The state of Kansas announced that applications are now open for the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) program. The ADOPT program will award $14.7 million in grant funding to organizations addressing the challenges of broadband accessibility, affordability, and device availability.

While the challenges of closing the digital divide are vast and complex, one telecommunications expert told Capitol Hill lawmakers this week that artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to expand broadband services to every corner of the nation.

The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) First Responder Emerging Technologies (FirstTech) program is asking state government entities to apply for assistance to fund expansion of the Public Safety Broadband Network to serve state agency campuses.

Hawai’i has launched its Connect Kākou initiative, which aims to ensure underserved communities across Hawaiʻi have reliable and affordable access to high-speed internet via transformative new statewide infrastructure and a boost in digital literacy programs.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed that the U.S. Treasury Department has approved his administration’s plan to invest $70.9 million in Federal grant funding to upgrade network and cybersecurity infrastructure in the Connecticut Education Network (CEN), connect up to 170 community anchor organizations to CEN, and expand public Wi-Fi service.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized 368 companies to receive a total of $18 billion in Federal funding to expand rural broadband access.

The White House is asking Congress for an additional $9.1 billion to support the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), including $6 billion to help fund its Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and $3.1 billion for the FCC to fund the removal of outdated communications infrastructure operated by providers.

Maryland said it will use $69 million in Federal funding to provide internet access for roughly 15,000 underserved Maryland households.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is in charge of a $1 billion grant program to improve middle-mile broadband infrastructure, but a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the NTIA has not established measurable goals for the program.

The Ohio State University (OSU) received $125,000 in grant funding from the Ohio Department of Development to help establish high-speed internet connectivity to Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio. The center will be used as a demonstration area and proving grounds for autonomous farming equipment.