Level of Government

The California Public Utilities Commission Awards Second Round of Grants to Local Governments To Help Close the Digital Divide

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has made its largest award of state broadband funds to local governments to date by providing $14 million in broadband technical assistance grants to 28 local governments to support efforts to close the digital divide. These are in addition to grants given earlier in October 2022.

Global internet gaps prompt calls for a US plan

Pressure is growing for the US to develop a plan to quickly build internet lifelines for people living in conflict zones or under repressive regimes. The absence of a broadband strategy has led to a reliance on the ad hoc goodwill of private companies, such as Elon Musk's donation of Starlink satellite to provide internet service in Ukraine. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr said that the US needs both the ability to quickly deploy internet networks and surge the production of censorship-circumvention online tools in authoritarian countries. Rep.

A Consumer-Driven Broadband Label Design

In January 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which proposed requiring internet service providers to display broadband consumer disclosure labels prominently at the point of sale.

Home Internet for Students or District Cybersecurity: Where Should the Money Go?

Despite billions of dollars in one-time federal relief money to help students learn online at home during the pandemic, the so-called homework gap persists. In fact, some schools have stopped extending students and teachers without reliable internet the connectivity help they provided during the pandemic. Forty-five percent of public schools say they are still offering home internet to students.

Economy-of-Scale for Broadband Providers

I’ve worked with a number of small communities that want to explore the idea of having a community-owned broadband provider. My advice to small communities is the same as with all clients – economy-of-scale really matters for providers. Economy-of-scale is the economic term for describing how businesses get more efficient as they get larger. A large percentage of the costs of operating a broadband provider is fixed or nearly fixed. Any fixed cost acts in the same manner as the general manager’s salary.

NYC Office of Technology & Innovation: Strategic Plan 2022

This strategic pIan was developed by consulting with numerous experts and stakeholders to determine which priorities and initiatives would have the greatest impact on the everyday lives of New Yorkers and would leverage technology to make New York City government work better for all. The plan for 2022 was created to accomplish the following:

Expanding Broadband Access Connects the Cherokee Past and Future

In the modern world, high-speed internet access has become an essential utility, just like water, gas and electricity. All those living on the Cherokee Nation Reservation need the ability to participate in the digital economy. Many Americans now take for granted services like telehealth, remote work and access to the vast amount of information and resources for learning and communication online. Unfortunately, broadband access on tribal reservations has badly lagged behind the rest of the country.

Middle-Mile Network Access for California’s Tribes

California's proposed middle-mile fiber-based network could provide access to regional broadband providers and Tribes at capacity and speeds that will allow networks to scale to accommodate the needs of an entire community. The route prioritizes areas with no access to the global Internet or slow and ineffective connections, which leaves many households and community anchor institutions at a severe disadvantage – unable to take advantage of broadband-enabled services such as telehealth, remote work, and remote educational environments. A major goal of this project is to connect all Tribes i

Trade Groups Discuss Affordable Connectivity Program Data Collection With FCC

On October 17, trade groups NTCA, USTelecom, CTIA, and ACA Connects met Federal Communications Commission officials to discuss the Affordable Connectivity Program transparency proceeding. The associations offered proposals to maximize the effectiveness of the proposed data collection while keeping it streamlined and efficient for the benefit of consumers and providers alike.

ConnectWaukegan - Fixed Wireless Proof of Concept

ConnectWaukegan, a public-private broadband provider, conducted a Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) Fixed Wireless prototype in Waukegan (IL) as a proof of concept. The research was done to present the findings and recommendations for potential leverage of CBRS Fixed Wireless capabilities to increase access to broadband by underserved residents in the city.