broadband

Do you wish you knew more about the basics of broadband, but you don't know who to ask? Join us for a beginner level webinar, which will introduce participants to terms, tools, and concepts that will help increase basic understanding. 

I was lucky enough to attend a Digital Inclusion Forum event in Los Angeles last month. The Forum was designed to gather community feedback on the proposed Framework for Digital Inclusion developed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the University of Washington, and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Typically, the process of organizing a webinar at TechSoup is de riguer: webinars are a large part of the services we offer, and we have a good network of experts and collaborators on whom we call to create a comprehensive and useful program. To determine what topic to cover, we listen to what libraries and nonprofits need, and this time was no different: through our work with BTOP grantees we've learned that organizations involved in broadband efforts need help crafting and implementing assessment plans. Armed with this information, we decided to put together a webinar on assessing technology projects, including training and projects related to BTOP efforts.

The USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is accepting applications for grants to provide broadband access in rural communities currently without broadband service. Funding is provided through the Community Connect Grant program. Grants are available to communities in the most rural, economically challenged areas where loans would not be sustainable. Funds may be used to construct, acquire or lease facilities to deploy broadband to residents, businesses and essential community facilities such as police and fire stations, libraries, schools, and health care clinics.