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  2. May 2023

May 2023

Broadband service coming to more towns, boosting New Hampshire's economy

About $115 million in federal funds will spread broadband internet to rural areas around New Hampshire in the coming years, improving people's lives and boosting the state's economy. "By the time we get done with these resources (in late 2026), we do expect to have a very significant portion of the unserved and underserved locations in the state up to speed and online," Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. Caswell participated in an announcement of $50 million in federal funding to the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative.

Mississippi BEAD director credits electric co-ops for reaching rural

The most rural parts of Mississippi are home to expansive agricultural lands with low residential density and until recent years, little incentive for broadband providers to build broadband infrastructure. Homes in the Mississippi Delta—the state’s most untenanted area—have typically used satellite service to make do, according to Sally Doty, a former state senator who was appointed as Director of the new Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) office in 2022. As the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding nears deployment, the BEAM of

Let's Hear From You

These Principles for Digital Equity Visions are still in draft form.

We want these principles to be useful to the digital equity community— to help state leaders envision what achieving digital equity could look like and how it may transform their states, and support community advocates to hold their leaders accountable.

Colorado repealed law limiting municipal internet, making it easier for towns to build their own

Colorado repealed the referendum requirement for community broadband projects with the passage of Senate Bill 183. Support came from all sides, including the cable industry, which was neutral on the legislation. But there was another reason for the timing: federal broadband funding. The Colorado Broadband Office wasn’t sure if communities that hadn’t opted out would be eligible for a piece of the up to $1 billion in federal broadband funds Colorado could receive.

How We Did This

This project began with the intention to help states write their visions of digital equity, visions that go beyond speed benchmarks like "all households connected to 25/3 by 2030." We want to encourage states to develop ambitious agendas and ensure that more community voices are heard in crafting a future with increased opportunity for all—opportunity enabled by affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service.

Developing These Principles

This project began with the intention to help states write their visions of digital equity, visions that go beyond speed benchmarks like "all households connected to 25/3 by 2030." We want to encourage states to develop ambitious agendas and ensure that more community voices are heard in crafting a future with increased opportunity for all—opportunity enabled by affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service.

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