Press Release

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, on behalf of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is issuing this Request for Proposals for the Residential Retrofit Program to solicit applications from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or Managed Service Providers (MSPs) for fiber construction to eligible Affordable Housing Properties and in-building and in-unit installation of cabling and related equipment.

Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled application guidelines for more than $11 million in new grant programs under Empire State Development’s ConnectALL Initiative, the largest-ever investment in New York's digital infrastructure, ahead of the launch of the applications on June 17. Together, the programs—the Regional and Local Assistance Program and the Digital Equity Technical Assistance Fund—will prepare local government and nonprofit organizations to participate in upcoming broadband deployment and digital equity programs across the state.

Governor Laura Kelly announced that seven organizations will receive a combined $3.9 million in grants through the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) program. ADOPT supports the Kelly administration’s work to connect more Kansans to high-speed internet by making public Wi-Fi accessible and distributing devices in underserved areas. The program helps organizations serving Kansans move forward by ensuring that communities can access public Wi-Fi and the devices needed to participate in today’s technology-driven world. ADOPT grants were awarded to: 

The Federal Communications Commission proposed action to help protect America’s communications networks against cyberattacks by improving internet routing security. The proposal would require broadband providers to create confidential reports on the steps they have taken, and plan to undertake, to mitigate vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the technical protocol used to route information across the internet. The nation’s largest broadband providers would also be required to file specific public data on a quarterly basis demonstrating their BGP risk mitigation progress.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a three-year, $200 million Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program.  This program will allow the FCC to obtain actionable data about which cybersecurity services and equipment would best help K-12 schools and libraries address the growing cyber threats and attacks against their broadband networks. From this program, the FCC aims to learn how to improve school and library defenses against sophisticated ransomware and cyberattacks that put students at risk and impede their learning.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed updated rules to offer greater flexibility in supporting providers’ deployment of high-speed internet services in high-cost, rural communities. FCC broadband deployment programs target communities where the high cost of deployment makes it difficult for private funding alone to make deployment cost-effective.

On behalf of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Chair Sara Bronin has called on Congress to reject provisions in 15 bills that would exempt certain types of infrastructure projects from review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of projects, carried out by them or subject to their assistance or approval, on historic properties.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) approved an Order awarding a second round of Capital Projects Fund (CPF) grants designed to bring broadband to unserved and underserved areas of the state. The PSC received 60 applications for funding during the second round.

The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $23.608 billion, which is nearly 20 percent below the President’s Budget Request and nearly 10 percent below the effective spending level provided in Fiscal Year 2024. The defense portion of the allocation is $45 million, and the non-defense portion of the allocation is $23.563 billion.

As Atlantic hurricane season begins, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel highlighted actions the agency has taken to help the public reach emergency services, receive emergency information, and communicate during disasters.