Over Valentine's Day weekend 2025, parts of Appalachia, many still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene just 5 months earlier, were battered by another round of heavy rain and flooding. Particularly hard hit was Eastern Kentucky, which received approximately 9 inches of rain over the weekend, leading to widespread flash flooding. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, more than 1,000 people had to be rescued, and more than 300 roads were closed. On February 24, President Donald Trump granted a Major Disaster Declaration for ten counties in Eastern Kentucky (Breathitt, Clay, Harlan, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry and Pike). Here's a look at the storm's impact on telecommunications in Eastern Kentucky and what that might mean for broadband network builds in the coming years.

The Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) Program, which announced a second round of broadband grants for $701.9 million earlier in 2025, has updated its list of grantees to include seven new awards. The awards now cover more than 76,000 locations in Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Carson, Coleman, Colorado, Edwards, Falls, Fannin, Irion, Karnes, Kenedy, Liberty, Marion, Morris, Newton, Reagan, Roberts, Throckmorton, and Trinity counties. Fiber technology is preferred, though several counties’ projects are hybrid projects. Broadband grants given to Texas providers using fiber commit to providing 1 Gbps symmetrical service and unbundled, low-cost options for subscribers. 

1. 4IP Technology and Media, LLC (Burleson County): $36,369,183 for 5,147 locations (fiber)
2. 360 Broadband, LLC (Fannin County): $52,185,660 for 4,355 locations (fiber)
3. AMA Communications, LLC (Roberts County): $13,563,589 for 268 locations (fiber)
4. Grande Communications Networks LLC (Caldwell County): $19,627,199 for 6,017 locations (fiber)
5. Lyte Fiber, LLC (Marion County): $14,456,693 for 2,253 locations (fiber)
6. Resound Networks (Colorado County): $12,312,461 for 3,787 locations (hybrid)
7. Riviera Telephone Company, Inc. (Kenedy County): $6,935,089 for 234 locations (hybrid)

For over 35 years, the Center for Changing Lives (CCL) has worked to connect Chicagoans to financial services that will, well, change their lives. CCL operates in four main categories of work: 1) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counseling and financial coaching, 2) employment coaching and digital literacy, 3) resource development coaching, and 4) small business coaching. A financial opportunity center, CCL partners with those held back by lack of resources and economic opportunity to uncover possibilities, overcome barriers, and realize their potential. “We're looking at a number of different things in tandem,” says Julio Pensamiento, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Team Lead for Resource Development & Outreach at CCL. “We're looking at a person's financial situation, their housing situation, their employment status, and also what resources they have available to them.” The bilingual, bicultural nonprofit has a decades-long commitment to uplifting the residents of Chicago’s West Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Avondale, and Belmont Cragin neighborhoods. CCL knows that the solutions to community members' problems look different for every person who walks through the door. This adaptability and commitment to care spurred CCL to get involved in digital equity work as it has always been a part of its mission of building a community where everyone thrives.

When Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr issued his big deregulation announcement, I have to admit I chortled a little bit at my desk. The irony of the announcement just tickled my funny bone. At a certain point, there’s nothing else to do but laugh. For someone apparently dedicated to “alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens” and appointed by an administration focused on eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, Chairman Carr sure seems content to shamelessly waste FCC resources investigating the efforts of private companies like Comcast and Verizon to diversify their workforces. The idea that such a crusade is wasteful isn’t even my opinion. It’s a statement based in fact. 

The Consortium for School Networking is alarmed by the Administration’s decision to eliminate the staff of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology and significantly reduce cybersecurity services that protect K-12 schools. These actions threaten the progress of digital learning, widen inequities in student access to technology and expose school districts to increased cybersecurity risks. Educators across the country rely on the federal government’s technical assistance and guidance to navigate the opportunities and challenges of educational technology. The absence of OET will have real consequences, particularly for school districts working to implement responsible AI strategies, address digital equity gaps and ensure students can learn safely online. Resources like the National Educational Technology Plan and recent AI guidance risk becoming outdated and unavailable, leaving schools without critical support. In addition to these cuts, the Administration’s decision to shrink the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and eliminate funding for services like the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center will leave schools more vulnerable to cyber threats.