Senate Commerce Committee  Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) asked New Street Research Policy Advisor and Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Blair Levin to clarify remarks Levin made about the negative impact the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will have on the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Levin answered saying that BEAD does not fund the cost of deployment broadband to an unserved or underserved area; rather it funds the difference between the cost of deployment and what a provider would be willing to invest to serve that area. ACP increases the revenue for any such area, those closing the gap described above and decreasing the amount of BEAD funding necessary for that specific area, making the funds available for other areas. The consulting group BCG found that ACP reduces the amount needed to incentivize ISP investment by about 25% per location or $500. A conservative projection indicates that the number of locations that will miss out on the opportunity to obtain fiber due to the end of the ACP program will be at least 47,705, though the actual number is likely to be larger. "The bottom line is that while there can be some uncertainty about the number of homes that will lose out on fiber if ACP, there can be no uncertainty that tens of thousands of underserved Texas locations will be forced to connect with a wireless or satellite provider, instead of fiber, due to the end of the ACP program."

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) seeks comment on the petition of EMPOWER Broadband (EMPOWER) to expand its Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) designated service area in Virginia.  EMPOWER seeks to expand its ETC designated service area to become eligible to receive Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II Auction (Auction 903) support associated with certain census blocks (constituting complete census block groups (CGBs)) in Virginia, a subpart of an original CAF II support award authorized to RiverStreet Communications of Virginia.  In connection with this ETC petition, EMPOWER and RiverStreet have sought WCB’s approval of a section 214 authorization transfer application to assign this support in addition to all rights, obligations, and conditions associated with the receipt of this support, which remains pending. Accordingly, the expansion of EMPOWER’s ETC designated service area to include the Assigned CGBs will be conditioned upon approval of the 214 Transfer Application.  EMPOWER also seeks to expand its designation to include additional areas that are not eligible for high cost support but for which it intends to seek Lifeline support, which the FCC will evaluate separately from the general ETC designation request to become eligible to receive support for areas where it may be authorized to receive high cost support.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Department of the Navy (DON) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have successfully collaborated to expand the unencumbered service area of a critical swath of shared mid-band spectrum. Modifications to the aggregate interference model used in the 3.5 GHz band would allow the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, or CBRS, to provide uninterrupted access to mid-band spectrum that supports wireless Internet and other services to approximately 72 million more people. After careful coordination with the DON and the FCC, NTIA formally submitted a request to change the aggregate interference model in a letter to the FCC on Tuesday. The FCC issued a Public Notice to endorse the changes and to invite Spectrum Access System administrators to submit demonstrations of their ability to implement the modified protection criteria.

Sens Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS)  introduced the bipartisan Small Business Artificial Intelligence Training and Toolkit Act of 2024 that would authorize the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to work with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to create and distribute artificial intelligence (AI) training resources and tools to help small businesses leverage AI in their operations. The Small Business Artificial Intelligence Training and Toolkit Act of 2024:

• Develops AI training resources and toolkits for small businesses, led by the DOC, in coordination with the SBA.
• Includes new trainings on how to use AI or emerging technologies to improve financial management and accounting, business planning and operations, marketing, supply chain management, government contracting and exporting. It also directs specific AI training for small businesses in rural and tribal communities, and small businesses involved in advanced manufacturing.
• Provides new DOC AI training resources to small businesses through SBA resource partners, including Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, SCORE, Veteran Business Opportunity Centers and the Apex Accelerator.
• Authorizes the DOC Secretary to create a grant program for organizations providing AI trainings developed under this bill. It allows gift authority to use private sector and philanthropic donations to support these grants, with at least 25 percent of any grant funds going toward small businesses located rural or underserved communities.
• Requires the Secretary of Commerce to update AI training materials and toolkits at least every two years.
• Requires biannual reporting to Congress on the impact of AI training and toolkits developed and distributed under this bill.