StateScoop

Amid widely conflicting reports of how many Americans truly lack access to high-speed internet, state broadband officials said that there’s too much funding at stake to rely on the Federal Communications Commission’s unreliable census-block data.

The Digital Equity Act of 2019,  introduced in Sept 2019 by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), would direct $250 million annually in federal funding toward digital equity efforts in cities and states, complementing a host of broadband infrastructure bills.

North Carolina officials are streamlining a self-reporting tool that allows residents to document their internet speed, in hopes of mounting a challenge against the Federal Communication Commission’s broadband coverage map data. Jeff Sural, director of the NC Department of Technology’s broadband infrastructure office, said the goal is to get federal broadband expansion funding for the parts of his state that remain unserved.

A recently introduced Senate bill would create a dedicated office for rural-broadband expansion inside the Federal Communications Commission. If enacted, the legislation would order the FCC to create an Office of Rural Broadband. That new agency would coordinate with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service and the Universal Service Administrative Company — an FCC-backed nonprofit that distributes broadband funds to underfunded areas — to maintain information on federal rural broadband programs.

For municipalities looking to start their own broadband services, 2019 hasn’t gotten off to a great start.

The Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer in New York City recently released a request for information (RFI) to gather input from industry experts on the city’s plan to provide universal broadband, connecting every resident and business in the city with affordable high-speed internet access. This RFI builds on other local initiatives — like LinkNYC, NYCx, and the Governors Island Connectivity Challenge — for developing models and creating strategies to successfully deploy broadband throughout the city.

San Rafael, California, is aiming to build a new website with the public’s help, following in the footsteps of major metropolises like Boston and New York City by launching a beta version of the overhauled web portal before rolling out a full version.

San Rafael kicked off its site redesign efforts in earnest, pairing that public push with the rollout of new customer relationship management software on the back end. Rebecca Woodbury, a senior management analyst for the city and the leader of its digital overhaul, said that those projects go hand in hand as the city works to meet its broader goal of changing how the city offers digital services to its residents.