Monday, June 12, 2023
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Bringing Digital Equity to Appalachia
Washington Public Works Board opens application for $13.5 million in broadband project funding
State/Local Initiatives
Net Neutrality
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State/Local
The Thompson Scholars Foundation is based in the Town Branch neighborhood of Manchester, Kentucky. We provide wraparound after-school academic enrichment to historically underserved populations in Clay County in the Appalachian region of southeast Kentucky, one of the areas in the United States hardest hit by poverty. Our work with disadvantaged students has also meant a focus on digital equity because bridging the digital divide is essential to our community’s future. Our programming promotes diversity and inclusion. Our target population includes pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade youth who identify with an underserved population or are experiencing financial or other disadvantages. Given a history of disenfranchisement of certain groups, we prioritize the acceptance of students who identify with any minority status. Then we prioritize students experiencing poverty or other types of disadvantages. We also accept students in special circumstances—for instance, those in a single-parent household in which the parent works a second-shift job and cannot fully support the student’s academic progress. Engaging the families is an integral part of our work. Although we serve the entire neighborhood through programs that reach and engage whole families, our weekly programming currently serves 48 students, and we are continually adding participants as our capacity increases.
[Dr. Danielle King is the diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor in the Kentucky Department for Public Health, Office of Health Equity. Dr. King also serves as the Lead for America–American Connection Corps Community Equity Fellow with the Thompson Scholars Foundation.]
The Washington State Public Works Board (PWB) opened applications for broadband construction funding offering a total of $13.5 million in low-interest loans for projects in unserved areas of the state. “The Public Works Board continues to make broadband access in unserved areas a priority with the availability of these very low-interest loans,” said Board Chair Kathryn Gardow. “Every Washingtonian deserves high-speed broadband access, and the PWB is committed to closing this digital divide so that equitable participation in the modern world is possible.” Local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations, cooperative associations, multiparty entities, limited liability corporations (LLC), and incorporated businesses or partnerships may apply. Projects passing threshold ratings based on a competitive ranking process may be awarded funds. Approximately $13.5 million is available for broadband construction projects. The pre-application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on July 18, 2023. A 30-day objection period will follow, and final applications are due at 11:59 p.m. on October 4, 2023. Awards are expected in December 2023.
The Washington Island Electric Cooperative (WIEC) hosted Governor Tony Evers (D-WI) at a meeting that included Quantum Technologies, an industry leader in advanced communications and network solutions. The meeting followed a $2.5 million state grant announcement aimed at expanding the fiber optic network project on Washington Island. Quantum Technologies Network Specialist Clinton Tripplet performed live demonstration of fusion splicing, an essential technique in modern fiber optic networks. Robert Cornell, who is spearheading the project, led a diverse assembly of community and industry leaders. Representatives from Quantum Technologies, Nsight, WIEC, local government, and local business leaders held discussions about the technical requirements and potential impact. The Governor’s visit and the recently announced grant highlight the importance of this project. Under Cornell’s leadership, the project’s goal is to bridge the digital divide on Washington Island, enhancing connectivity, fostering economic growth, and supporting the local community on Washington Island.
[May 25]
The latest development in ongoing skirmishes over One-Touch-Make-Ready (OTMR) policies is that competitive provider GoNetspeed testified in favor of legislation that would make the approach available in Massachusetts. OTMR rules require the owners of utility poles to allow one contractor to make changes, including moving an incumbent provider’s equipment. Traditionally, each provider handles its own equipment. Proponents of OTMR say that such rules speed service deployment. Streamlining the process tends to enlarge footprints and lower prices due to the increased competition. GoNetspeed Chief Legal Counsel Jaime Hoare spoke in favor of Massachusetts Senate Bill S.2133 and House Bill H.3208. GoNetspeed serves residential and business customers in Maine, Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and West Virginia. It partnered with Oak Hill Capital in January 2021 to accelerate its expansion. “By streamlining the permitting process, OTMR will make it faster and easier for GoNetspeed and other broadband providers to deploy high-speed internet service to underserved areas. This will help to ensure that everyone in Massachusetts has access to the digital tools and resources they need to succeed in the 21st century," said Hoare.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted the following resolutions:
- Urging Congress to renew and extend the Affordable Connectivity Program funding in 2024 to ensure currently enrolled ACP low-income households continue to have access to affordable high-speed internet, recognizing that closing the digital divide will allow Americans to access the resources they need and strengthen the U.S. economy to compete in the 21st Century.
- Requesting BEAD, ACP, and Digital Equity Act funding be allocated with cities and urban centers in mind, recognizing that high density, low-income communities of color are a primary population that the broadband programs seeks to connect.
- Calling on the United States Senate to promptly confirm Anna M. Gomez to fill the vacant fifth FCC Commissioner seat and to reconfirm Geoffrey Adam Starks and Brendan Carr for additional terms as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission.
- Opposing the American Broadband Act of 2023 (HR 3557)—which would pre-empt local governments’ rights-of-way compensation and management authority, zoning powers, cable franchising authority, and property rights—and urgeing the House and Senate not to pass this legislation.
Case Study: Bossier Parish Community College | Fiber Optic Technician Bootcamp in Bossier Camp, Louisiana
The world is facing a pressing need for a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of the 21st-century century economy. That’s where workforce development comes in. Louisiana's broadband office is the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, or ConnectLA. It coordinates federal, state, and municipal efforts identifying best practices and executing tactics to eliminate the digital divide by 2029. ConnectLA strongly believes in the importance of employment opportunities to uplift disadvantaged communities throughout the state of Louisiana and has a strong educational partner in the Louisiana Community & Technical College System (LCTCS). LCTCS has a track record of developing partnerships with industries to fill current gaps and anticipate future needs. Many companies cited challenges they’re facing in trying to find talent to work in the construction, maintenance, and operational fields required to deploy broadband projects. Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) partnered with AT&T to develop a Certified Fiber Optics Technician boot camp, an intensive 3-day course designed for students interested in becoming a Certified Fiber Optic Technician. The course introduces students to industry standards governing FTTD (Fiber To The Desk), FTTH (Fiber To The Home), and Distribution Cabling. Students learn how to identify fiber types, recognize various connectors used in fiber installation, and install, terminate, splice, and properly test installed fiber cables to existing standards. Industry-based Credentials (IBCs) are embedded in all the curricula delivered to meet the broadband workforce needs. The college works with industry associations and certifying bodies to provide third-party oversight of the quality of the training and the competencies developed.
Platforms/Social Media
Revisiting Indecency: Considering a Medium-Specific Regulatory Approach to Disinformation and Hate Speech on Social Media
Evidence of political, psychological, medical, and cultural harms associated with social media continues to mount, particularly in light of the many revelations contained within the documents and testimony shared by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. In many countries, efforts to impose regulatory safeguards related to the social responsibilities of these platforms are underway. In the US, however, we have seen relatively little consequential action at the federal level beyond ongoing antitrust inquiries, a continuing array of congressional hearings, and a series of bills that show few signs of passing. Are there aspects of broadcast indecency regulation that are relevant to policy deliberations about disinformation and hate speech on social media? Indecency is unique in that policymakers created a category of speech exclusive to the legal and regulatory context of a specific medium. Further, disinformation and hate speech could similarly be carved out as categories of speech that receive less First Amendment protection exclusively within the social media context. Such an approach could clear a path for modest government interventions directed at imposing greater accountability and responsibility on social media platforms.
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) received 127 applications requesting $1.39 billion to support testing and research and development activities related to open and interoperable wireless networks, according to preliminary data released. Applicants requested $146 million for research and development projects, and $1.2 billion for testing and evaluation activities. NTIA will make up to $140.5 million available in this first round of funding from the $1.5 billion Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. Applications for the first round of funding were due June 2, 2923. NTIA will evaluate the applications and make the first awards in August, 2023. These funds are expected to be used for a range of R&D and testing activities, including:
- Expanding industry-accepted testing and evaluation (T&E) activities to assess and facilitate the interoperability, performance, and/or security of open and interoperable, standards-based 5G radio access networks; and
- Developing new or improved testing methodologies to test, evaluate, and validate the interoperability, performance, and/or security of these networks, including their component parts.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology the Rt Hon Chloe Smith MP issued a joint statement yesterday on the announcement that both countries have committed in principle to establish a data bridge. This announcement represents the UK’s intent to establish a data bridge for the UK Extension to the U.S.-EU Data Privacy Framework, subject to the UK’s data bridge assessment and further technical work being finalized, and dependent on the U.S. designation of the UK as a qualifying state under Executive Order 14086. A US-UK data bridge would uphold the rights of data subjects, facilitate responsible innovation, and provide individuals in both countries greater access to the services that suit them, whilst reducing the burdens on businesses and delivering better outcomes for people.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and David L. Clay II (dclay AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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