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Libraries are essential for internet access, even as national broadband projects ramp up

Aug 23, 2024
The federal government wants to bring fiber connections to every home. In the meantime, some areas will still rely on the library.
Debra Lawson, director of the Spencer County Public Library, says she doesn't know what some patrons would do without the library's internet access. "The way they use our computers, they're participating in society," she says.
Andie Corban/Marketplace

Internet providers like AT&T and Verizon lobby against lower broadband prices

Apr 24, 2024
"As officials have looked to put their money towards closing the digital divide, internet providers like AT&T and Verizon have been very aggressive in lobbying back," said The Washington Post's Tony Romm.
"As officials have looked to put their money towards closing the digital divide, internet providers like AT&T and Verizon have been very aggressive in lobbying back," said The Washington Post's Tony Romm.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

End of internet subsidies for low-income households threatens access to telehealth

Apr 2, 2024
A federal program that helped pay for more than 23 million low-income households’ internet access runs out of money soon.
Nonprofit groups like Link Health worked to sign up patients and community members for discounted internet service through a national program that's set to run out of funds this spring.
Courtesy Link Health

States get $42 billion to expand high-speed internet to underserved communities

Jun 27, 2023
The federal funding aims to ensure internet access is as widely accessible as electricity.
Nearly a quarter of Americans don't have high-speed internet at home. People of color, low-income people and rural residents are least likely to have access.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

After federal investment, supply chain jams and labor shortages still hinder tribal broadband access

Apr 6, 2023
In Oklahoma's Osage Nation, the construction of a 200-mile fiber network is underway, but hurdles abound.
To boost broadband access, tribal nations must compete with states that are also flush with federal funds to purchase the same supplies.
trumzz/Getty Images

FCC readies broadband map to help allocate funds for higher speeds

Nov 17, 2022
Identifying where high-speed internet is available has been tricky. But the map may give officials a better idea of who's left out.
The new map may address stubborn inequality in the reach of broadband internet. Tribal and rural communities could benefit.
Getty Images

On tribal lands, broadband access remains a struggle

Aug 10, 2022
More funding for internet access has been made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, but coordination and permitting are still hurdles.
While a lot of schools, workplaces and medical clinics moved their operations online during the pandemic, many Native communities were left behind.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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