The following was published in The News & Advance on June 6, 2019 by Rachel Smith Lynchburg, Va. – Three counties in the Lynchburg area were among 14 in rural Virginia that on Thursday were awarded a total of $7,909,964 by the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Region Commission to expand broadband services. Bedford County was awarded $670,500 for its broadband …
After the Net Neutrality Debate Settles, Rural Texans Still Lack Broadband Access
The following was published by The Texan on June 4, 2019 by Brad Johnson Over 30 percent of rural Texans are without high-speed broadband internet access in their homes and government-led approaches are dominating the debate. Austin, TX – In 2017, the world was ablaze with the issue dubbed “Net Neutrality.” The spark that lit the fire was the Federal …
Congressman Markwayne Mullin makes case for expanded broadband service in his district
Published by OK Energy Today on May 27, 2019 Oklahoma Congressman Markwayne Mullin says his congressional district in eastern Oklahoma is the only one in the nation where broadband is available to less than half the population. In a recent newsletter to his constituents, the Republican 2nd District Representative said more should be done. “Rural consumers need the bandwidth necessary …
Connected Nation Chairman Named to FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee
Bowling Green, Ky. (May 20, 2019) – Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, Connected Nation, was named to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) re-chartered Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). The committee’s mission will be to make recommendations on how to accelerate the deployment of high-speed internet access. “I’m honored to be named among the distinguished professionals who are taking part in …
How school districts can organize and collaborate to maximize E-rate and improve their connectivity
Iowa City, IA (May 2, 2019) – The Schools and Libraries Program of the federal Universal Service Fund, also known as the “E-rate Program,” provides billions of dollars each year to support educational connectivity in schools and libraries across the country. Within the E-rate Program, “Category 1” subsidies are provided in the form of “discounts” off of broadband services based on …
Affordable, Reliable Broadband Key to Economic Development & Job Creation
Editor’s Note: Connected Nation’s mission is to find innovative solutions that expand access, adoption, and use of broadband and its related technologies to ALL people. We agree with Senator Portman when he wrote in the below “as the internet continues to transform business in the 21st century, we must be sure that the rural communities in Ohio and across the country …
East Texas Agency Receives Federal Grant for Rural Broadband
The following was published by the Tyler Morning Telegraph on April 17, 2019 by Erin Mansfield A regional agency representing 14 counties has received a federal grant to work toward better broadband access. The East Texas Council of Governments announced Wednesday that it received the grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The grant includes $375,000 in federal money and …
Still Buffering: East Texas Say Internet Service Available to Them is Too Slow, Too Expensive
The below article was published by Tyler Morning Telegraph on April 7, 2019 by Erin Mansfield Editor’s Note This is part two of a five-part series about how a lack of connectivity affects East Texans. Part 1: East Texas lags the rest of the state in broadband Part 2: Rural libraries fill the broadband void Part 3: Some East Texans say …
Advancing Rural Broadband – The Five Steps to Success
Bowling Green, KY (April 11th, 2019) – Access to broadband in rural areas may be challenge for some, but Carol Mattey, Former Deputy Bureau Chief of the FCC’s Wire Line Competition, is on a mission to change that. In a recent article by the Benton Foundation, Mattey appeared before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet of the …
Senate Seeks To Expand Rural Broadband Access
The following was published by The Katy News on April 8, 2019 Austin, TX – Rural Texans have been increasingly left behind in the expansion in broadband coverage, but a bill passed by the Senate Thursday could change that. According to the Federal Communications Commission, at least 30 percent of rural Texans don’t have access to high-speed internet. While the …