Vol 5 | Issue 5 | May 2020
Download PDF version here.
To sign up for BroadbandUSA’s newsletter, email broadbandusa@ntia.gov.

Policy Corner: Our Commitment to Connectivity Needs
By Doug Kinkoph, Associate Administrator performing the delegated duties of the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information

I’m pleased to report that NTIA has been hard at work maintaining continuity of our operations while most of our employees have been teleworking during the unusual and difficult time for our country. On the spectrum front we have been working with businesses, federal stakeholders and the FCC to make sure our response to connectivity needs remains flexible. One way federal agencies can help during a time of increased demand is by enabling additional sharing of spectrum to provide short-term capacity for commercial services. NTIA has been working with agencies to accommodate these requests. Moving forward, NTIA will do all it can to help keep Americans connected to vital Internet services. Part of this work includes raising awareness of federal broadband resources, and I’m pleased to report that we’ve updated our BroadbandUSA website database of 57 federal broadband programs, spanning 14 federal agencies with billions of dollars for broadband grants, loans, and other resources. And we’re continuing our multistakeholder work on building a more secure software supply chain through the Software Bill of Materials initiative.

Broadband News and Updates

Federal COVID-19 Broadband Resources

• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC): ARC Launches Page to Collect COVID-19 Related Updates and Resources

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC): FCC Secures Pledges to Keep Americans Connected to Broadband, Telephone Services

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): USDA Rural Development COVID-19 Resources and USDA Announces 2nd Grant Window for Distance Learning and Telemedicine

• U.S. Department of Commerce (Economic Development Administration): Opportunities for Broadband Funding Under EDA for Economic Development

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ConnectHomeUSA: Webinar Highlights Broadband and Digital Literacy Resources

• Department of Education (ED): Waiver to Support Mobile Hotspots and Data Plans and Information Released for Broadband Purposes Within $30.75 Billion Education Stabilization Fund

• Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): Deadlines Extended to May 15 for Native American and Native Hawaiian Digital Literacy Grants and IMLS Awards $30 Million in Federal Funding to Address Digital Divide

State COVID-19 Broadband Resources

• Arizona: State Commerce Authority Site Links to Free and Discounted Wi-Fi Resources

• California: CA Department of Education Site Lists Available Internet Plans; CA Public Utilities Commission Links to Affordable Local Broadband

• Colorado: CO Broadband Office Launches Page for Existing Broadband Services

• Connecticut: Guidance for Remote Learning

• Georgia: GA Provides Tool to Locate Free Public Wi-Fi

• Hawaii: DCCA Creates Interactive Map for Free Public Wi-Fi

• Illinois: IL Citizens Utility Board Provides List of Private Internet Resources

• Indiana: Governor Issues No Disconnect Order Including Broadband and Telecom

• Maine: Maine Issuing Wi-Fi Hotspots to Schools

• Maryland: No Disconnect and No Late Fee Order for Internet, Cable, and Telephone Services

• Michigan: State COVID-19 Site Includes List of ISPs Signed onto FCC’s Connectivity Pledge

• Minnesota: State Broadband Office Compiles List of Available Broadband Services

• Missouri: DHSS Maintains Continuity of Service List for Missouri-Based Providers

• Nebraska: Public Service Commission Order Allows Providers to be Reimbursed for Service to Low-Income Families

• Nevada: Nevada’s PUC Links to COVID Related Telecom Actions

• New Hampshire: No Disconnect Order Issued for Telephone and Internet Services

• New Mexico: State Site Links to New Mexico-Based Internet Providers

• Pennsylvania: State Prohibits Telecommunications Service Terminations

• Rhode Island: Rhode Island Launches Page to Help Families, Students, Businesses Stay Connected

• Tennessee: Tennessee Provides a List of Federal and Private Internet Connectivity Resources

• Texas: State Provides List of ISP Response to COVID-19

• Utah: Utah Provides Resources for Students and Telehealth Patients

• Vermont: Vermont Launches Interactive Map

• Virginia: State Providing Deadline Updates Related to Broadband Grants and Other Programs

• Washington: Governor Inslee Issues No Disconnect Order for Utilities, Includes Telecommunications

• Wisconsin: Wisconsin PSC Provides ISP Coverage Map

• Wyoming: No Disconnect Executive Order Issued for Telecommunications Services

Federal News

• Remarks of Associate Administrator Doug Kinkoph at CSMAC Meeting

• NTIA Releases Spectrum Occupancy Data to Help Enable Successful Sharing in the Mid-Band

• FCC Eyes Cutting Off China Telecom from U.S. Market

• BLM Makes Electronic Version of Standard Permitting Form (SF-299)

• USDA Forest Service Issues Final Rule to Streamline Permitting Process for Communications Uses

• FCC: Digital Divide Continues to Close

State News

• California: California Legislator Introduces Fiber Broadband for All Bill

• Colorado: 400-Mile Fiber-Optic Network Goes Online in Colorado

• Georgia: 2020 Georgia Smart Communities Challenge

• North Carolina: OneWestern North Carolina County’s Attempt to Bridge the Digital Divide and Charlotte, NC Alliance Focused on Reducing Urban Internet Connection Woes

• Tennessee: Governor Lee, Commissioner Rolfe Announce Nearly $20 Million in Broadband Accessibility Grants

Public Safety/FirstNet

• Four Ways Emergency Managers are Using FirstNet

• Improving connectivity in Rural Oregon

• Honoring Our Nation’s Public Safety Telecommunicators

• AT&T Offers Three Free Months of FirstNet Service to Nurses and Doctors

• iHeartMedia Announces “iHeartRadio's First Responder Fridays with FirstNet, Built with AT&T,” a Weekly on Air and Live YouTube Stream Special

General News

• 'Digital Town Squares' Boost Internet Speeds in Mid-Sized Communities

• President Trump Signs Bipartisan Broadband Mapping Legislation

• Next Century Cities Welcomes New Team Members and Announces New Staff Roles

• Rural Towns are Leaning into Remote Work, and It Might Save Them

NTIA Events

May 20, 2020
BroadbandUSA Practical Broadband Conversations Webinar Series
Topic: Using Smart Technologies to Drive Regional Transformation
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern
Local leaders are deploying smart technologies to address regional challenges, create economic efficiencies, improve sustainability, and enhance residential quality of life. Please join BroadbandUSA on May 20th to learn more about smart region efforts in Arizona, Colorado and the Great Lakes area. These initiatives focus on economic development, water quality, and the use of artificial intelligence to create stronger and more resilient communities. Speakers will also describe their work in the Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC) Smart Regions Collaborative. The GCTC is a peer-to-peer learning and best practices development effort started in 2014 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In 2019, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) partnered with NIST for the Smart Regions Collaborative.

Speakers:

• Dominic Papa, Vice President, Smart States Initiative, Arizona Commerce Authority

• Eric H. Drummond, CEO and Founder, Innovation Corridor; Co-Founder and Chair GCTC- Supercomputer Modeling and AI Cluster

• Mark Fisher, President and CEO, Council of the Great Lakes Region

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