High-speed internet access is expanding in rural Oklahoma. The Cooperative Broadband Coalition, or CBC, celebrated a major milestone: 100,000 Oklahomans who previously did not have access now had access to high-speed internet. The Cooperative Broadband Coalition said 10 electric cooperatives with fiber subsidiaries are experiencing adoption rates as high as 52% in rural Oklahoma, adding about 2,000 subscribers a month.

The US will not delay a deadline for airlines to refit planes with new sensors to address possible 5G interference, despite concerns the cut-off date could cause travel disruption. Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that airlines were told the July 1, 2023 deadline would remain in place. Airlines have warned that they will not be able to meet the deadline and may be forced to ground some planes. Telecoms firms have previously delayed 5G rollout to allow airlines to adapt. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation companies have previously raised concerns that C-Band spectrum 5G wireless could interfere with aircraft altimeters, which measure a plane's height above the ground. Major tech companies, like Verizon and AT&T, agreed in 2022 to delay the rollout of 5G technology until 1 July 2023 to allow airlines time to retrofit their altimeters. However, technology companies have said 5G is safe and have accused the aviation industry of fearmongering and distorting facts.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed changes to the agency’s 2020 privacy order with Facebook after alleging that the company has failed to fully comply with the order, misled parents about their ability to control with whom their children communicated through its Messenger Kids app, and misrepresented the access it provided some app developers to private user data. As part of the proposed changes, Meta, which changed its name from Facebook in October 2021, would be prohibited from profiting from data it collects, including through its virtual reality products, from users under the age of 18. It would also be subject to other expanded limitations, including in its use of facial recognition technology, and required to provide additional protections for users. This is the third time the FTC has taken action against Facebook for allegedly failing to protect users’ privacy. This action by the FTC alleges that Facebook has violated the 2020 order, as well as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA Rule). The proposed changes to the 2020 order, which would apply to Facebook and Meta’s other services such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus, include:

• Blanket prohibition against monetizing data of children and teens under 18: Meta and all its related entities would be restricted in how they use the data they collect from children and teens
• Pause on the launch of new products, or services: The company would be prohibited from releasing new or modified products, services, or features without written confirmation from the assessor that its privacy program is in full compliance with the order’s requirements and presents no material gaps or weaknesses.
• Extension of compliance to merged companies: Meta would be required to ensure compliance with the FTC order for any companies it acquires or merges with, and to honor those companies’ prior privacy commitments.
• Limits on future uses of facial recognition technology: Meta would be required to disclose and obtain users’ affirmative consent for any future uses of facial recognition technology. 
• Strengthening existing requirements: Some privacy program provisions in the 2020 order would be strengthened, such as those related to privacy review, third-party monitoring, data inventory and access controls, and employee training.

The independent assessor, tasked with reviewing whether the company’s privacy program satisfied the 2020 order’s requirements, identified several gaps and weaknesses in Facebook’s privacy program, according to the Order to Show Cause, in which the Commission notes that the breadth and significance of these deficiencies pose substantial risks to the public. The Commission voted 3-0 to issue the Order to Show Cause.

North Carolina-based broadband provider Brightspeed has caught the eye of Abu Dhabi sovereign investor Mubadala, which will invest $500 million into the operator. The investment, subject to regulatory approvals and conditions, would make Mubadala a minority shareholder alongside Apollo Global Management, Brightspeed’s parent company. Apollo, in October 2022, closed a $7.5 billion deal to acquire Lumen’s assets in 20 states. Mubadala boasts a global portfolio of $284 billion, spanning six continents across sectors such as digital infrastructure, real estate, and credit investments. Khaled Abdulla Al Qubaisi, CEO of Real Estate and Infrastructure Investments at Mubadala, said the firm “sees [a] huge opportunity in supporting Brightspeed's growth strategy in transitioning large swathes of the US to fiber connectivity and promoting digital equity and inclusion.”

Consolidated Communications reported results for the first quarter of 2023. The company:

• Achieved record consumer fiber broadband net adds of 12,337, an increase of 60% versus the first quarter of 2022. Consumer broadband net adds were positive by 2,404;
• Grew consumer fiber broadband revenue by 56% and increased the average-revenue-per-user (ARPU) by 5.7%;
• Completed 53,858 fiber upgrades to Gigabit+ speeds, now extending fiber-to-the-premises (FttP) capabilities to 40% of the addressable market.