Press Release
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FCC Will Vote to End Exorbitant Phone & Video Call Rates for Incarcerated Persons & Their Families
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades.
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FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Proposes Final Rules to Support Wi-Fi Hotspots Through E-Rate Program
Millions of students, school staff, and library patrons around the country are on the wrong side of the digital and educational divide and, as a result, lack the same access to educational resources as their peers.
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Digital Equity Act at a Glance
The third grant program funded by the Digital Equity Act of 2021 is the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. This information can guide organizations as they Get Ready to prepare their applications. The grant's purpose is to create the conditions where individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in the society and economy of the United States. Allowable uses of grant awards include:
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American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Island, and the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Digital Equity Plan Accepted
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Digital Equity plans from American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each territory received $150,000 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program to create a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state. NTIA has now accepted digital equity plans from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S.
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Biden-Harris Administration Awards $9 Million to Nevada to Advance Digital Inclusion Efforts
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded more than $9 million to Nevada to implement its Digital Equity Plan.
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Michigan High Speed Internet Office Launches $13 Million Grant Process for Michigan's Inclusive Training, Technology and Equity Network
The Michigan High Speed Internet Office (MIHI) launched Michigan's Inclusive Training, Technology and Equity Network (MITTEN), a $13 million grant program to bolster digital inclusion and capacity building efforts for regional entities and collaboratives throughout the state. Applicants are encouraged to apply to be regional resource hubs and host sites for the state’s regional digital coordinators.
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Vermont Community Broadband Board Awards $20.2 Million Construction Grant to CUD Northwest Fiberworx
Vermont Community Broadband Board has awarded a $20.2 million construction grant to Communications Union District (CUD) Northwest Fiberworx. The grant was awarded at VCBB’s May meeting and comes from the Broadband Construction Program, a State of Vermont grant funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
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Verizon Wireless to Pay Over $1 Million to Settle FCC Investigation into 911 Outage in Six States
The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau announced a settlement to resolve its investigation into whether Verizon Wireless violated FCC rules by failing to deliver 911 calls during an outage in December 2022, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. As Congress and the Commission have found, robust and reliable 911 service is a critical national priority. Those calling first responders must be able to rely on their calls being completed.
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NTIA-Funded High-Speed Internet Project Breaks Ground in Nevada
A project funded by a $24 million high-speed Internet grant from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) broke ground in Reno, Nevada. Internet service provider Zayo Group, which received the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program grant.
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FOCUS Broadband Awarded Two Completing Access to Broadband Awards to Serve Additional Addresses in Chowan and Perquimans Counties
The North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s Division of Broadband and Digital Equity (NCDIT) has announced that FOCUS Broadband is a recipient of two Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program awards. The $5.4 million in awarded CAB funding will allow FOCUS Broadband to extend their fiber optic network in both Chowan and Perquimans counties, bringing high-speed internet to an additional 800 rural homes and businesses.