County

In May 2021, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Broadband Deployment Act of 2021, codifying the Florida Office of Broadband, which had been created in the previous year within the state's Department of Economic Opportunity.

Cox Communications has filed a formal protest over Escambia County’s (FL) decision to select the Escambia River Electric Cooperative for a rural broadband project.

The digital divide is narrowing in Manistee County, Michigan, according to internet provider Spectrum — a division of Charter Communications. Spectrum is in the process of expanding its services in rural parts of the state through a combination of public-private partnerships and internal investment. Roughly $10 million is being invested in Manistee County to bring unserved homes and businesses up to speed. Funding is made possible through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), an initiative of the Federal Communications Commission, along with an additional $8.2 million investment by Cha

Broadband investment has been a focus for county officials since first receiving American Rescue Plan Act funding. What that might look like is coming into focus. Warren County's (PA) first foray into broadband was a solicitation for proposals for a $1 million Appalachian Regional Commission grant that would have expanded service with several volunteer fire stations as hubs. Two entities applied to work with the county on that project.

Escambia County (FL) is looking back to Escambia River Electric Cooperative's (EREC) proposal to build a rural broadband network, but the unusual path the county has taken drew the objection of cable and internet provider Cox Communications on November 29.

With virtually unlimited bandwidth, fiber optic connectivity is the fastest, most reliable, and most innovative solution for bridging the digital divide. Other options, like fixed wireless access, may be faster to deploy but require more upkeep, have limited capabilities, and require substantial new investment in a relatively short period.

Onondaga County (NY) has selected Verizon to deploy broadband in several communities in this Central New York area. With $11.1 million in funding provided as part of the American Rescue plan (ARPA) and a nearly $7 million dollar investment from Verizon, almost $18 million will be spent on bringing all-fiber, high-speed broadband services to over 1,500 locations in the county. Verizon’s bid was supported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Verizon will leverage its supplier relationships to meet the goals set by Onondaga County related to Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises

A year ago, I urged us all to look beyond the $65 billion the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act sets aside for broadband and realize the importance of Congress’ recognition that access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States. I still find this renewed and updated Congressional commitment to universal service to be astounding. We should continue to celebrate it—and continue the work that ensures this commitment becomes a reality.

The Virginia Funders Network (VFN) is a prominent membership organization with more than 100 philanthropic organizations from every corner of Virginia. VFN convened a small group of member foundations that were interested in or already supporting broadband initiatives. Based on input from this small group, VFN quickly came to understand the critical connection between affordable, reliable broadband access and VFN members achieving their missions.

On November 10, the Federal Communications Commission released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), a formal announcement of the availability of grant funds to develop innovative outreach strategies to reach historically underserved and unserved communities, raise awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and help eligible individuals enroll in the program. Here are highlights of the NOFO for organizations that are already doing ACP outreach or for those who may be considering it.