Agriculture Plowing $167M in Broadband, Ziply Deploys More Fiber, TikTok Takes Over
USDA putting money to expand broadband in 12 states, Ziply expands in 14 markets, TikTok most downloaded app in 2020.
August 11, 2021 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Wednesday it is investing $167 million in 12 states to deploy broadband infrastructure in rural areas without adequate internet.
The investments announced today are part of the second round of the $550 million ReConnect program.
“Generations ago, the federal government recognized that without affordable access to electricity, Americans couldn’t fully participate in modern society and the modern economy. Broadband internet is the new electricity. says the Secretary
The investments will benefit rural people in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
Ziply Fiber announces fiber expansion in 14 additional markets
Ziply Fiber said Wednesday it will construct gigabit broadband networks to 14 additional small and rural markets across the states of Washington and Oregon this year.
The telecommunications provider has previously announced 36 markets last year, bringing the total number of markets to 52.
The connections include five cities in Washington and nine in Oregon for 38,000 addresses to be hooked-up. The goal is to connect the first set of customers in each town to fiber by the end of this year.
“We’ve seen an increased demand for high-speed Internet to support all the activities we do online, whether that’s online learning, streaming entertainment, or working from home,” Ziply CEO Harold Zeitz said in a the press release.
Ziply, based in Kirkland, WA, is on pace to cover more than half of the targeted territory by the end of this year and aims to cover more than 80 percent during the next three years.
TikTok overtakes Facebook as the most downloaded social media app
According to digital analytics company App Annie, TikTok became the most downloaded social media app in 2020, overtaking Facebook messenger.
TikTok, which first emerged in 2014, has grown to become a tool for creating and sharing videos of young people singing, dancing, and lip-synching.
As TikTok continues to grow in popularity, the company has been exploring new ways to attract users, including the ability to make uploads disappear.
