Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced Monday that more than 30 new sites along the New Haven rail line now have enhanced wireless services. Expanding high-speed networks is "critical if we want to be ahead of the curve on technology that makes our state even more attractive to workers and employers," Lamont said. The project, funded by a $6 million investment from AT&T, is now fully operational through high-powered macro towers and compact small cell nodes. Lamont noted that the New Haven Line is the busiest commuter rail route in the U.S., and five additional sites are expected to launch "later this year."

Resound Networks launched 20 broadband expansion projects totaling $39.6 million in 14 counties throughout Oklahoma on Friday. The Oklahoma Broadband Office awarded Resound $21.1 million in federal grants, and the ISP invested $18.5 million to connect 5,226 homes and businesses with fiber and fixed wireless technologies.

Broadband Nation, the Telecom Industry Association (TIA), and Questex launched an initiative last week to increase workforce readiness in Florida (see 2501160035). The state received $1.16 billion in BEAD funding to target about 170,000 unserved locations. The groups estimated a need for more than 20,000 trained workers to meet the demand. Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly welcomed the initiative. "We are building the workforce needed to support Florida's broadband industry," Kelly said. Broadband Nation is "ultimately contributing to the goal of connecting everyone," said Telecom Industry Association CEO Dave Stehlin. The groups are partnering with local colleges and technical training institutions throughout the state.

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R) on Friday signed legislation establishing phone-free school policies. "This is a game changer for our public schools," Armstrong said, signing the measure during an event at a Bismarck elementary school. The bill, HB-1160, requires all personal devices to be securely stowed and inaccessible to students during school hours. The law, which takes effect Aug. 1, lets students use tablets and other school-issued devices for learning and provides exceptions for those with individual education plans or who otherwise require personal devices for medical reasons.

Intrado launched next-generation 911 technology in Columbus, Ohio, with multimedia sharing and AI-generated text translation, the company said Thursday. The new deployment leverages "modernized visual communication capabilities" and enhanced translation tools for better accuracy, said a news release. "We are proud to support our New American community and collaborate with leaders at Intrado to test and adopt these 911 translation and video-sharing technologies," said Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther (D). The text-to-911 translation service uses automated, real-time language and dialect detection technologies, which can identify language in a text message "in less than one second," said Jeremy DeMar, Intrado's senior manager-government and regulatory affairs. The NG-911 solutions are powered by IP-based telecom infrastructure.

A New York bill would bar landlords from interfering with municipal broadband and cable TV providers as they deploy services for tenants. State Sen. Rachel May (D) introduced the bill, S-7601, on Wednesday. It would give landlords the right to require certain conditions from providers, including that the tenant or provider bear the full cost of installation and operation of the service. Landlords would also be barred from seeking or receiving payment from a tenant for the use of such services on their property.

Vermont received applications to serve 96% of currently unserved areas through its BEAD program, the state's Community Broadband Board announced Wednesday. Of these locations, 95% received applications to be served with fiber. The agency said five ISPs are participating in the program, and it will reach out to providers in areas that didn't receive applications. "We are excited by the quality and number of applications we received," said Executive Director Christine Hallquist.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved $40 million in broadband grants through a new pilot program. The New Jersey broadband infrastructure deployment equity pilot program will support "critical broadband expansion efforts across the state," the agency said Wednesday. Awardees included Brightspeed, Verizon, the city of Vineland, Salem County and the borough of Penns Grove. “This historic investment to ‘connect the unconnected’ answers the call we have heard throughout the state,” said board President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. The competitive grant program was funded by the Department of Treasury's Capital Projects Fund.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection awarded $9.9 million in additional ConneCTed Communities Grant Program support, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced Tuesday. Frontier and Comcast received the new funding to deploy broadband to 3,802 homes and businesses throughout the state.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced the state's final round of the ConnectAll Deployment Program this week, seeking proposals by May 5 for projects deploying fiber optic, cable, hybrid fiber-coaxial, licensed fixed wireless broadband service, and "federally designated alternative technologies such as unlicensed fixed wireless and low earth orbit satellite services." ConnectAll will make the $644 million in federal grants available for public comment after submitting them to NTIA for final approval by July 25, said a news release. Pending NTIA approval, the selected projects will likely begin this year and be completed within four years.