By Doug Kinkoph, performing the delegated duties of the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information

Cross-posted with the NTIA website

Communities and regions are increasingly adopting smart technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to better manage infrastructure and improve the quality of life for residents. The BroadbandUSA January 15, 2020 webinar, The Benefits of Smart Building Technology, focused on smart buildings use cases, the underlying technology that supports them, and the benefits achieved.

Smart technologies are igniting rural economic development, improving health care and education, and improving farming and ranching production. The Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC) Agriculture and Rural Broadband SuperCluster encourages collaboration on innovative agricultural technology and rural projects and released a blueprint for rural communities in July.

NTIA’s BroadbandUSA was joined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to host Rural Broadband Workshops in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico on November 13^th, Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 14^th, and Little Rock, Arkansas on December 9^th.

A digitally skilled workforce is essential for the economic development of our nation’s communities. The BroadbandUSA November 20, 2019 webinar, “Building Digital Workforce Skills at the Local Level,” showcased initiatives in Seattle, Omaha and rural Mississippi that help individuals develop technology skills, such as basic digital literacy, STEM and coding, needed for a digital economy.

NTIA’s BroadbandUSA joined with the U.S.