California
LA Councilmember Proposes Municipal Broadband Feasibility Study by Zack Quaintance, GovTech
San Francisco Taps Citywide Internet in Bid to Close the Digital Divide by Mickey McCarter, StateTech Magazine
Only government intervention can truly close the digital divide, San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell declared in a keynote address at Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo in Kansas City, Mo., this week.
Over the past four years, San Francisco has been planning a fiber project to do just that, Farrell said.
“We fancy ourselves as the innovation capital of the world, yet we have communities in our city that are getting left further and further behind,” he said.
Roughly 100,000 San Francisco residents have no internet access, and 15 percent of public school students lack internet access. African American and Latino students face even greater disparity as 30 percent of them lack internet access.
Colorado
Improving the next National Broadband Map by Rep. Jared Polis and Jessica Rosenworcel, Sky Hi News
Read moreEvery map tells a story. In the 1860s, maps were key to establishing Colorado Territory's place in the gold rush. In the 1970s the state's residents decided to map a course from Durango to Denver, which was eventually christened The Colorado Trail. It's justifiably known as mile-for-mile one of the most beautiful pathways in the country.
Today, the most important maps for our Centennial State are different than those that came before. Instead of marking majestic peaks and valleys, they map out the digital future by showing where high-speed internet or broadband is available—and where it is not. Having maps that detail broadband deployment is vital for economic development in Colorado—and beyond. That's because to have a fair shot at 21st century success, every community needs access...
