Press Release

Governor Brian P. Kemp (R-GA) committed nearly $15 million in preliminary grant awards for broadband internet expansion through the second round of the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Grant Program. These awards will improve connectivity for communities, households, businesses, and anchor institutions in four Georgia counties. When combined with significant capital matches from the awardees, almost $30 million will be invested to serve over 3,500 locations in areas most in need of high-speed internet access. The county awardees are as follows:

To further the development of the upcoming phases of the Digital Equity Act, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a Request for Comment on March 2, 2023. The comment window closed on May 1, 2023, and a wide range of stakeholders from across the country submitted 252 written submissions.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) granted the US Virgin Islands (USVI) its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $714 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers, and business owners in 19 states to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. The announcement includes $714 million in USDA investments in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. Some examples include:

The U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted the following resolutions:

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Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology the Rt Hon Chloe Smith MP issued a joint statement yesterday on the announcement that both countries have committed in principle to establish a data bridge. This announcement represents the UK’s intent to establish a data bridge for the UK Extension to the U.S.-EU Data Privacy Framework, subject to the UK’s data bridge assessment and further technical work being finalized, and dependent on the U.S. designation of the UK as a qualifying state under Executive Order 14086.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) received 127 applications requesting $1.39 billion to support testing and research and development activities related to open and interoperable wireless networks, according to preliminary data released. Applicants requested $146 million for research and development projects, and $1.2 billion for testing and evaluation activities.

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the bipartisan Platform Accountability and Transparency Act (PATA) alongside Senate colleagues Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Mitt Romney (R-UT). The bill would require social media companies to share more data with the public and researchers.

Governor Jim Justice (R-WV) announced the preliminary approval of more than $18 million for various broadband infrastructure projects throughout the state. The announcement includes applications received under the programs Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD), Major Broadband Project Strategies (MBPS), and Wireless Internet Networks (WIN). The programs are branches of Gov.