Vol 4 | Issue 11 | November 2019
To sign up for BroadbandUSA’s newsletter, email broadbandusa@ntia.gov.

Summit Empowers Wyoming Rural Communities

Despite freezing temperatures, closed roads, and Wyoming’s first major snowfall of the year, more than 100 stakeholders from across the state joined NTIA, USDA, and the Wyoming Business Council on October 10th for the Wyoming Rural Broadband Summit. The summit focused on community empowerment, specifically on teams, tools and actions necessary for connecting rural communities to broadband services. Governor Mark Gordon spoke in the afternoon and stayed through closing, taking time to talk with attendees. Participants said they appreciated the messages on inclusion and adoption. Keynote speakers Roberto Gallardo from Purdue University Extension and Jeremy Hegle from Federal Reserve of Kansas City spoke about the importance of digital inclusion and adoption to the success of broadband buildouts during the morning session. The afternoon session included roundtables and workshops designed to promote coalition building and improve the use of data when developing broadband plans . (Photograph, left to right: Russ Elliott, Broadband Manager State of Wyoming; Karen Perry, NTIA; Mark Gordon, Governor of Wyoming; Wally Wolski, State Director for USDA Rural Development in Wyoming.)

Policy Corner

Mobile World Congress Americas 2019 in Los Angeles, California, on October 23, 2019
Highlights of remarks of Diane Rinaldo, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information

At last year’s Mobile World Congress, representatives from NTIA and the Department of Commerce made a commitment on behalf of the Administration: That America would win the race to 5G. We’ve worked to craft a long-term, comprehensive approach to spectrum policy, removed obstacles to infrastructure buildouts, and we’ve collaborated with industry to put security first. Now, a year later, there are 5G networks in 35 American cities, covering nearly half of the states. By the end of the year, almost 100 networks will be up and running across the country. What I’m most encouraged by, however, is that we’ve once again proved the strength of the American approach. Free market principles are leading the way. We have worked to leverage the unmatched power of the free enterprise system. A country full of entrepreneurs stand ready to use these advances in connectivity to create life-changing products and services. We are on the right path. Let’s continue to work together and make our shared vision for the future a reality. See complete remarks here.

Broadband News and Updates

Federal News

• Digital Divide is Shrinking for America’s Hispanic Population, NTIA Data Show

• Webinar Highlights Broadband’s Role in Revitalizing Main Street

• Workshop Explores Expanding Broadband Access in Nevada

• Webinar Highlights Research Showing the Economic Benefits of Broadband

• NTIA Releases New Broadband Availability Map Pilot for Policymakers

• USDA Pilots Data-Driven Smart Farms Powered By Internet Of Things

• US Court Says FCC Cannot Bar States From Setting Net Neutrality Rules

• FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Argues a Patchwork of State Regs is Bad For Business

• New York Congressman Introduces Broadband Mapping Bills

• Rural Broadband In Jeopardy Unless Congress Fixes Taxing Problem

• 'Digital Equity Act' Proposes $250 Million Annually For Cities, States

• USDA and DOE Join Forces to Increase Energy Technology Development and Deployment in Rural America

State News

• California: California Awards Grants to Develop New Firefighting Tech

• Georgia: How Georgia Made Its Unique Broadband Coverage Map

• Illinois: Matt Schmit Announced as Director of the Illinois Office of Broadband (PDF)

• Kentucky: New computers help immigrants build skills at Louisville's Somali Community Center

• Louisiana: How Louisiana Responded to Its Recent Ransomware Attacks

• Missouri: Missouri CIO Mike Cheles to Retire at End Of Year

• Montana: Bozeman Fiber Considers What’s Next for Local Broadband

• Nevada: Workshop Highlights Importance of Exploring the Digital Divide

• Ohio: Ohio Anticipates Statewide Broadband Policy, Plan

• Oklahoma: Nextlink Internet Bringing High-Speed Broadband Services to Northern Oklahoma

• Pennsylvania: Murrysville, Pa., Officials Work to Develop 5G Ordinance

• South Carolina: USDA Invests $9.75 Million in Rural Broadband for South Carolina Families

• Texas: Texas Starts Mandatory Cybersecurity Training for Government Employees

• Virginia: Virginia Boosts Funding for Internet-Connected Public Safety Radio

• Washington: Russ Elliott Named to Head Washington State Broadband Office

• West Virginia: Broadband Funding Process the Focus at USDA Rural Development Workshop and Senator Manchin Stresses Youth's Role In Broadband Development

Public Safety/FirstNet

• A New Approach to Public Safety Engagement Focused on Roadmap Priorities

• Firstnet Added to Missouri Field Operations Guide to Support Communications Interoperability

• U.S. Department of Commerce Announces Two Appointments to First Responder Network Authority Board

• FirstNet Investing in Indian Country

• Transforming the Future of Emergency Communications with FirstNet

• What If You Call 911 and No One Comes?

• Google taps satellites to offer clearer picture of wildfires

• New contract will help communication during disasters

Broadband Funding

• USDA Makes First Broadband Grant Under ReConnect Program in Tennessee

• $9.75 Million USDA ReConnect Rural Broadband Grant Goes to South Carolina County

• Center on Rural Innovation Launching Opportunity Zone Fund Focused on Rural Operating Businesses

• USDA Invests $152M to Improve Broadband Service in 14 States

• AMED Joins Global Challenge Seeking Solutions for Improving Healthy Longevity

• Longview Awarded $1.9M for ‘Opportunity Zone’

• ALA Receives $2 Million Google.org Grant to Develop Library Entrepreneurship Centers

Digital Equity

• Worst Connected Cities of 2018

• Education and the Digital Divide

• How Libraries Are Bridging the Digital Divide (Podcast)

• Why Smart Communities Need Digital Inclusion

• Broadband Adoption Is On The Rise, But States Can Do Much More

• Investing in Digital Equity: The Case for Broadband Expansion

• Limited Broadband Access Hurts Economic Mobility In Poorest States

General News

• The Dos And Don'ts of Community Broadband Network Planning

• To Maximize 5G Benefits, Smaller Carriers Must Evolve 4G Networks, Ericsson Exec Says

• Broadband's Economic Impact Remains Unclear, Contested

• Inside the Movement to Improve Access to High-Speed Internet in Rural Areas

• Where the 2020 Presidential Candidates Stand on Broadband Issues

• Duke Launches Center to Explore Science and Technology Policy

• Broadbandnow Releases the State of Broadband in America, Q3 2019

• The City with the Best Fiber-Optic Network in America Might Surprise You

• Tribal Technology Assessment: The State of Internet Service on Tribal Lands (Research study by Arizona State University)

• Broadband Can Alleviate the Health-Care Crisis

• No One Approach Fits All States in Efforts to Expand Broadband Access

NTIA Events

Nov. 20, 2019
BroadbandUSA Practical Broadband Conversations Webinar Series
Topic: Building Digital Workforce Skills at the Local Level
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern
A digitally skilled workforce is essential for the economic development of our nation’s communities. Companies of all sizes need employees that understand technology, whether it’s on the business or operational side of the organization. Join NTIA’s BroadbandUSA webinar to hear how local leaders are building partnerships between governments, businesses, nonprofits and education institutions to help residents attain the skills needed to thrive in a digital economy. Click here to register.

Speakers:

• David Keyes, Digital Equity Program Manager, City of Seattle Information Technology

• Stacey Wedlake, Research Coordinator and Analyst, Technology and Social Change Group (TASCHA) at University of Washington’s Information School

• Shonna Dorsey, Senior Business Systems Consultant, Mutual of Omaha

Moderator:

• Emy Tseng, Senior Program Specialist, NTIA’s BroadbandUSA

Visit our Webinar Archives for past presentations, transcripts and audio recordings.

Nov. 26, 2019
State Broadband Leaders Network Monthly Meeting (virtual.) NTIA BroadbandUSA Facilitator: Katherine Bates

Events of Interest

Nov. 13, 2019
Southern New Mexico Rural Broadband Workshop (Sponsored by the USDA, NTIA, State of New Mexico), Truth or Consequences, NM. NTIA BroadbandUSA Speaker: Karen Perry

Nov. 14, 2019
Northern New Mexico Rural Broadband Workshop (Sponsored by the USDA, NTIA, State of New Mexico), Albuquerque, NM. NTIA BroadbandUSA Speaker: Karen Perry

Nov. 15, 2019
Tribal New Mexico Rural Broadband Workshop (Sponsored by the USDA, NTIA, State of New Mexico), Albuquerque, NM. NTIA BroadbandUSA Speaker: Karen Perry

Nov. 14 - 16, 2019
Carolinas Alliance for Success in Education (CASE) Summit, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, N.C.

Nov. 20, 2019
Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s (BHRC) Policy Summit: Opportunities for Rural Appalachian Ohio, Marietta, OH

Nov. 20 – 23, 2019
National League of Cities (NLC) 2019 City Summit, San Antonio, TX. BroadbandUSA Speakers: Francine Alkisswani, Maureen Lewis

Dec. 12, 2019
Alabama HBCU Broadband Convening, sponsored by the Alabama Governor's Office of Minority Affairs, Alabama A&M University. NTIA BroadbandUSA Speaker: Francine Alkisswani