Theo Douglas

Delaware will build on its existing fiber network and a successful wireless broadband pilot with a Request For Proposals (RFP) aimed at eliminating so-called “broadband deserts” over the next 24 months. Gov. John Carney (D-DE) announced that the state will release an RFP in August seeking private-sector partners to expand wireless broadband in rural Kent and Sussex counties, and in “desert” areas.

Hawaii’s legislators and governor have approved a bill aimed at more closely defining wireless broadband facilities while streamlining the application process for providers. The legislation acknowledges wireless broadband’s necessity and foundational significance to the island state’s economic and technological future.

State, county and local governments are working to modernize their information technology systems, but officials in Illinois say they must also update how they communicate with one another. Agency leaders at all levels discussed the paradigm during the inaugural Chicago Digital Government Summit May 9.

A recent study by Ohio State University (OSU) researchers found broadband access severely lacking in the state’s rural areas, a deficit they reported could yield significant economic growth if corrected — but if resolved could also lead to other, unintended consequences.

Connecting the Dots of Ohio’s Broadband Policy found that 76 percent of Ohio households had broadband subscriptions in 2015, a share that led neighboring states and lagged just 1 percent behind the national average of 77 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. More troublingly, the report from OSU’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics highlighted a disparity between urban Ohio areas, where fixed broadband access is “near universal” and adoption in metro areas ranges from less than 60 percent to more than 90 percent; and rural communities where 31 percent of the population lacks access to fixed broadband — and lives in areas where extending service is “prohibitively expensive.” Overall, the report found more than 1 million Ohioans still lack access to fixed broadband service.