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  • Priorities Podcast

Will federal funding close the broadband gap for good?

On this week’s episode of the Priorities Podcast, Colorado Chief Information Officer Tony Neal-Graves offers his assessment of how his state can close the broadband gap with the influx of federal government funding from the American Rescue Plan and infrastructure package. The CIO tells StateScoop’s Colin Wood that if Colorado can’t connect all of its unconnected residents with the funding, the governor “should fire all of us.”

Chris Mitchell, the director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, says the funding should indeed be enough, assuming “states are smart” with how they spend the money.

Maryland CIO Michael Leahy talks about his time as a radio DJ and part-owner of a recording studio. Leahy says he still makes music in his spare time.

In the news this week:

Phil Wittmer is stepping down as Virginia’s CIO after less than a month on the job.

New York state is opening a “state of the art” cybersecurity facility in Brooklyn to serve as an operations center for state and local cybersecurity needs.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is requesting the city reverse its ordinance banning facial recognition.

StateScoop’s Priorities Podcast is available every Thursday. Listen more here.

If you want to hear more of the latest across the state and local government technology community, subscribe to the Priorities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and Stitcher.

Weekly

Priorities Podcast

Each Wednesday, StateScoop’s Priorities Podcast explores the latest in state and local government technology news and analysis. Listen to in-depth conversations with government and industry’s top executives, and learn about trending stories affecting state and local IT leaders ranging from modernization and digital accessibility to the latest advances in generative artificial intelligence.

Hosted by Jake Williams

Jake Williams is the vice president of content and community for StateScoop and EdScoop. He's spent nearly a decade in the government IT market, covering the ins and outs of state and local government, as well as higher education. He started his journalism career in his native Pennsylvania and has also worked as a reporter for Campaigns & Elections magazine.
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