As lawmakers debate funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would change the program in an effort to win more support for it and possibly improve its long-term viability. A group of senators introduced legislation that would revise eligibility criteria, among other things. The compromise is seen as necessary to win over skeptics of the program. It was added as an amendment to a larger bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. The amendment, which ultimately did not get tacked on to FAA reauthorization, would have significantly cut the cost of the ACP by tweaking its eligibility criteria. The legislation would lower the income threshold to 135 percent of the federal poverty line, down from the current threshold of 200 percent. The legislation would also eliminate the ACP’s one-time $100 discount on a device, and mandate that the Federal Communications Commission implement anti-fraud and performance measures for the program. 

On May 7, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission released a Declaratory Ruling reclassifying “broadband Internet access service” (BIAS) as a “telecommunications service” subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC under Title II of the Communications Act. It was accompanied by an Order removing BIAS from most Title II regulations and a Report and Order applying a set of Open Internet rules to BIAS providers. While mainstream press has focused on the "net neutrality" part of the order, this re-re-reclassification of broadband’s regulatory status is important for internet service providers (ISPs).  Ultimately, however, the Order is notable less for its immediate impact on ISPs than for the long-term structural change it represents. The Order applies to BIAS, defined as “a mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially all Internet endpoints." Providers of BIAS are directly affected by the Order in a variety of ways, including a forbearance of rate regulation and maintaining that BIAS does not fall under public-utility regulation.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Pennsylvania’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 will enable Pennsylvania 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.  Pennsylvania was allocated over $1.1 billion to deploy or upgrade high-speed Internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service. Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used on high-speed Internet adoption, training, and workforce development efforts, among other eligible uses. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY) and a multistate, bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general secured more than $10.22 million from AT&T Mobility and its subsidiary Cricket Wireless; T-Mobile; and Cellco Partnership and its subsidiary TracFone Wireless for deceptively marketing wireless service plans for years. A multistate investigation found that the companies made false claims in advertisements in New York and across the nation, including misrepresentations about “unlimited” data plans that were in fact limited and had reduced quality and speed after a certain limit was reached by the user. The companies will pay $520,000 to New York and are required to change their advertising to ensure that wireless service plans are accurately and fairly explained. The agreement requires the wireless service providers to pay $10,224,135 to the states and improve their advertising and marketing of their services to consumers. The wireless services providers are required to ensure that: 

• All advertisements and representations are truthful, accurate, and non-misleading; 
• “Unlimited” mobile data plans can only be marketed if there are no limits on the quantity of data allowed during a billing cycle; 
• Offers to pay for consumers to switch to a different wireless carrier must clearly disclose how much a consumer will be paid, how consumers will be paid, when consumers can expect payment, and any additional requirements consumers have to meet to get paid; 
• Offers of “free” wireless devices or services must clearly state everything a consumer must do to receive the “free” devices or services; 
• Offers to lease wireless devices must clearly state that the consumer will be entering into a lease agreement; and 
• All “savings” claims must have a reasonable basis. If a wireless carrier claims that consumers will save using its services compared to another wireless carrier, the claim must be based on similar goods or services or differences must be clearly explained to the consumer. 

The US government has provided more detail on how a former AT&T executive allegedly bribed a powerful state lawmaker's ally in order to obtain legislation favorable to AT&T's business. Former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza is set to go on trial in September 2024 after being indicted on charges of conspiracy to unlawfully influence then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D). AT&T itself agreed to pay a $23 million fine in October 2022 in connection with the alleged illegal influence campaign and said it was "committed to ensuring that this never happens again." The government said the bribery scheme resulted in passage of legislation eliminating AT&T's Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligation to provide landline phone service, and separate legislation related to small cell deployments.

The US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) began implementing an important Internet routing security measure, enhancing cybersecurity throughout the Department and completing a key priority from the National Cybersecurity Strategy. Routing security—ensuring that Internet traffic reaches its intended target—has been a concern for more than 20 years. In 2003, the White House noted that Internet routing incidents created a great risk of Internet service disruption. In the years since, agencies have worked with stakeholders to develop solutions and promote routing security. Still, in 2023, the Biden Harris Administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy identified routing security is a “pervasive concern.” That is in part because, despite being a large holder of Internet address resources, the U.S. government has a low adoption level of routing security. As a result, the National Cybersecurity Strategy called on federal agencies to implement routing security, and NTIA has helped develop a model contract for other federal agencies to use to adopt routing security.

Seventy-eight percent of American adults expect abuses of artificial intelligence systems (AIs) that will affect the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, according to a new national survey by the Elon Poll and the Imagining the Digital Future Center at Elon University. The survey finds:

• 73% of Americans believe it is “very” or “somewhat” likely AI will be used to manipulate social media to influence the outcome of the presidential election – for example, by generating information from fake accounts or bots or distorting people’s impressions of the campaign.
• 70% say it is likely the election will be affected by the use of AI to generate fake information, video and audio material.
• 62% say the election is likely to be affected by the targeted use of AI to convince some voters not to vote.
• In all, 78% say at least one of these abuses of AI will affect the election outcome. More than half think all three abuses are at least somewhat likely to occur.