Internet/Broadband

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Arkansas’ Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.  This approval enables Arkansas to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. Arkansas was allocated over $1 billion to deploy or upgrade Internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service.  

Broadband accessibility has rapidly transformed into a modern-day essential, integral to our nation’s economy.  However, some still do not have access to basic internet connectivity, which became more evident during COVID-19. As a result, government programs like the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program were created to expand internet connectivity to unserved and underserved areas.

Access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet remains a pressing need across the U.S., especially in states with higher rural populations. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program aims to address the connectivity gap between those who have access and those who don’t.

Over $158 million in broadband expansion projects were approved by the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board. The 50 awarded projects are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Project Funds. The Oklahoma Broadband Office had $159 million available to award for the projects. The projects will bring internet service to over 28,000 homes and businesses spanning 28 counties in Oklahoma, mostly in rural areas. The 50 approved grants are for 12 different internet service providers.

Although a great deal of attention is on the 2024 elections at the national level, state elections could play a major role in how high-speed networks are rolled out, particularly in regards to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The need for reliable communications is very apparent in the state this week. Since Friday, September 27, Western North Carolina has been experiencing catastrophic flooding as a result of Hurricane Helene.

Fortnite maker Epic Games says it is suing Google and Samsung, alleging that the companies secretly colluded and imposed “onerous” restrictions on new third-party app stores. Epic alleges that Google and Samsung made it too difficult for consumers to download app stores made by outside software developers, a new possibility after Google lost a previous antitrust lawsuit brought by the videogame company. The tech giants conspired to make a feature called Auto Blocker active by default on Samsung’s newest smartphones, according to Epic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vetoed SB 1047, an artificial intelligence safety bill that would have established requirements for developers of advanced AI models to create protocols aimed at preventing catastrophes. The bill, introduced by Sen.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules to ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in video conferencing, including by paving the way for the use of telecommunications relay services (TRS). Building on the FCC’s 2023 Order making clear that video conferencing services must be accessible to people with disabilities under our rules, the FCC voted to enhance the accessibility standards for these online tools.

Information Technology is important in daily life, especially was in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research moves in this direction, studying the evolution of the Internet use in Italy. In order to analyse the diffusion of the Internet and internal digital divide, the number of “.it “domain names were used as an indicator.

During a meeting Wednesday, September 25, with the Cape Cod Technical Council’s infrastructure committee, a representative from Verizon stated that the company planned to build a fiber-optic internet network in seven towns on the Cape, including Falmouth (MA). This is not just fiber to neighborhood “nodes,” as Comcast currently offers, but fiber right to homes. This is called fiber-to-the-premises, or FTTP.