The Pew Charitable Trusts launched Opportunity Broadband—an alliance of 5 companies, associations, and nonprofit organizations across the country working to ensure that our nation’s investment in universal, affordable broadband access strengthens communities and promotes equal participation in the economy. Strong bipartisan support—illustrated by the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the American Rescue Plan Act, and many other legislative actions at the federal and state levels—has finally put high-speed internet, and the skills and tools to use it, within reach for all Americans. The programs created by these initiatives will lead to opportunities for improved economic mobility, access to health care, educational opportunities, and much more. Pew formed Opportunity Broadband to help ensure that the nation can deliver on those promises by helping communities prepare to leverage connectivity, skills, and devices to realize the long-promised outcomes of digital equity. Along with The Pew Charitable Trusts, the founding members of Opportunity Broadband include Heartland Forward, the James H and Mary B Quello Center at Michigan State University, Small Business Majority, and the XR Association.

T-Mobile is using its considerable legal muscle to try and prevent the terms of its 2.5 GHz spectrum leases from being revealed. This is particularly newsworthy right now because the Federal Communications Commission recently announced it would kick off the process for its Auction 108 in July 2022. Auction 108 is the auction of 2.5 GHz spectrum in the “white-space” gaps in the band that are currently lying fallow. Sometimes the auction is referred to as “an overlay auction.” When 2.5 GHz spectrum was first distributed to educational institutions in the 1980s, the licenses were granted in 35-mile-radius circles. Unfortunately, the circles leave oddly-shaped white spaces where no one owns the spectrum. This is the spectrum that will be available via Auction 108. T-Mobile is seen as the primary bidder in the auction because it wants to fill in the gaps in its nationwide 2.5 GHz coverage. Some wireless internet service providers (WISPs) also use the band and may participate in the auction. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon want to see the terms of T-Mobile’s leases with the educational institutions in order to make informed decisions about bidding. If they don't see the terms of T-Mobile's leases, then they likely won't participate in Auction 108. But T-Mobile is fighting hard to ensure that its competitors do not see the terms of its 2.5 GHz leases. It has made numerous FCC filings, and it’s also reached out to some of the educational institutions it leases spectrum from, directing them to not reveal any terms of the leases and to take down or redact sensitive information in leases that might have been posted online.

Gallup and the Knight Foundation conducted a survey of US adults regarding media and democracy. Major findings include:

• US adults' attitudes go beyond party lines to fall into six groups with respect to internet regulation: Individualists, Reformers, Unfazed Digital Natives, Unplugged and Ambivalent, Traditionalists, and Concerned Spectators.
• Americans use social media sites more than any other type of website. Those who say a social media site is one of their most-used tend to go to these platforms for entertainment and to connect with others, more rather than for news.
• Americans rarely engage in politics online, and 32 percent say debates on social media make them less likely to use social media. But large numbers say these debates make them more likely to take offline action like voting or more closely following the news.
• Most Americans believe social media makes it easier for harmful and extreme viewpoints to spread. Most say they distrust what they see on social media. Black Americans are the most likely to be concerned about hate speech and abusive content.
• Among Americans, 71 percent say the internet does more to divide us than bring us together, and 62 percent say that elected officials pay too little attention to tech issues.

Charter Communications continued a multi-year march to double the entry-level speed available on its Spectrum Internet service, rolling out 200 Mbps service in more than three dozen new markets. The 37 markets where the faster service is now available cover more than 5 million homes and include Bakersfield (CA), Bangor (ME), Binghamton (NY), Dayton (OH), and Green Bay (WI). Charter first began upgrading its starting internet speeds in December 2020, boosting rates for around 8 million homes across 17 markets. It doubled speeds in another 17 markets covering approximately 6 million additional homes in March 2021. Including the 37 markets it just covered, Charter said starting speeds of 200 Mbps are available to nearly 95 percent of its service area. Charter SVP of Internet and Voice Products Carl Leuschner said the company  expects to complete the rollout “of 200 Mbps starting speeds across our entire service area later [in 2022].” The operator’s shift comes as consumers increasingly opt for higher speed tiers. A Charter representative confirmed the operator’s 100 Mbps tier is no longer offered in markets where the 200 Mbps upgrade has been launched. However, the representative explained the operator views its move less as a way to drop its 100 Mbps offering and more one which will allow it to offer a faster 200 Mbps service without having to add a tier to its lineup. The 200 Mbps service is being offered alongside the company’s 400 Mbps and gigabit options.

Access Now, Wikimedia Foundation, and over 35 civil society organizations called on President Joe Biden and his administration to ensure the people of Russia and Belarus are not cut off from the internet. The signatories deplore Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urge that further restricting the internet in Russia and Belarus will only accelerate violence and repression. Signatories to the letter are concerned that the US government and like-minded governments may be considering disrupting internet access in Russia and Belarus through new sanctions. Limiting internet access will hurt individuals attempting to organize in opposition to the war, report openly and honestly on events in Russia and Belarus, and access information about what is happening in Ukraine and beyond. The letter calls on the Biden Administration and like-minded governments seeking to sanction the actions of the Russian Federation and its allies to:

• Immediately authorize the provision of services, software, and hardware incident to personal communications over the internet, while providers are still considering compliance strategies, rather than waiting until after individuals in Russia are cut off from these vital services;
• Consult with civil society actors and technology companies to understand the likely ramifications of potential sanctions; 
• Ensure that sanctions are implemented in a smart and targeted manner, consistent with international human rights principles, including by providing clear guidance about how sanctions should be implemented in ways that protect human rights and humanitarian initiatives;
• Be transparent about the justifications for and impacts of sanctions, clarify how they are developed, and enable stakeholders to provide evidence on current and potential targets and measures;
• Pledge to regularly review and, if necessary, revise sanctions to ensure that they remain fit-for-purpose, in close consultation with civil society; 
• Include clearly articulated guidance about the possibility of sanctions removal and delisting, and the specific factors that will lead to the revision of sanctions; and
• Apply a similar approach to any potential sanctions on Belarus, as its role in the conflict evolves.