Broadband
The biggest barrier to building America isn’t politics. It’s paperwork
COMMENTARY | Too many projects are trapped in overlapping permit reviews, with no accountability for delay. If the nation is to lead on emerging tech, this has to change.
Texas lawmakers call for audit of state’s broadband grant funding
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows are questioning how the state distributes funding for internet services.
Judge reinstates digital equity grants
The $2.75 billion program under the Digital Equity Act can and should proceed, a judge ruled, but it cannot use race when considering recipients.
On this nearly deserted Alaska island, you pay to keep hundreds of empty buildings wired for internet
U.S. phone customers pay more than $340,000 a year for an Anchorage company to keep homes and buildings on Alaska’s Adak Island wired for obsolete internet service. All but a few of them sit empty.
Libraries lament ‘cascading effects’ of E-Rate’s potential demise
Advocates warned the FCC’s vote to review the program could blow massive holes in their budgets and force service reductions or even closures if new funding sources aren’t found.
Insights & Reports
How states can address broadband worker shortages
Amid funding uncertainty, existing programs may offer starting point to build workforce.
FCC votes to review E-Rate program amid screen time concerns
The agency is questioning whether the program has “achieved” its connectivity objectives for schools and libraries, and whether it should be “reoriented” or “narrowed.”
States must consider future of broadband offices
Some state offices risk sunsetting prematurely, before the deployment of billions in federal funds.
Feds praise BEAD’s progress, but others aren’t convinced
The NTIA touted the program’s first-ever connections and said more is to follow. Some Democrats in Congress said the agency is being evasive about what happens to leftover funds.
Policies to close digital divide must pass ‘kitchen table test,’ nonprofits say
Several groups said communities that lack connectivity must be the ones to shape policies to benefit them, and they urged the federal government to step up with money and training.
Featured eBooks
Federal broadband policy is increasingly being recast around satellite
With few meaningful competitors, SpaceX's Starlink is the primary beneficiary.
Advocates pledge action to restore digital equity grants
One year after President Donald Trump rescinded the funds, various groups and lawmakers have kicked off a month of action to push for their restoration.
Future of Nebraska Broadband Office unclear following reduction in federal BEAD funds
Broadband Office director Patrick Haggerty steps down, as others work to secure $340 million in unallocated federal funds.
Rural-focused $42B Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program becomes operational
Early signs of a massive federal broadband expansion effort are beginning to reach local communities.
Missouri AI regulations stall as lawmakers fear loss of rural broadband funds
A Senate bill establishing liability guidelines for artificial intelligence harm has hit resistance from lawmakers who are worried it could provoke retaliation from the Trump administration.
North Carolina invests $26M to expand high-speed internet into additional rural areas by 2026
The additional funding targets 5,161 homes, businesses and community anchor institutions in 66 counties across rural portions of the state.
The role of state broadband policy in 2026
State legislatures address federal funding, deployment and affordability.
‘Unmet needs’ persist in Tribal broadband despite progress, report finds
The $3 billion set aside for Tribal connectivity is unprecedented, the Urban Institute found, but communities face familiar challenges if they are to truly take advantage.
FCC could tighten federal Lifeline program rules
The agency is advancing new eligibility requirements in the face of what it says is massive fraud across several states in the $1 billion-a-year internet and phone low-income assistance program.
Debate intensifies over how to spend leftover BEAD money
One elected leader said Congress needs “more say” on spending, while others said it should stick to its original intent and be used by states to close the digital divide how they see fit.
