Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction to Expand Broadband to over 10 Million Rural Americans - December 7, 2020
More than $346 million was earmarked to expand Missouri’s rural broadband infrastructure, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Monday.
The funds come from the commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, a $20 billion effort to bring broadband services to rural homes and small businesses.
More than 199,000 unserved Missouri homes and businesses are set to receive access to the internet at speeds averaging 25 megabytes per second (MBPS) through the fund, according to the commission.
Trump Administration Invests $91.5 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Missouri - October 22, 2020
COVID-19 School Response Dashboard - October 5, 2020
The Farms of the Future Hinge on High-Speed Internet - September 17, 2020
How Broadband Internet Could be Affordable and Accessible for Everyone - September 10, 2020
America’s Moral Obligation for Universal Broadband - August 24, 2020
Too little progress has been made to ensure that high-speed Internet is available to all. As the pandemic has demonstrated, far too many still don't have what they need to function in a virtual world.
Request For Qualifications – Phase 1: Wireline and Wireless Internet Access For Students - August 19, 2020
In Phase 1 Kansas City, MO seeks to connect students from low-income households to the Internet this school year to facilitate participation in distance learning programs implemented by the school districts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cities Lose the Legal Battle Against FCC 5G Policies - August 14, 2020
A battle between dozens of city governments and some of the world's largest wireless carriers
over the future of 5G infrastructure appears to have ended with a decisive victory for the
telecom companies.
Bridging the Digital Divide in the COVID-19 ERA: A Virtual Fireside Chat - July 21, 2020
Earlier this month [July 21], Marshall Stewart joined federal, state and Kansas City leaders online for a panel discussion, co-presented by the Urban League of Kansas City's COVID-19 Collective Impact Collaborative and the Kansas City Public Library.
Panelists discussed the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the pervasive inequities of the digital divide. They examined the economic, educational, and social gulf between those who have computers and online access and those who do not – and the impact that has particularly on Black Americans and other disadvantaged populations in Kansas City and across the country. All agreed there is urgent need for comprehensive and effective solutions to ensure our nation’s continuing competitiveness and opportunities to prosper for all.
Other participants included Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks (a native of Kansas City), Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Third District Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell and Kansas City Public Library Deputy Director Carrie Coogan, who is part of the steering council of the Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion and a member National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s board of directors.
The blue-ribbon group assessed local and national efforts to ensure that homes and individuals across the city, state, and nation have broadband access — as much a household necessity in today’s technology-driven society as water, gas, and electricity.
Moderators were Gwendolyn Grant, CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, and Clint Odom, the National Urban League’s senior vice president for policy and advocacy and executive director of the NUL’s Washington bureau. The session also featured a message from South Carolina Rep. and U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn.
DEEDP Broadband Research - July, 2020
Beginning in mid-2017, DEEDP endeavored to answer several questions arising surrounding broadband and its impact on rural Missouri. Key questions included broadband’s impact on out-migration and in-migration, the impact of low services, slow speed broadband and relatively high prices compared to areas with fiber’s high-speed broadband and low prices. In the analysis the economic and social impact of high-speed broadband was both qualitatively and quantitatively presented in an easy to understand format designed for policy makers and business executives.
Disconnected: Seven Lessons on Fixing the Digital Divide - July, 2020
Communities across the country are in an economic race. To compete, they need employers and qualified workers, both of which require a robust information- and knowledge-sharing infrastructure. While some communities are ahead of the pack, others are falling far behind.
Broadband is a critical component in this economic race, allowing businesses large and small to reach customers, farmers to deploy resource-saving technologies, and workers to learn critical job skills.
July 8th, Workshop Report Live Stream - July 13, 2020
On Wednesday, experts from all four University of Missouri System universities and MU Extension unveiled a plan to expand broadband access in a rural pilot community. In a public webinar, the UM System Broadband Leadership Team offered highlights of its report.
BRINGING BROADBAND TO A MISSOURI COMMUNITY - July 6, 2020
On June 1, 2020, nearly one hundred individuals in locations throughout Missouri and
across the United States gathered “online” to help develop a “Plan” to bring broadband to a
Missouri community -- Bollinger County.
Governor Parson directs nearly $50 million in relief funds to aid in broadband expansion and COVID-19 response - July 2, 2020
Governor Parson announced nearly $50 million to support broadband expansion across Missouri, including support directed at telehealth and education. The Governor also signed house bill 1768, which expands the state’s existing Missouri Broadband Grant Program until 2027.
Commentary: Broadband is a necessary utility. Let’s treat it like one - June 21, 2020
There was a time when telephone lines did not span the U.S., proudly marking the landscape in nearly every conceivable populated area. But telephones, as with refrigerators and light bulbs before them, soon became essential.
Mississippi’s ‘Broadband Revolution’ Picks Up Speed - June 10, 2020
In 2018, Mississippi ranked near the bottom of the country in terms of broadband access. Today, evidence suggests a 2019 law could forever change the status quo of high-speed Internet in rural Mississippi.
Microsoft Implores Congress: Fund Broadband Connectivity - May 21, 2020
Company president Brad Smith urges lawmakers to include broadband expansion funding as part of a coronavirus stimulus package. As millions are working and studying from home, Internet connectivity is no longer an option.
Broadband Internet Access Is a Social Determinant of Health! - May 12, 2020
Now, more than ever, broadband Internet access (BIA) must be recognized as a social determinant of health. Disparities in access should be treated as a public health issue because they affect “the health of people and communities where they live, learn, work and play.”
A Case For Rural Broadband - April, 2019
Insights on Rural Broadband Infrastructure and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies
Pandemic Forces Local Governments’ Hands into Era of Virtual Public Meetings - April 8, 2020
Coronavirus Has Potential to Reshape Government Technology - April 2, 2020
Alabama Lawmaker Calls for Federal Emergency Broadband Funds - March 19, 2020
Bill Offers $400M for State, Local Government Cybersecurity - February 12, 2020
MidSouth Electric Co-op Partners with Conexon to Launch Broadband Network to Serve Over 25,000 Homes and Businesses - February 12, 2020
State of the States 2020: Broadband Is Critical Infrastructure - February 3, 2020
Rural Businesses Limited by Lack of Broadband - November, 13 2019
Poor broadband service is not uncommon for the Hermitage area or the county. Hickory County ranks
92nd out of 115 in broadband speed in Missouri counties, according to data from the Federal
Communications Commission, or FCC.