Officials in the San Rafael tech shop were able to build a mesh Wi-Fi network to connect students in the dense Canal Neighborhood with the help of volunteer expertise and funding from across sectors.
San Rafael, Calif., is in the process of launching a new mesh Wi-Fi network for one of its most densely populated neighborhoods, doing so as a response to the COVID-19 crisis. The overarching goal is to ensure that residents there — particularly students — are able to get online.
Weiterlesen: US: How San Rafael, California, Built a Wi-Fi Network During a Pandemic
The collaboration is growing from addressing traffic congestion and wrong-way driving to real-time alerts on safety conditions and maintenance issues.
Las Vegas has often been viewed as one of the more mature smart cities in the U.S., and it recently expanded its efforts to become a technology mecca that actually helps improve residents’ lives with its innovative solutions.
Weiterlesen: US: Nevada: Las Vegas Expands Smart City Project with NTT
Federal funding for broadband intended to expand telehealth will go a long way toward getting more people the care they need, but communities must create strategies tailored to their needs to make the most of it.
U.S. senators want to make $2 billion available to communities, including urban cities, to facilitate deployment of broadband and telehealth together. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is lobbying — along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Angus King Jr., I-Maine, and John Boozman, R-Ark. — to allocate this money to the next COVID-19 relief bill for broadband expansion. The goal is to append the funds to the amount that’s currently controlled by the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Health Care (RHC) Program. In Congress, representatives are pushing for $86 billion for high-speed broadband as part of a five-year infrastructure investment.
Weiterlesen: US: Broadband Not Enough to Close Health-Care Gap
The pandemic and its sweeping effects took governments by surprise. But when the next crisis hits, there will be no excuse to be unprepared. Here’s the groundwork information technology leaders should put in place now.
No one could have predicted the impact of a pandemic on people, the economy, and governments of all sizes. The people impact is well-documented with COVID-19 infection numbers and worst of all, deaths being reported daily. Time will reveal the impact of shelter in place and social distancing practices on our mental and physical health. Economic impacts are also well documented as unemployment reached record highs in the shortest amount of time in our history. Time will also tell how the structural underpinnings of the economy are affected and changed forever. As for governments, the impacts of COVID-19 happened quickly but are also developing over time. The initial impacts of moving quickly to remote work, stressing government services, and exposing technology deficiencies will soon manifest into long-term structural budget issues that will not fade away anytime soon. Governments that need to modernize technology infrastructure and applications to be ready for the next pandemic will require a significant investment of public dollars. Will governments be ready to invest as their resources tighten and competition for dollars becomes even more fierce?
Weiterlesen: US: The Time Is Now: Invest in Technology Modernization
State and local agencies face a host of challenges as they prepare to restart business. With the help of tech, knowing how to plan for short- and long-term needs, post pandemic, can make the difference.
As state and local governments plan for their COVID-19 return to work in the coming months, major questions remain. In the short term, how do you prepare for the gradual return of employees to your office spaces? And, in the long term, how will you manage your real estate and workplaces and serve your mission when government budgets are strained?
Weiterlesen: US: Reopening Government Offices After COVID-19