On September 6 and 7, NTIA and BroadbandUSA participated in a workshop that focused on deploying rural broadband and using technology in agriculture (also known as “smart ag”) at Purdue University, Indiana.  Participants shared ideas for wireless test beds for smart ag and rural broadband connectivity, smart technology to support regional food sheds, business accelerators for smart farming and advanced manufacturing “wearables” for diabetes control, platforms for opioid response, and blockchain for telehealth credentialing.

Students heading back to school this fall that lack access to high-speed broadband will continue to rely upon libraries for homework assignments.

Over the past few years, the U.S. has made significant gains in efforts to connect K-12 schools with high-speed broadband connections of 100Mbps per 1000 students.

This BroadbandUSA webinar offered an overview of federal funding options to support increasing broadband access in communities across the United States. Learn about recent program and policy updates from officials representing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Speakers:

Cross-posted with NTIA.

by Shawn Cochran, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Policy Analysis and Development

Internet usage gaps still persist among lower-income families, although more people are using mobile data plans to get online.