Government Technology

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is underway and on track, and the 10-year initiative is expected to continue as planned when a new presidential administration takes over the White House in January. Experts argue the new administration will not impact the program’s continuation, but 

Grafton County, New Hampshire's second-largest county, began a $17 million project to construct a 200-mile fiber-optic middle-mile network. The initiative, led by the Grafton County Board of Commissioners and the county’s broadband committee, with infrastructure provider eX² Technology, aims to transform connectivity in 25 municipalities across the county that currently lack reliable Internet access. The project was spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and revealed the dire need for broadband expansion across rural Grafton County.

Government officials are working to calm concerns about disruptions to the nation’s broadband infrastructure buildout with the coming of a new presidential administration. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was designed and envisioned as a 10-year project, said BEAD director Evan Feinman, and changes in political leadership were expected. “Political changes, or not, there was going to be significant perso

Areas with poor or no broadband service often also suffer from a lack of competition among Internet providers, which can also lead to higher costs for consumers. “Only about 60 percent of all locations nationwide have competition,” remarked Joe Ross, senior partner and co-founder of Televate LLC, which provides Internet consulting services for government.

In 2022, the Berks County (PA) commissioners found out their county, like many other counties across the country, was facing a digital divide. There was a widening, increasingly troublesome gap between those with Internet access and the skills to use it and those without. That realization was laid bare in a study conducted by an independent contractor that took a look at broadband access and availability. Seeing a need for things to change, they committed $6.3 million to addressing the challenges faced by the County.

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.