Localism

In the midst of budget season, the Tompkins County (NY) Legislature convened for its regular Tuesday night meeting on October 5, addressing a wide swath of topics. The largest decision made was the county’s pivot in its efforts to expand broadband internet to the rural reaches of the region. In 2020, the county commissioned a study by Southern Tier Network and Fujitsu IT Services to determine the true number of households without broadband service in the county.

City officials in Tupelo (MS) allowed an electronic cooperative the option to use its utility poles to provide broadband services more efficiently to some Tupelo residents. The Tupelo City Council voted to accept a pole attachment agreement between the city and Tombigbee Fiber, which will allow the organization to place attachments on city-owned utility poles for broadband services. A small portion of city residents are customers of Tombigbee, but the organization does not offer broadband internet services citywide.

Located along the Hudson River, Yonkers is the gateway between New York City and the Hudson Valley. Through Project OVERCOME, the leaders of the digital opportunity zone known as Yonkers Zone, or Y-Zone, will provide free Internet access to approximately 250-350 households in downtown Yonkers using spectrum in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) frequency band.

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) announced Purdue University's Roberto Gallardo will be assisting with the Next Level Connections Broadband Grant programs. In this role, Gallardo will be responsible for guiding the suite of rural broadband programs, including program delivery, compliance and reporting, trainings and policies, partnerships and fiscal integrity. Gallardo joins OCRA on a contractual basis and will continue to serve as the Director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development and a Purdue Extension Community & Regional Economics Specialist.

At least 42 million people do not have adequate Internet access to learn and work remotely, or effectively take advantage of telemedicine in the United States. One out of seven children lacks Internet access at home, increasing to nearly a third of households with an annual income of less than $20,000.

As you might imagine, we thought there would be exciting news to share today about broadband. Not so much. As we wait for a vote on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (could it come today?

There are several root causes of the digital divide: lack of available broadband, lack of affordable solutions and other barriers to adoption, such as digital literacy and housing instability. Though no one policy will solve all parts of the puzzle, and a comprehensive strategy is needed, public policy efforts can’t be effective without a better understanding of where gaps exist. We urge our colleagues in state and local governments to ensure investments are driven by detailed, reliable data.

The New York Digital Inclusion Fund launched with exciting new grant opportunities for New York-based digital inclusion work.

Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) is an annual campaign that recognizes local digital inclusion organizations and special events that promote digital equity across the country. Please join the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) October 4-8, 2021 – this will be its biggest Digital Inclusion Week ever, with seasoned practitioners and newly launched programs hosting virtual and in-person events. DIW aims to raise awareness of solutions addressing home internet access, personal devices, and local technology training and support programs.

Non-profit wireless internet service provider DigitalC is using Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) and leveraging federal funds and private donations to subsidize broadband service and infrastructure deployment to last-mile homes in Cleveland (OH).