In a bid to improve internet access for underserved households, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a contract of up to $30 million for the Office of Statewide Broadband to provide laptops for an estimated 150,000 underserved households in the state. The contract is part of the state’s larger Connect Maryland initiative.

As part of the state’s push to expand broadband access, the Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) is encouraging residents to take the Indiana Speed Test before the end of the year to ensure accurate broadband mapping data.

The chief information officer (CIO) for Clark County, Nev. – which houses the city of Las Vegas – aims to bring broadband to 100 percent of eligible residents and businesses through access, affordability, and adoption.

A new survey from Verizon Frontline finds that network reliability tops the list of communications requirements for first responders when they are responding to emergencies.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) awarded another round of funding for its Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) on Oct. 19. The $78 million will benefit approximately 175,000 students, bringing the total of those awarded with broadband services and devices to over 14 million.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has awarded $10.6 million in grants as part of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (CMC).

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced that the state will use $40 million in Federal funding to expedite Wisconsin’s efforts to expand access to high-speed internet across the state.

Twenty-three more Tribal entities have been awarded more than $600 million in the latest round of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative, according to a press release published on Oct. 11.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that applications are now open for $95 million in funding to expand high-speed internet access across the state. The funding will be part of the Connect Maryland Network Infrastructure Grant Program. The Connect Maryland initiative is designed to expand the state’s investment in broadband and help close the digital divide.

New York City launched a new digital equity program, called “Big Apple Connect,” on Sept. 19 that will provide free high-speed internet and basic cable TV to about 300,000 New Yorkers living in more than 200 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments by the end of 2023.