In a bid to improve internet access for underserved households, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a contract of up to $30 million for the Office of Statewide Broadband to provide laptops for an estimated 150,000 underserved households in the state. The contract is part of the state’s larger Connect Maryland initiative.

As cyberattacks against state and local governments rise, the state of Maryland has hosted a statewide cybersecurity tabletop exercise. The exercise was hosted by the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), in coordination with all cabinet-level agencies, and enabled critical partners to discuss plans, policies, and procedures in order to identify and address potential vulnerabilities or issues in preparation for a cybersecurity incident.

The chief information officer (CIO) for Clark County, Nev. – which houses the city of Las Vegas – aims to bring broadband to 100 percent of eligible residents and businesses through access, affordability, and adoption.

While many colleges across the country have rolled out autonomous robots to help deliver food and supplies to students across their campuses, the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) is taking a slightly different approach to delivery robots. Before rolling out a robot delivery network on the campus in 2023, researchers at the university will use a fleet of robots to understand and improve the experience of pedestrians who encounter the robots.

EDUCAUSE has released a new report that lays out findings from digital learning experts from colleges and universities nationwide on how to improve hybrid learning over the next decade.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a new pilot program intended to help Tribal libraries apply for broadband funding through the commission’s E-Rate program.

The Biden Administration has released a new Workforce Planning Guide for states and territories to use when planning high-speed Internet deployment projects.

With the U.S. midterm elections just around the corner and security concerns running high, a new survey finds that three-quarters of local election websites are not using the .gov domain to help boost site security and engender a higher degree of user trust.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu recently announced the results of the city’s comprehensive digital equity assessment. Wu said the results will “inform the development of a plan to build a more connected Boston, expand digital services, and ensure all residents thrive with improved access to digital technologies.”

In a recent survey from MeriTalk and Invicti, 91 percent of 100 state and local government IT decision-makers said their organization’s pace of cybersecurity improvements increased over the past year. They have good reasons for accelerating change.