Broadband "nutrition labels" help you comparison shop for cable

Apr 11, 2024
Instead of tracking added sugar and fiber, they measure added fees and fiber speed.
An example of what a "broadband nutrition label" would look like.
Courtesy Federal Communications Commission

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

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

Millions of eligible Americans are missing out on broadband internet subsidies

Jan 24, 2022
People without reliable internet access can be hard to reach.
By one estimate, about 30 million American households are missing out on the FCC's monthly subsidy.
Valerie Macon/Getty Images

FCC proposes rule change to help tribal libraries with broadband

Oct 25, 2021
A change to the E-Rate program could help tribal libraries get online.
Navajo Nation is currently expanding internet capacity at local government and community centers that function like libraries through E-Rate, a Federal Communications Commission program that helps schools and libraries access affordable broadband.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

WhatsApp outage highlights the scale of its worldwide use

Oct 5, 2021
The Facebook property has become a business lifeline in countries where other communication alternatives are expensive or inaccessible.
The interruption of Facebook's WhatsApp platform on Monday hindered communication and business across the globe.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Broadband, computer subsidies on the way for those who qualify

May 11, 2021
Applications open May 12 for low-income consumers who need help paying for faster, more reliable internet.
Those who qualify will receive a discount on their monthly internet bill and money toward a new computer.
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

Next on Democrats' agenda, a "holistic" infrastructure bill

Mar 15, 2021
Green energy, internet connectivity and new school buildings are likely to be on the agenda for the White House and Democrats.
Climate change and green solutions, like wind and solar power, will be a likely focus of the Biden administration's infrastructure plan. Above, a worker installs solar panels.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images