Internet Access

It’s Time to Shore up the Universal Service Fund So It Can Live up to Its Name

Congress needs to create a solution that reflects how Americans actually use telecommunications services rather than how we once did.

  • By Rick Boucher

Shortened Census Count Will Hurt Communities of Color

Some communities face less convenient access to the mail, telephone and online services needed to respond to the survey while others distrust the system.

  • By Aggie Yellow Horse, The Conversation

Senators Push FCC to Increase Funding for Rural Health Care Program

The program helps expand access to telehealth services in rural and remote areas.

  • By Frank Konkel

America’s Terrible Internet Is Making Quarantine Worse

Why millions of students still can’t get online.

  • By Olga Khazan, The Atlantic

Universal Service Fund Wants to Automate Verification of High-Cost Telecom, Broadband Areas

The Universal Service Administrative Company is looking at robotic process automation to streamline checks and balances before it subsidizes telephone and internet access in high-cost areas.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Pandemic Reveals Need to Make Airwaves More Resilient

The spectrum's sweet spot—frequencies in the mid-range—can carry significant amounts of data while reaching many users but are reserved for the government.

  • By Yosry A. Barsoum

As Virus Keeps Kids From Schools, New Figures Show Millions Lack Home Internet

Meanwhile, a California education official this week said it would take at least $500 million to get students there the computers and internet access they need, and asked the private sector to help.

  • By Bill Lucia

Bill Would Increase Broadband, Telehealth Capabilities in Rural America

Senate legislation would direct $2 billion in funding to help meet increased broadband demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

  • By Frank Konkel

Under Social Distancing, Rural Regions Push For More Broadband

More than a fifth of Americans in rural areas lack broadband.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

Cyber Threats at Home: How to Keep Kids Safe while They're Learning Online

Parents may not be aware of the need for the same safeguards.

  • By Paul Haskell-Dowland and Ismini Vasileiou, The Conversation

Bill Proposes $2 Billion to Help Students Get Online During the Pandemic

The legislation would mandate the Federal Communications Commission to distribute funds for Wi-Fi hotspots and other devices for internet connectivity.

  • By Brandi Vincent

No, the Internet Is Not Good Again

After a few weeks of faith in the possibility of online utopia, the cracks are starting to show.

  • By Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic

Is the Fourth Industrial Revolution a Silver Lining? 

Dramatic disruptions like the coronavirus pandemic can lead to permanent shifts in how we work.

  • By Brendan Walsh

Lawmaker Presses FCC to Expand Internet Access for Low-Income Communities

California Rep. Doris Matsui doesn’t want those who lose jobs during the coronavirus outbreak to lose internet connectivity.

  • By Frank Konkel

Featured eBooks

Cyber Defenders
The State of Customer Experience
The Role of Chief Data Officers

Dark Web, Not Dark Alley: Why Drug Sellers See the Internet as a Lucrative Safe Haven

First, it's safer than dealing in person.

  • By James Martin and Monica Barratt, The Conversation

You Already Live in Quarantine

Being holed up at home has never been more pleasant.

  • By Ian Bogost, The Atlantic

3 Essential Steps to Help Ensure Data Protection in the Mobile Workforce

Federal agencies can protect their most valuable assets by taking security measures at multiple touchpoints.

  • By James Poole

OMB to Agencies: Time to Finish IPv6 Transition

Before the end of fiscal 2021, agencies will need to have a plan in place to hit 80% IPv6-only systems by 2025.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Where Everyone Goes When the Internet Breaks

Downdetector is a simple, ugly utility, which becomes a weird little life raft for displaced communities when their websites crash.

  • By Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic

Frustrated by Flawed Broadband Maps, States Are Trying to Create Their Own

The Federal Communications Commission’s broadband maps underestimate the number of households that lack internet service. State agencies are trying to gather better data.

  • By Andrea Noble

CISA Director Makes Case for Subpoena Power over Internet Service Providers

A key lawmaker pointed to concerns over privacy if the agency could request who’s behind internet addresses.

  • By Mariam Baksh