- Kansas Reclassifies Broadband
- North Carolina Announces $31 Million
- Benton Broadband Research Projects
- Pasadena Skills Training
- Campaign Aims to Bridge Device Divide
KANSAS RECLASSIFIES BROADBAND
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has signed a bill reclassifying telecommunications and broadband infrastructure as critical infrastructure.
“By classifying broadband cables and wires as critical infrastructure, we are taking steps to deter tampering with these essential materials to ensure that Kansans’ internet service is not disrupted,” Kelly said in a statement.
House Bill 2061 specifies that the term “critical infrastructure facility” includes aboveground and belowground lines, cables, and wires used for telecommunications or video services, as well as antennas, towers, and structures. The bill was introduced Jan. 22 and approved by the governor April 1.
By classifying telecommunications and broadband infrastructure as critical infrastructure facilities, the bill protects properties containing that infrastructure from trespassing, making it a criminal offense to knowingly damage or impede on the operations of such facilities.
As District 48 Rep. Dan Osman explained in a statement, this bill helps the state better safeguard the equipment protecting Kansans’ Internet access.
The legislation builds on previous connectivity progress in Kansas. The state has set a goal to be a top 10 broadband leader in the country by the year 2030. One factor in reaching this goal is $452 million in federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is currently on hold as it undergoes review.
The idea of defining broadband as critical infrastructure is not unique to Kansas; the state’s legislation is one example of a broader trend among states nationwide. Some have viewed it this way for years, and even the federal government has addressed the nature of Internet being critical infrastructure.
NORTH CAROLINA ANNOUNCES $31 MILLION
North Carolina will be investing more than $31 million to connect 10,810 households and businesses in the state through the Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program.
N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) Secretary and state Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione said in a statement that the state will continue announcing CAB projects every two weeks throughout the month of April.
CAB projects will be funded by more than $22.1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and nearly $9.6 million from providers.
Program awards will be added to NCDIT dashboards, which were launched in June to illustrate progress made on ARPA-funded programs.
BENTON BROADBAND RESEARCH PROJECTS
The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society has announced the launch of several new research projects to examine broadband adoption barriers.
“These fellows are asking essential questions about how climate risk, accountability mechanisms, and our institutions and policies can impact people’s ability to access and use the Internet,” Revati Prasad, Benton’s incoming executive director and vice president of programs, said in a statement.
One fellow will examine the relationship between inland flood risk and broadband access for houses located in vulnerable communities.
Another will work with a team to explore broadband accountability issues using the Broadband Querying Tool. This tool will also be used to examine the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s BEAD and Middle Mile Grant programs.
Still another will explore the role community anchor institutions play in Maryland’s digital inclusion work, including how they help support “digitally marginalized individuals.”
A fourth will look at the role of policies and legal frameworks in closing the broadband health gap in rural areas — examining both positive and negative impacts.
The next round of applications for the Barriers to Broadband Fellowship is slated to open this year; these fellows are supported by the Marjorie and Charles Benton Opportunity Fund.
PASADENA SKILLS TRAINING
In local news, the Pasadena Senior Center in California is offering multilingual technology training to expand digital skills among seniors. Digital skills are now required by 92 percent of jobs, according to one report.
The center is providing weekly training Mondays at 10 a.m. An experienced instructor will offer assistance in using smartphones, tablets and computers, and teach participants how to navigate social media, send texts, check voicemails, set alarms, and other digital skills.
The announcement, too, is written in both English and Spanish.
Government agencies are leveraging technology to offer services in multiple languages, in an effort to reach more residents. More than 350 languages are spoken in the U.S., and more than 41 million people in the U.S. speak Spanish.
CAMPAIGN AIMS TO BRIDGE DEVICE DIVIDE
The nonprofit organization Human-I-T has launched a new campaign in honor of Earth Month to encourage people to consider the question: “What happens to our old tech?”
The announcement cites a 2024 United Nations report, which stated that global e-waste rose to 62 million metric tons in 2022; this fact coincides with a U.N. report that 32 percent of the global population remained offline in 2024.
“By upcycling these resources, we protect the environment and bridge the digital divide — giving devices a second life and people their first chance to thrive digitally,” Gabe Middleton, Human-I-T CEO and co-founder, said in a statement.
