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South Carolina’s Innovative Broadband Maps Verifies ISPs Internet Speeds
South Carolina’s innovative state broadband map can accurately identify areas of over-reporting by Internet service providers (ISPs). The South Carolina State Broadband Office now performs audits on the ISPs to ensure they are submitting accurate data. The office partnered with broadband data collection company Ookla and integrated speed test data directly into the mapping system
CA Broadband Activists Aim For Big Wins On Mapping, Cable Franchise Reform
Thanks to a coalition of local digital equity advocates inroads are being made on fixing long-broken California cable franchise law as Digital Equity LA celebrates a major victory in pressuring the California Public Utilities Commission to produce more accurate maps that will be used to determine where the state's broadband funds should be targeted. These efforts come as California is putting its $7 billion broadband expansion plan into place with an eye on boosting competition and driving down consumer costs.
After Years of Talk, Cambridge, MA is Now Taking Serious Look at Municipal Broadband
With a new supportive city manager in office, Cambridge city leaders have agreed to continue to investigate the options laid out in a recently published feasibility study. The study found that for Cambridge to construct a financially sustainable citywide fiber network “a significant public contribution would be required” of between $150 and $200 million.
Rhode Island’s First Municipal Broadband Network Goes Live on Block Island
After decades of frustration, Block Island residents are finally getting access to affordable, next-generation broadband. The Island’s freshly-launched BroadbandBI fiber network is not only utterly transformative for island residents, it’s the first municipal owned and operated broadband network in Rhode Island history.
Washington Communities See Millions In New Rural Broadband Grants
The Port Of Whitman County is one of several rural Washington communities set to nab another major infusion of broadband grants courtesy of federal Covid disaster relief. A fresh infusion of $1.1 million announced last week will help the County expand a five city (Palouse, Garfield, Oakesdale, Tekoa and Rosalia) fiber expansion project to 104 unserved homes.
Register Now For Upcoming Building For Digital Equity Event
Our next Building for Digital Equity event is only weeks away. Have you registered yet? Sponsored by UTOPIA Fiber, the June 7 virtual gathering will feature engaged debates on the hottest topics in broadband: the upcoming release of BEAD funds, the challenges with mapping, and looming implications for both urban and rural communities.
Quincy, MA Moves Full Speed Ahead On City Owned Open Access Fiber Plan
Quincy, Massachusetts is moving full speed ahead on a long-percolating plan to bring faster and more reliable broadband to a community long neglected by regional telecom monopolies. If successful, the resulting open access fiber network should dramatically boost competitive options in the city, driving down costs for what many view as an essential utility.
NTIA Says State Muni-Bans Won’t Delay BEAD Funding
The NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) insists that the 17 state laws that hamper nationwide community broadband deployments won’t delay a massive looming infusion of infrastructure broadband subsidies. But one industry group isn’t so sure. BroadbandNow, a website dedicated to tracking the U.S. broadband industry, issued a report claiming that state restrictions on community broadband networks could delay the delivery of more than $42.45 billion in BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) grants made possible by the recently-passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Colorado Repeal Of Community Broadband Ban A Turning Point Decades In The Making
Colorado state leaders have voted to eliminate long-criticized state barriers to municipal broadband networks. Community broadband advocates hope it will be a beacon for other states eager to bring more reliable and affordable high-speed Internet service to a market long dominated by monopoly providers. The new Colorado law, made after years of citizen backlash to the counterproductive restrictions, is the latest inflection point in a retreat away from monopoly-backed state laws stifling creative efforts to bridge the digital divide.
Broadband Commons Forms, New Resource for Broadband Data Wranglers Emerges
The emergence of Broadband Commons and a mission to make broadband data, more accessible to all, both in terms of understanding and using the data. Share a peek into the development of their guidebook: "Introducing Broadband Data."
OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates Challenges ‘Model Minority’ Myth to Close Digital Access Gaps
OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA) seeks to document the digital access needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs). In doing so, they have bumped up against the 'model minority' myth, which obscures the digital access gaps in many AANHPI communities and has likely contributed to the dearth of research investigating AANHPI connectivity needs.
Treasury Doles Out $740 Million In ARPA Funds To California, Pennsylvania
The U.S. Treasury Department recently awarded more than $740 million in new American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the states of California and Pennsylvania, providing a major boon to both states’ efforts to expand access to affordable broadband.