Local/Municipal

History always renders a powerful and positive verdict for any group that understands that there are some things that cannot be allowed to divide a nation. And then acts to close that divide. I don’t want claim that the achieving universal broadband connectivity has the same moral imperative as ending slavery or drastically reducing poverty. But it is no small thing. And sometimes things that are not front-page news, overtime have enormous impacts.

Sterling Ranch, a master-planned community in Douglas County (CO), has made fiber-based broadband the centerpiece amenity of its community. It is achieving its broadband goals through a partnership with Lumen Technologies and Lumiere Fiber, a network integrator. By expanding its relationship with Lumen, Sterling Ranch, the first all-gigabit community in Colorado, will offer its residents 8 Gbps symmetrical fiber-based internet services.

In the metropolitan hubs of the world, access to ubiquitous high-speed fiber within city limits is almost taken for granted these days. But for many people in rural areas, such access is limited. Service providers understandably often can’t provide fiber access to the last mile in rural areas because of the sheer expense of laying and maintaining fiber to each home in sparsely populated areas. This has left many people underserved for decades, relying on legacy copper networks to attempt to bridge the digital divide.

UTOPIA Fiber,  America’s largest open access fiber network, built more than 4,387 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in 2022 throughout Utah, Idaho, and Montana. This impressive feat was accomplished facing fierce headwinds from supply chain constraints and labor market shortages. Additionally, UTOPIA Fiber inked the deal to provide residential services to its 20^th Utah city, while also completing fiber buildouts in 14 cities, including UTOPIA’s 11 original cities.

Consolidated Communications will bring Fidium fiber internet to 22,000 rural Maine homes and businesses as part of the Connect Maine Partnership, supported by a $18.3 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This project will bolster Consolidated’s ongoing work to build fiber-to-the-premises broadband networks to more than 70% of the Company’s service area by 2025.

Kansas City's Digital Equity Office is proud to receive the Missouri Office of Broadband Development's Digital Demonstration Project Grant for $25,000. Kansas City's Digital Equity Office will utilize this grant money to promote participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The Digital Equity Office will partner with Essential Families, a not-for-profit community-based organization, to help enroll eligible Kansas City residents into the ACP. This money will specifically go toward the city's outreach efforts, including:

Around 130,000 households across Bexar County lack adequate internet access, per a 2021 

The Center for Digital Equity, a local hub operating from Queens University of Charlotte working to bring critically needed technology, computers and digital literacy to residents in Mecklenburg County (NC). But being without a laptop is only part of the issue. The lack of technology can hinder residents from being able to take care of daily tasks like paying bills, checking the bus schedule or making health appointments.

The Connect99 initiative aims to address the digital divide in Birmingham (AL) by providing residents with affordable internet access.

Fiber-optic broadband networks offer faster and more reliable internet services, promoting economic growth, remote work, and telemedicine opportunities in communities across the US. Successful fiber network deployments have been reported in several cities and towns. While the initial investment for fiber networks is high, they offer long-term cost savings by reducing maintenance and upgrade needs. Communities can benefit from improved access to information and resources with the help of fiber networks, which can keep them competitive in the digital age.