Thanks in large part to a two-decade-old federal law, school districts across the US restrict what students see online using a patchwork of commercial web filters that block vast and often random swathes of the internet. Companies like GoGuardian and Blocksi govern students’ internet use in thousands of US school districts. As the national debate over school censorship focuses on controversial book-banning laws, an investigation reveals how these automated web filters can perpetuate dangerous censorship on an even greater scale. An analysis of more than 117 million censorship records confirms what students and civil rights advocates have long warned: Web filters are preventing kids from finding critical information about their health, identity, and the subjects they’re studying in class. Virtually every school in the US uses an automatic web filter, largely due to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) passed by Congress in 2000. The law requires schools and libraries to block “child pornography” and other content deemed “obscene” or “harmful to minors” in order to be eligible for federal technology aid known as E-rate funding.

Delaware seeks to promote digital equity to ensure that all residents, regardless of their background or location, have equal opportunities to access education, health care, job prospects, government services, and information critical to personal growth and well-being. To do so, the Delaware Broadband Office has released the state's draft Digital Equity Plan for public comment. The State of Delaware envisions a future where every individual, regardless of their location or background, has full access to high-speed internet connectivity and the tools necessary to harness its transformative potential. In this vision, urban and rural communities alike can fully participate in the digital economy. In this vision, comprehensive infrastructure investment will eliminate connectivity gaps, bridging the urban-rural divide and fostering a connected ecosystem that empowers residents, businesses, and governments to thrive in a digital society. In this vision, digital equity goes beyond infrastructure, emphasizing digital literacy and skills development as critical components. Residents are equipped with the knowledge to confidently navigate the digital landscape, access online resources, and protect their privacy and security. Digital skills training is integrated into educational curricula, workforce development programs, and community initiatives to create an informed and empowered citizenry. Furthermore, the vision encompasses targeted support for underserved communities, ensuring that they are not left behind in the digital transformation.

Charter celebrated the $1.3 billion that the company is investing in rural areas of Texas. Charter will invest $700 million of the money to cover the full cost of network upgrades. The remaining $420 million will cover some of the cost of fiber deployment. The remainder of the cost of fiber deployment will come partially from money Charter won in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program in 2020, and partially from public-private partnerships with counties and cities. The $700 million that Charter will invest in its existing network is part of the company’s network evolution plans, which call for upgrading the company’s entire DOCSIS/ hybrid fiber coax footprint by 2025 to support symmetrical and multi-gigabit speeds. The company didn’t detail whether the upgrades planned for Texas would be part of any certain phase or phases of the network evolution plans, but hinted that it might invest more in Texas, in connection with additional subsidies that are allocated for broadband expansion in the state.

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to act expeditiously in its proceeding regarding the 12.2-12.7 GHz spectrum band while continuing to maintain an evidence-based approach.  With the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, the FCC has a unique near-term opportunity to expand broadband access, improve the distribution of spectrum resources, and put our spectrum to its most efficient use, especially in rural areas of the country. In particular, if the FCC determines that fixed broadband operations can coexist in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band without interfering with incumbent users, the FCC should move swiftly to permit such use, particularly as the federal government deploys additional resources to close the digital divide. The FCC can do this by updating twenty-year-old rules for the band to account for new technological advances, which can make sharing possible, and considering the creation of a sharing framework to permit local access to unused spectrum channels in this band; ensuring tribes have adequate spectrum access in the band; and potentially authorizing low-power, indoor-only unlicensed use of the band.”

As fiber deployments grow, Comcast President Mike Cavanaugh thinks the company is well-positioned to handle the competition. “We’re very focused on the key competitor over the long term being fiber,” Cavanaugh said “The good news is we’ve competed against fiber for 20 years, we know how to compete against [it].” What’s driving the current competitive landscape, Cavanaugh went on to say, is “low move activity” and “the entry of fixed wireless.” He noted it’s difficult to say “which one is more significant.” Cavanaugh predicts fixed wireless access (FWA) will “run for a while,” but said Comcast believes FWA providers are mainly targeting the lower end of the market, “serving a purpose for folks that can live with a product that has its characteristics.” That’s not to say FWA won’t have a permanent fixture in the broadband market in the future. But Cavanaugh thinks “at some point…the excess capacity that’s being used up to provide it as a service will start to tap out.”