Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Digital Divide

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

https://www.benton.org/blog/broadband-mapping-and-communities

State

Broadband Mapping By and For Communities

benton — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:15:25 +0000

On Monday, September 26, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Director of Research and Fellowships Dr. Revati Prasad hosted an online panel discussion, From the Ground Up: Broadband Mapping By and for Communities, on how communities and states are collecting data on local broadband availability as the Federal Communications Commission rolls out the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program. The panel was moderated by Dustin Loup, the Program Manager at the National Broadband Mapping Coalition, the event's co-sponsor. He framed the discussion by highlighting that inaccurate broadband deployment data has not only overestimated the percentage of U.S. households with access to broadband, it has also prevented some communities from being eligible for federal and/or state programs that subsidize broadband network buildout. Read what the panel had to say at the link below.

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Benton Original Content

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Recapping From the Ground Up: Broadband Mapping By and For Communities

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Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

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Kevin Taglang

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Mon, 10/03/2022

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Daily Digest 9/30/2022

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Fri, 09/30/2022

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Benton Foundation

An Update on Implementing the National Spectrum Strategy

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:45:25 +0000

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is hard at work implementing the National Spectrum Strategy. First up: initiating technical studies of spectrum bands—including a process to streamline funding to federal agencies—and kicking off the exploration and demonstration of advanced spectrum management techniques including Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS). On the band studies, NTIA is streamlining the pipeline plan process so that federal agencies can obtain funding from the Spectrum Relocation Fund (SRF)—what is commonly referred to as “pipeline” funding—for their studies. NTIA is targeting October for distribution of the pipeline funds to the agencies, which would trigger a two-year countdown to complete the band studies and then issue reports. Regarding our other priority—DSS—the Department of Defense held a public meeting April 8 to begin a process of demonstrating potential DSS solutions that could enable sharing in the Lower 3 GHz band. Although this effort hopefully will inform spectrum sharing in the future for this band and others, it is separate and apart from the Lower 3 GHz band study discussed above. NTIA looks forward to co-leading this effort with DoD and collaborating with industry, academia, and other stakeholders to advance DSS.

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https://www.ntia.gov/blog/2024/update-implementing-national-spectrum-strategy

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NTIA is hard at work implementing the National Spectrum Strategy

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National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Author:

Charles Cooper

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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Thu, 04/25/2024

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National Telecommunications and Information Administration

https://www.ntia.gov/blog/2024/building-ntia-meet-historic-moment

Spectrum

Building an NTIA to Meet This Historic Moment

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:33:05 +0000

At NTIA, tech policy is what we do. From connecting everyone in America to the Internet, to managing federal airwaves, to crafting policy for emerging innovations like artificial intelligence systems, our goal is to make sure important technologies are developed in the service of people and progress. To help reach that goal, I’m pleased to announce key additions to our leadership team:

Shiva Goel will join the Office of the Assistant Secretary as Senior Advisor for Spectrum Policy. He joins NTIA from the Federal Communications Commission, where he served as Legal Advisor to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks.
Francella Ochillo joins NTIA as Director of Public Engagement. Ochillo is a technology policy expert who specializes in promoting digital citizenship. She comes to NTIA from Georgetown University, where she served as a Technology and Society Fellow.

These additions are the latest in a series of moves in recent months to bolster our senior staff. We continue to seek top-flight candidates for other leadership roles, including a new Chief Financial Officer/Director of Administration, Associate Administrator/Laboratory Director for our Institute for Telecommunication Sciences in Colorado, and Deputy Associate Administrator for Spectrum Management. These and other key hires continue to prepare NTIA to build a better-connected world now and in the future.

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NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson announced new hires at the leadership team

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National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Author:

Alan Davidson

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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Thu, 04/25/2024

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National Telecommunications and Information Administration

https://www.ntia.gov/press-release/2024/biden-harris-administration-approves-kan…

Policymakers

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Kansas, Nevada, and West Virginia’s “Internet for All” Initial Proposal

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:28:17 +0000

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Kansas, Nevada and West Virginia’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. Kansas, Nevada and West Virginia are among the first states to reach this important milestone, which will enable them to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. Today’s action makes available $451.7 million for Kansas, $416.6 million for Nevada, and $1.2 billion for West Virginia.

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The NTIA has approved Kansas, Nevada and West Virginia’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program

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National Telecommunications and Information Administration

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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Thu, 04/25/2024

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Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

https://fiberbroadband.org/2024/04/25/fiber-electrifies-alabama-broadband-plans/

State

Fiber Electrifies Alabama Broadband Plans

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:21:41 +0000

As energy companies around the country deploy fiber to improve grid reliability, they open the door to enabling broadband connectivity to previously unserved rural communities. Alabama Power has invested over $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades to add over 1,600 miles of fiber within its service areas since 2017. It now connects over 1,000 devices on its electric distribution system, allowing for real-time monitoring and grid reconfiguration. Alabama Power’s fiber and state regulatory changes have enabled the utility to partner with the state’s electric co-ops and internet companies to deploy fiber by providing middle mile fiber to reach rural areas. They leverage Alabama Power’s existing fiber assets to reduce cost and enable others to open and expand last-mile access for unserved communities. Alabama’s partnership with these electric co-ops delivers over 3,000 miles of middle-mile fiber to 67 counties in the state, together as the Alabama Fiber Network. Alabama has been allocated $1.4 billion in National Telecommunications and Information Administration Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding for broadband infrastructure and Alabama Power stands ready to provide dark fiber to ISPs interested in applying for BEAD and other broadband projects.

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Electric utilities in Alabama are working together to close the digital divide

Source:

Fiber Broadband Association

Author:

Autumn Minnich

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

https://www.internetforall.gov/blog/high-speed-internet-improves-solar-panel-out…

State

High-Speed Internet Improves Solar Panel Output on Tribal Lands

zwalker@benton.org — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:22:53 +0000

The Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin had been generating electricity to run its community center using solar panels for years—they just didn’t have an accurate way of tracking their energy usage. Thanks to an Internet for All grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), they now do. NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) awarded the Forest County Potawatomi Community $125,232 to provide reliable high-speed Internet service to the Tribe’s solar arrays. The broadband component is critical to the success of the project, ensuring that Hauber and Lange can accurately monitor and store data. The solar panels produce enough energy to charge the building’s energy usage during the day. Before NTIA funded the program, Lange would have to physically drive out to the solar panel site to make sure everything was functioning properly. Data from the solar panels were stored in USBs, which only held 30 days of info. And, with slow download speeds, data collection could take upwards of 2-3 days' worth of time to collect. Now that everything goes through their own secure network, the Tribe is no longer dependent on an outside manufacturer or data company to understand how the solar panels on the community center are working, and do not lose any of their data.

(March 22, 2024)

Benton Content:

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NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program has helped the Forest County Potawatomi Community

Source:

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Author:

Maya James

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Wed, 04/24/2024

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Daily Digest 4/23/2024

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Tue, 04/23/2024

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Analysis

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

Marginalized Populations

Individuals who are Members of a Racial or Ethnic Minority Group

Sen Dick Durbin Visits Dominican, Meets with Student Digital Navigators

zwalker@benton.org — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:07:18 +0000

Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited Dominican University to discuss the $2.5 million in federal funding the university received through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program that has helped enhance information technology capabilities and close the digital divide for students. Sen Durbin visited one of seven classrooms that, thanks to a portion of the grant proceeds, received technological upgrades to support a hybrid of in-person and remote learning. There, he met with a group of students, most of them digital navigator interns. Their work, which is funded through the grant, has included cybersecurity awareness for students and surveying the student body for guidance in identifying IT priorities on campus. Sen Durbin also spoke with IT personnel and university leaders.

Benton Content:

https://www.dom.edu/university-news/sen-dick-durbin-visits-dominican-meets-stude…

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Sen Dick Durbin visited Dominican University

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Dominican University

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Wed, 04/24/2024

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Daily Digest 4/23/2024

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Tue, 04/23/2024

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Community Anchor Institutions

Schools/Universities

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

Digital Literacy

National Telecommunications and Information Administration