When former President Barack Obama takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention, he’ll address a party that has done a major about-face on its relationship with technology since he left office. Hailed as the first “internet president” for his campaign’s embrace of then-nascent social media and blogs, Obama’s rise was inextricable from that of the digital landscape we now take for granted.
Is it still fiber broadband if it doesn’t include the optical glass or the cable coating surrounding the glass? X-Lumin, a company that does free-space optical technology, says the answer is “yes." And the company thinks it has something special to offer operators deploying fiber because its technology is useful in places where physical fiber connections are impractical. Free-space optical technology uses laser-light beams to wirelessly transmit data without having to use fiber optic cable.
Maryland has named the senior leadership team for its Digital Service, an IT department division that launched in January. The Digital Service aims to improve residents’ access to digital services and benefits, lower the costs of providing these services and help state agencies offer “well-designed and user-centered digital experiences.” Rather than rely on vendors or contractors for this work, the state chose to make the Digital Service an in-house team of full-time employees.
A recent federal court ruling is unlikely to mean the permanent end of the E-rate program that funds school telecommunication services, but the program's future is still uncertain. On a recent webinar, attorneys Sean Lev and Andy Schwartzman emphasized the recent ruling will have no near-term effects on E-rate.
The Washington Post recently published its first-ever story built on the work of a new AI tool called Haystacker that allows journalists to sift through large data sets—video, photo or text—to find newsworthy trends or patterns.
Since its inception more than 25 years ago, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program has supported high-speed, affordable Internet services to and within school and library buildings, and has been instrumental in providing students, school staff, and library patrons with access to essential broadband services. The FCC released a report and order in the August 20, 2024 federal register on using E-Rate funds for Wi-Fi hotspots.
Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks joined Rep Marc Veasey (D-TX) at Lady Bird Johnson Middle School to discuss the important role of student connectivity and the FCC’s efforts to expand internet access. Established in 1996, the FCC’S E-Rate program helps schools and libraries to obtain broadband. The FCC has recently taken steps to modernize this program to ensure it addresses the changing connectivity needs of students.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry (R-LA) announced the launch of the GUMBO 2.0 program. This program allows for the distribution of $1.355 billion in funding to support broadband access throughout the state. This initiative will expand broadband access to 140,000 locations—including 100,000 homes (60,000 of which are in rural parishes), 35,000 businesses, and 4,000 community anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies.
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