Infrastructure

The state's second-largest county by land area is working with eX² Technology to stand up a 200-mile fiber-optic network, bringing high-speed Internet to more than 20 cities and at least one higher education institution.

Pending approvals from the Denton City Council, an Austin-based company intends to convert its bitcoin mining facilities into data centers, investing an estimated $4 billion. Its site would double to nearly 43 acres and would offer high-performance computing for artificial intelligence.

The North Star for the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program is comprehensive connectivity for all homes and businesses, officials said at the Connecting Communities Summit. That could come through fiber or fixed wireless.

A former federal telecommunications official said it is unlikely Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program funding will be clawed back and work disrupted. Infrastructure could, however, become more tech-neutral.

The Communications and Information Technology Committee approved three pacts, selecting the vendor that will engineer 170 miles of network to expand broadband citywide. Officials also approved a maintenance agreement, and one to connect homes and businesses in a pilot area.

The British company is bent on expanding in North America — including the U.S., where recent federal funding of infrastructure could provide ample gov tech opportunities. The company’s CEO explains their vision.

The City Council heard testimony for and against the project Monday ahead of a final vote on whether OG&E can power the planned center. Actions on an accompanying development agreement plan and tax incentive pact were continued to Dec. 2.

Community Connect, a grants program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has awarded Internet service provider Loveland Pulse more than $1 million to extend broadband to residents of Big Thompson Canyon and to Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park.

New York City’s latest migration from 2D to 3D records helps remove frustrating delays and ambiguity in the complex property tax system.

The funding includes nearly $7 million for the Lowell Regional Transit Authority, which already has a hybrid-electric bus up and running. There’s also around $15 million for energy-efficient upgrades to school district HVAC systems.

Streetlamps in Rumford, Maine, shine with 5G wireless connectivity, strengthening the community’s communications system. A public-private partnership has enabled officials to use the lights as wireless communication nodes.

Artificial intelligence is poised to become the next big energy hog and data centers stand to challenge sustainability goals. Some processing demands, however, can be shifted to periods when demand is low.

The company, recognized by the federal government for intersection safety tools, has brought in capital from the venture arms of two big telecommunications firms. The money will help Derq further expand in North America, the CEO says.

The company, best known for its budgeting, planning and procurement tools, has teamed with pipeline inspection firm ITpipes. The deal is a result of an OpenGov gov tech acquisition in 2022.

Sila Nanotechnology is renovating a factory in Moses Lake, Wash., to make silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries. Officials must train the skilled workforce the renewable energy industry needs, and they must secure energy sources.

The state of Maine will get more than $65 million in federal funding for so-called “smart grid” technology to more quickly link solar panels and wind turbines to utilities’ electricity systems.

The Bay Area city is making high-speed Internet more accessible with projects focused on affordability and service delivery and aimed at closing the digital divide. A California Public Utilities Commission grant is among the funding sources.

The project’s parent company recently pitched four new buildings to town officials, for an artificial intelligence data center. Currently, four buildings on the 30-acre site house bitcoin mining; a fifth should be finished next year.