Alabama Broadband Expansion to Improve High-Speed Internet Access
By Whitney Sides
Mississippi-based internet service provider C Spire announced it will expand current broadband infrastructure throughout Alabama to improve access to rural areas and faster fiber optic cables.
The mayors of Birmingham and Jasper were joined by C Spire and Alabama Power executives to announce the partnership they say will bridge gaps in reliable internet access statewide.
“The digital divide is real,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said at Thursday’s announcement at Regions Field.
He said 23% of people within the city of Birmingham still don’t have an access provider. He said the improvements will help meet access goals he set when he first took office.
Sen. Greg Reed of Jasper, who sponsored legislation that paved the way for broadband expansion, said the initiative will drive economic development.
“We’re going to open up grants for companies to go to areas that they otherwise fiscally wouldn’t even consider so they can finally serve the people that need it the most,” Reed said.
Reed said he hopes more partnerships and co-ops will spring up so companies can work together to expand already-available technology.
Reed said improvements in many small towns can be as easy as extending a cable to the end of a street to ensure everyone has the same access.
Also Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Tombigbee Electric Cooperative announced a grant totaling more than $29 million to expand rural broadband access in Northwest Alabama.
Voice of America gutted by Trump adviser Kari Lake
The Trump administration is slashing jobs at Voice of America's parent agency by 85%. Journalists who have risked their freedom to report for the broadcaster wonder what happens next.
Judge orders release of Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil
Khalil will be released on bail while his case challenging his deportation orders plays out in the courts.
A cancer center in Jordan treats kids from Gaza, but only a few dozen have arrived
Children from Gaza with cancer are finally making it to Jordan for long-promised treatment. But a plan to allow as many as 2,000 patients out of the war-torn enclave has slowed.
What children in poverty could lose from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Republicans want to change or reduce key social safety net programs that provide healthcare, food benefits and financial assistance for millions of children.
Bessemer recommends changing its laws to accommodate one of the country’s largest proposed data centers
Despite overwhelming public opposition, officials in Bessemer voted to recommend changes to city zoning ordinances to allow the massive development. Its operation could strain the state’s water and power supplies and leave an already imperiled fish species at risk of extinction.
Why is caregiving so hard in America? The answers emerge in a new film
A new documentary on PBS shows what it's like to care for adult family members and recounts the history of caregiving policy in the U.S., revealing why those caring for family are often on their own.
