Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) announced that a piece of legislation guaranteeing broadband Internet access for disabled Americans will hopefully become law in 2010. Read More »
Speed Matters' partner One Economy was awarded $28.5 million in grant money to expand high-speed Internet in underserved communities in the latest round of NITA's Broadband Opportunity funding. Read More »
Senate lawmakers recently pressed both the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice on the proposed merger between NBC Universal and cable television giant Comcast. Read More »
Wondering how to solve the climate crisis and make America energy independent? A big part of the answer is broadband, says the co-author of the recent House climate bill. If implemented nationally, smart grid has the potential to mitigate some of our most pressing energy issues, Markey stated, and the expansion and upgrading of broadband infrastructure will accelerate its development and adoption. "Without the broadband revolution, you cannot have the revolution we’re talking about," he said Read More »
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced its second round of grant awards for broadband mapping programs in Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, and Missouri. Read More »
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced $3.4 million in grants to improve Internet connections of public libraries in Kansas, Arkansas, New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts. Through the Opportunity Online program, the Foundation will partner with fourteen additional states to help libraries compete for broadband stimulus funds. Read More »
Western Massachusetts is hoping to be awarded $100 million during the first round broadband stimulus funds. A Boston Globe editorial called broadband access a "crucial component of economic development" in a region that has been passed over for public investment in the past. The Globe pointed out the ways in which high-speed Internet access could act as an economic booster shot. Read More »
Speed Matters released the third annual report on Internet Speeds in America - and U.S. connection speeds have not improved significantly in the past year. The results of the report are based on the last-mile connection speed of over 413,000 Internet users who took the online test between May 2008 and May 2009. The data also confirms that where a customer lives is a good indicator of Internet connection speed. With some exceptions, if you live in a Northeastern or Mid-Atlantic state, you are likely to have good high-speed Internet options. Read More »
This past Tuesday, Massachusetts governor, Deval Patrick, announced the creation of a 4.56 mile fiber optic conduit that will stretch along a section of Interstate 95 up toward the Vermont border. This critical section of Internet infrastructure will complete a high speed information network that spans more than 50 miles from Connecticut to Vermont. The benefits of, quite literally, bridging this digital divide, are nearly endless. Read More »
Although the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) mandated in President Obama's stimulus package has only just completed initial planning stages, states in New England are eagerly planning for projects to make use of the federal dollars. In Massachusetts, over one hundred companies have expressed interest in applying for funds and Gov. Patrick appointed a director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. In Connecticut, state officials are aiming to enhance municipal and public safety networks. Read More »
