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Willmar, Minnesota Moves Forward With $24.5 Million Open Access Fiber Network
The city of Willmar, Minnesota has voted to move forward on plans for a city-owned open access fiber network. The $24.5 million investment, which saw finalized approval by the Willmar city council earlier this month with a 4-3 vote, aims to drive accountable, affordable, fiber access to long underserved parts of the northern Minnesota city.
Jemez Pueblo Tribe Seeks ‘Light,’ Fiber Knowledge To Advance Digital Sovereignty
At the 17th Tribal Broadband Bootcamp, Pueblo of Jemez Tribe members immersed themselves in fiber and wireless network technology as the Tribally-owned broadband provider JNET embarks on a fiber-to-the-home project. The half-dozen network builders from the Pueblo are being led by Network Operations Supervisor and Digital Navigator Program Manager Angela Diahkah and JNET Director Kevin Shendo.
Study: Affordable Connectivity Program More Than Paid For Itself
A new study by The Brattle Group found that the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) generated more savings for taxpayers than it cost. Healthcare savings generated by the low-income program alone more than offset its annual burden to taxpayers, undermining claims that the program was dismantled as an act of fiscal efficiency.
Google’s Hometown Of Mountain View, CA Eyes Potential Muni Fiber Build
Mountain View officials hired the consulting firm, Entrust Solutions, to take a closer look at the city’s broadband availability metrics and device potential options for the city. The finished report and accompanying technical memorandum note that Comcast enjoys a monopoly over vast swaths of the city, resulting in expensive, slow, and spotty access.
ILSR and AAPB To Host Community Broadband Film Fest
ILSR and AAPB to host a virtual community broadband film fest on March 27 to premiere “Building Fiberhoods in Holland,” a short documentary on how the city of Holland, Michigan came to build a municipal broadband utility to supercharge its local economy. The livestream event will kick-off with virtual red carpet introductions of some of the film’s stars, including Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks
Vermont Looks To Bring Oasis of Fiber-Connected Telehealth Hubs to ‘Healthcare Deserts’
A coalition of Vermont healthcare leaders, librarians, and state broadband officials are looking to leverage the state’s unprecedented deployment of community-owned fiber networks to create a scalable, community-centered telehealth model. It’s called VITAL VT – an exploratory effort being launched with a $10,000 grant from the Leahy Institute For Rural Partnerships, working in collaboration with the University of Vermont Medical Center and the Vermont Library Association.
Oswego County, NY Nabs $26 million ConnectALL Grant To Expand Fiber Access
Oswego County, NY officials are celebrating the award of a new $26 million New York State grant to bring affordable fiber access to long-underserved rural communities in the northwestern part of the state. Oswego County will own the finished open access network and lease the fiber to Internet Service Providers (SPs), including Empire Access.
ARPA Boosts Fiber Expansion To Underserved, Unincorporated San Diego County
California ISP Onward, which has increasingly partnered with California cities to expand affordable fiber access, is leveraging $4.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act broadband grants to further expand its footprint into long-unserved areas of San Diego County. The effort is running parallel with the San Diego County Library Tech Connect Program that has provided 7,000 Google Chromebooks and MiFi hotspots with unlimited data plans to residents and students to the internet for free.
Longmont Colorado’s Nextlight Network Hits 28,000 Subscriber Milestone
The popular community provider celebrates rapid growth rate and says that ongoing community support means the city is on track to repay its construction bond by the 2029 due date. NextLight currently passes about 90 percent of the 47,000 premises in Longmont.
Cooperatives Playing Major Role In Arkansas’ ARPA-Fueled Fiber Expansion
The Arkansas State Broadband Office continues to leverage American Rescue Plan Act funds to drive affordable fiber access into underserved parts of the Natural State. Three funding rounds are winding their way to completion, as fiber connectivity is being made available to rural markets for the first time, with a heavy reliance on local cooperatives.
Volunteer Energy Cooperative Expands Fiber In Tennessee On Back Of ARPA Grant
Volunteer Energy Cooperative in Birchwood Tennessee says it’s leveraging American Rescue Plan Act funding to expand affordable fiber access into long underserved parts of The Volunteer State. VEC has begun construction on a new fiber expansion plan that will bring affordable fiber access to nearly 300 homes in Birchwood thanks to a $615,617 ARPA grant.
‘The Human Infrastructure of Broadband’ Will Take Center Screen at Upcoming B4DE
As digital inclusion advocates look to get their bearings amid an all-out assault on federal broadband funding programs, the upcoming March 13 Building For Digital Equity livestream offers a port in the storm. “Charting the Course: Adapting to Policy Shifts While Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize” promises to bring hundreds of digital inclusion practitioners together to regroup and recalibrate while hearing from those working in the trenches still to adequately address broadband access challenges across the nation.