million in matching grants being made available in a first round. He said the application process, yet to be announced, will allow “providers, cooperatives, public-private partnerships, communities themselves” and other entities to seek those grants.

Iowa

Fort Dodge residents give approval to city-owned broadband by Roger Riley, WHOTV

Waterloo, Iowa, contemplates its broadband choices by Jed Pressgrove, GovTech