Research

H.R. 4250, the "PRESS Act," would exempt journalists and third-party service providers, such as telecommunications carriers and Internet service providers (ISP), from being compelled to identify a source or disclose other information that was gathered or created as part of news gathering activities unless such information is necessary to prevent an act of terrorism or a threat of imminent violence.

H.R. 1752, the "E-BRIDGE Act," would authorize the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to award grants for high-speed broadband projects to public-private partnerships and consortiums, and would allow grant recipients to use in-kind donations, such as real property, to meet cost-sharing requirements.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2 for a public comment window.

ConnectLA published the second volume of Louisiana’s draft Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, and is asking for feedback from the public. Louisiana received more than $1.35 billion from the BEAD program for the construction of broadband infrastructure and the development of programs to eliminate the digital divide. Volume 1 focused on answering questions three, five, six and seven of the Initial Proposal, and Volume 2 will respond to the remaining 15 questions. The public comment period will close on Sept.

On August 21, 2023, the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development released its Draft Digital Opportunity Plan for public comment. According to the plan, Minnesota's vision for digital equity is a future where digital equity connects all Minnesota residents to opportunities, options, and each other. The Office of Broadband Development created this plan following extensive stakeholder engagement and digital equity data collection.

Almost 20 years ago, the US Department of Justice observed that, “when government is constantly being asked to do more with less, the Internet is playing a vital role in allowing government to better serve all of its citizens.” For people lacking private internet access, officials should consider the options for public internet access and how to best educate community members on its availability. Online meetings “are another element of reaching people,” said Dan McLean, a communications professional based in Shelburne, VT.

The Federal Communication Commission used FCC Form 477 to collect subscribership information from providers of voice telephone services – incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), and mobile voice providers – since December 1999. The FCC has required interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (“interconnected VoIP”) service providers to report subscribership information since December 2008. Also, starting with the data reported for 2014, FCC Form 477 has been modified to distinguish “over-the-top” (colloquially, “bring your own broadband”) inte

A majority of voters don’t trust tech executives to self-regulate their use of AI, 83% of voters believe AI could accidentally cause a catastrophic event, 72% want to slow down AI development and usage, a new survey shows. American views on AI measures to be released on Friday, August 11, 2023. A new poll from the Artificial Intelligence Policy Institute (AIPI) shows that the vast majority of voters of all political affiliations are concerned about the risks from artificial intelligence and support federal regulation of it.

Digital literacy is widely seen as an essential skill. But Americans’ understanding of digital topics varies notably depending on the subject. For example, majorities of US adults know what cookies on websites do and can identify a secure password.

In 2023, 167 rural telecommunications companies in 19 states participated in this study which provides benchmark results for the 2022 balance sheet and income statement and more than 37 other key metrics. The study calculates the percentage increase in operating expenses both with and without depreciation expense. Total operating expenses increased 5.1% in 2022 and without including depreciation expense, operating expenses increased 5.2%.