Plus, initial proposals for BEAD program funding have been approved in two more states, findings from a new report emphasize the role libraries play in bridging the digital divide, and more.
Bids to date would put the total cost of the middle-mile fiber-optic network at $1.87 million. That’s less than the $2.2 million projected. If awarded, the contracts will connect as many as 865 homes and businesses to the city-owned system.
The list of potential uses for any leftover BEAD funding includes digital equity, and one state has a plan that would direct the money toward the work for years to come.
A $45.5 million grant from the state and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute will pay for high-speed Internet for Pioneer Valley communities. Four Internet service providers will make the installations in about 2,000 locations.
Buoyed by unprecedented federal funding as well as a widely accepted understanding that Internet is a fundamental part of modern life, states and cities confront the remaining obstacles to getting everyone online.
Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen recently said that no resident within the county should be "left behind" when it comes to broadband Internet access.
The Statewide Education Network will create an internal system for sharing classes, educational materials and other resources. All of the state's districts and charter schools are expected to join the network by 2027.
A grant of nearly $3.8 million from the Nebraska Capital Projects Fund will deliver fiber optics to a 70-square-mile area around Stromsburg and southwest Osceola. It includes 176 homes deemed “unserved” by fiber.
A Digital Champion grant will allow Haywood Community College in North Carolina to develop curriculum for local education sites and hire a full-time digital navigator to provide digital literacy skills for the community.
The county has received nearly $700,000 from the state Completing Access to Broadband program. With matching money from the county, the money should enable 915 businesses and homeowners to access high-speed Internet.
