https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

News


Photo by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

News

Broadband access added to County Health Rankings annual measure

Broadband access added to County Health Rankings annual measure

  • Written by Michelle M. Havich
  • 25th May 2021

The County Health Rankings—an annual measure of the health of counties across the nation—recently added broadband access to its examination of the more than 30 factors that impact health, including housing, education, jobs and access to quality health care.

Their data shows that on average, nearly 1 in 5 households in urban counties don’t have access to broadband internet while more than 1 in 4 households in rural counties aren’t connected. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fact that access to reliable high-speed internet was a critical lifeline for families who needed it for remote learning and working, health care, job searches and social connectedness.

According to the Rankings data, an estimated 19 million Americans lack internet access and are disconnected from the nation’s primary public square.

“The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the inequities many communities have faced for far too long, and the pandemic has illustrated just how fundamental internet access is to our society,” said Marjory Givens, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps co-director in a statement. “Broadband touches every part of life—from children being able to log on for remote classroom instruction, or adults being able to access vital telehealth services, to families being able to order groceries or prescriptions or apply for public assistance. The effects of digital access are so wide ranging that it’s intrinsically tied to the health of all communities.”

Rankings reports that broadband deserts can be linked to a practice called digital redlining, which occurs when network providers systematically exclude low-income neighborhoods from access to broadband services. It is most apparent in urban U.S. counties, including the nation’s four most populous counties—New York County, N.Y. and Los Angeles County, Calif. (from zero households to 100 percent); Cook County, Ill. (30 percent of households to 100 percent); and Harris County, Texas (35 percent of households to 100 percent).

“Lack of access of high-speed broadband internet is both a rural and urban issue,” said Sheri Johnson, co-director, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. “Lack of infrastructure investment and digital redlining are driving barriers to opportunity and continuing to push back the starting line for so many. Investing in broadband infrastructure and ensuring all have reliable access is something we can work on together. This vital lifeline is key to closing the digital divide.”

Released annually, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps is a program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI) supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Tags: homepage-featured-2 homepage-featured-4 News News Smart Cities & Technology News

Most Recent


  • Boston pilot to support green energy retrofit of smaller, owner-occupied multi-family buildings
    With a historic amount of climate-related funding available from the federal government  through initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act, communities across the United States are experimenting with the best ways to drive down carbon emissions. The latest pilot program in Boston, which has notably launched a number of initiatives to reduce building emissions this year, […]
  • EPA makes available $4.6B for cities, counties and Tribes to reduce climate pollution
    To combat rising climate pollution levels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday $4.6 billion in competitive grants available to cities, counties, territories and Tribal governments. The grants, which are a part of the EPA’s $5 billion Climate Pollution Grants program, are funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. They’re intended to spark community-driven environmental solutions, […]
  • Data modeling tool can project energy, efficiency savings for residential, commercial buildings
    Projecting the impact of a building’s transition to clean energy is a complicated process that involves complex data—one that might be difficult to translate for an audience of constituents at an annual town meeting or public forum. A new data set published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) could help administrators better quantify the […]
  • HUD awards 28 multifamily subsidized properties $18 million for green energy retrofits, modernization
    The challenges of retrofitting legacy properties to modern standards can’t be understated—both practically and fiscally. The latest investment of $18 million in funding through the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program announced last week by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is intended to help property owners participating in assistant multifamily housing programs […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Broadband expansion part of American Jobs Plan to rebuild country’s infrastructure
  • Policy experts debate the role of wireless in universal broadband
  • FirstNet Authority releases new details about impact of Nashville explosion on broadband system
  • T-Mobile press conference
    T-Mobile makes 10-year commitment to free public-safety broadband, if Sprint merger is completed

White papers


7 Resources to Level-up Your Federal Grants Administration and Compliance

5th September 2023

Elevator Phone Line Replacement Strategy | A Guide to Reliable, Code-Compliant Solutions

29th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing Report: The Bright Future of Public Procurement

23rd August 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Hottest temperatures recorded in American cities during July

12th September 2023

The top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2023

7th September 2023

U.S. cities with the cleanest air from latest “State of the Air” report

5th September 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.