Billions in broadband funding: Who decides where it goes and why some states are preparing to challenge those decisions

Nashville, Tenn. (August 15, 2022) – Billions of dollars in funding for expanding access to broadband (high-speed internet) is now available to states. RFD-TV, a broadcast group that focuses on rural affairs issues across the country, asked Connected Nation (CN) to explain what state and community leaders need to know and do about accessing those funds to help unserved or …

New Broadband Coverage Maps Provide New Insights About Internet Access Across Michigan

Lansing, MI. (October 6, 2020) – Connected Nation Michigan (CN Michigan) has released new broadband coverage maps for the entire state. These updated maps now include additional community feedback and internet service provider input as well as on-the-ground field validation data.  “Getting a better picture of who has coverage and who doesn’t is a critical first step to closing the …

VIDEO: Enhanced Broadband Coverage Maps for Every Texas County Released, Give New Insights on Access

Austin, TX (August 13, 2020) – Connected Nation Texas (CN Texas) just released new broadband (high-speed internet) coverage maps that provide updated details on internet speeds and coverage for all 254 counties across the Lone Star State. The updated maps, which were initially released in January 2020, now include additional input from residents, businesses, and communities, as well as new, …

‘The cruelest part of the digital divide’ | How millions in federal funding fails our student

The following was published by 12 News Now on July 15, 2020 AUSTIN, Texas — “The students in our neighborhood come to school as a refuge,” said Michelle Sandoval Villegas, a teacher at Parkland Pre-Engineering Middle School, Ysleta Independent School District. She said connections to the students were key. “I just wanted to let them know I’m still here. I …

Connected Nation Praises Final Passage of the Broadband DATA Act, Commends Senate Commerce Chairman Wicker, House Energy & Commerce Chairman Pallone for their Leadership

Washington, DC (March 10, 2020) – Connected Nation (CN) praised the final passage of the Broadband DATA Act (S.1822) in the U.S. Senate today, after the bill cleared the House of Representatives by unanimous consent on March 3. The national nonprofit believes that progress toward closing the Digital Divide in the United States cannot be achieved without accurate and precise …

State Representative Calls Broadband Access the “Number One Issue among all Constituents”

Circleville, OH. (February 24, 2020) – State Representative Gary Scherer (R-Dist. 92) recently hosted a public meeting in Circleville to discuss broadband coverage in his district. “I was at one of the earlier Connected Nation Ohio Broadband Forums. I knew that we needed to get this to the 92nd house district,” Rep. Scherer said. “Broadband access is a number one …

New Texas Broadband Maps Released – Help Improve Them!

Austin, TX. (February 24, 2020) – In late January, Connected Nation Texas (CN Texas) published initial broadband availability maps as part of a project to identify areas served and unserved by high-speed internet access. They are the first state-level broadband maps developed since 2014. While federal broadband datasets exist, they are heavily flawed and there is evidence of both overstatement and …

Connected Nation Texas Broadband Maps: Why, How, and What Can We Learn

Austin, TX. (February 19, 2020) – Statewide broadband maps were released for Texas in January of this year for the first time since 2014. Maps were also released for all 254 counties. There are four different static versions of these maps – at four different speed tiers of 10 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload, 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload (the minimum thresholds …

Broadband Coverage Maps for Every Texas County Released, Your Feedback Needed to Improve Them   

Austin, TX (January 31, 2020) – Connected Nation Texas (CN Texas) just released its initial updated broadband (high-speed internet) coverage maps. These maps provide details on internet speeds and coverage for all 254 counties across the Lone Star State. “It’s been over five years since we last updated broadband coverage maps for Texas, so it was so important for us …