News

Tennessee Munis, Electric Cooperatives Get Major Chunk Of Latest State Broadband Grants

Cooperatives and Tennessee municipal broadband projects have nabbed a respectable chunk of Tennessee's latest round of middle and last mile broadband grants. Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) recently announced the state had awarded more than $162.7 million in broadband and digital opportunity grants, funded primarily via federal COVID relief legislation.

CBRS Spectrum: A Potential Boon To Community Broadband

Recent federal government efforts to expand use of public Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum could be of significant help to municipalities and local communities looking to bridge the digital divide with the increasingly popular wireless technology. For municipalities, the spectrum has already proven to be a valuable way to deploy wireless access to the public, though not all community deployments of CRBS have delivered satisfactory results.

San Francisco Wins National Award For Providing Free High Speed Internet Service To Affordable Housing Residents

With the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) now bankrupt, the City of San Francisco is being honored by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) for its Fiber to Housing (FTH) program that offers free high-speed Internet service to affordable housing residents. Built on the back of the city’s municipally-owned fiber optic network, California’s fourth most populous city is well on its way to extending the city's fiber network to 30,000 affordable housing units across the city.

Colorado Passes New Broadband Laws, Takes Aim At Landlord Monopolies

The Colorado legislature has passed several new broadband bills that should aid affordable broadband deployment in the state. The new bills do everything from expanding the leeway the state has in spending broadband funding, to providing some tax breaks to providers heavily invested in rural deployment.

Somerville And Washington Maine Begin Fiber Network Construction

The towns of Somerville and Washington Maine have kickstarted their long-percolating efforts to deliver fiber broadband to both long-neglected rural municipalities. Local officials say that the municipalities’ partner, Axiom Technologies, has begun construction on a dual-town fiber deployment funded by state and federal grants.

New York State Is Trying To Make It Easier For Municipal Broadband To Succeed

A New York legislator this month introduced new legislation he says would make it easier than ever for New York state municipal broadband projects to thrive. State Senator Jeremy Cooney of Rochester has introduced the Broadband Deployment Assistance Act of 2024 (S9134), which would streamline the permitting process for municipal broadband projects.

Vermont CUD Maple Broadband Moving Quickly To Expand Access

The locally owned not-for-profit municipal operation Maple Broadband has completed the first phase of its broadband network and is busy on an expansion. The CUD says it has completed the first phase of its network; laying 143.5 miles of fiber and passing 1,647 homes and businesses in portions of the Vermont towns of Cornwall, Orwell, Shoreham, Whiting, Salisbury, and Middlebury.

Blueprints for BEAD: Stakeholders May Use Rebuttal Power to Prevent New Errors in BEAD Maps

By mid June, we will have blown past the halfway mark in the BEAD challenge process - with more than thirty states having completed their “challenge windows” and another handful set to close imminently. But the “challenge window” is only part of the overall challenge process, and there are reasons for communities to stay engaged with the process even after that window closes. Communities - don’t sleep on the rebuttal window!

Event: How to Build a Public Broadband Network

Tune in June 11 for the third and final installment of a new webinar series aimed at local government leaders thinking about building publicly owned networks. Hosted by the American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB) and the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society - both veteran organizations in this space - the event aims to unpack key considerations in the building and operation of community-owned networks.

Countdown To Next Building For Digital Equity Event: ‘Pathways To Affordability’

As FCC Chair Jessica Ronsenworcel this week laments the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the next Building For Digital Equity event is ready to address the now-what question. Slated for June 10 from 3 to 4:15 PM ET, the upcoming #B4DE will focus on “Pathways To Affordable Connectivity” and will serve up plenty of food-for-thought and actionable intel for those working in the trenches to bridge the digital divide.