broadband

Rural leaders who have worked years to improve broadband access said they were disappointed by the sharp decrease in federal dollars.

Kansas got $451 million from a Biden administration grant for "Broadband Equity, Acess and Deployment." But after the Trump administration told states to rethink how to spend the money, Kansas rolled back its proposal.

A federal program to expand high-speed internet access has been canceled.

The Oklahoma Broadband Office opened a large round of federal grants for high-speed internet projects in the state last week. Officials say it is the largest broadband expansion program in the state's history.

The federal investment follows the $1 billion approved by Texas taxpayers to help connect the state.

Reliable broadband service is essential in today's world, and we discuss Oklahoma's plan for improving access with the new executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office.

Installing fiber-optic internet in sparsely populated places like western Kansas is extremely expensive, even with government subsidies. But some smaller, local broadband providers are finding ways to make it work where the big national companies have not.

One advocate says the expansion could change the economy in the way rural electrification did in the last century.

The federal Emergency Broadband Benefit subsidizes home or mobile access for many who already qualify for federal anti-poverty programs like Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid.

Rural areas are often the last to receive broadband. The lack of broadband is similar to another issue that rural communities faced decades ago — rural...