Press Release

The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) announced that it has awarded more than $40 million in state grants to internet service providers, telephone cooperatives, pueblos and a tribal company to deploy broadband across the state. Grant recipients include seven entities, some of which will handle multiple projects. The grants are being released through the state’s Connect New Mexico Fund. This $70 million state-led broadband grant program is designed to expand high-speed internet access and deploy infrastructure to unserved and underserved communities.

The Newsom Administration, local officials, and Arcadian Infracom announced the groundbreaking of a crucial segment of California’s Middle-Mile Broadband Network. The Capitol Route groundbreaking in Natomas celebrates California’s work in building the nation’s largest open-access, Middle-Mile Broadband Network. The groundbreaking is a milestone in a 256-mile route of new open-access broadband fiber spanning from San Jose in Silicon Valley through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Carson City, Nevada.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved Mississippi and South Dakota’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This approval enables Mississippi and South Dakota to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. This action allows states to request:  

The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing two new actions that will help build more projects, more quickly.

Governor Tate Reeves announced that the Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) recently approved nine broadband expansion projects to be funded by the Capital Projects Fund (CPF). These nine projects will provide $21.6 million of grant funding to expand internet service to approximately 12,300 households in communities across the state. Approved projects by provider are as follows:

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Michigan’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Michigan to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. Michigan was allocated over $1.5 billion to deploy or upgrade high-speed Internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service.  

Vecima announced that their its American-made broadband electronics for use in anticipated Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program networks are now available. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said, "The Biden-Harris Administration is determined to create good jobs in the U.S.—and keep them here.

Danielle Thumann has rejoined FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr' office as Legal Advisor. Thumann previously served in this role from March 2021 until July 2023. She rejoins the office following a year in the private sector where she led on state and local government relations matters for a nationwide telecommunications infrastructure provider.  Before her first stint with Commissioner Carr’s office in 2021, Thumann was an Associate Attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilkinson Barker Knauer.

The State of Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT) announced the start of subgrantee selection for Phase III of the High Speed Nevada Initiative (HSNV).

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking public comment on one of the most challenging aspects of the Internet for All initiative: projects serving the most difficult and remote locations to connect. Connecting everyone in America will require a variety of technologies.