One looming question in telecom land is what happens to President Joe Biden’s mammoth $42.45 billion internet expansion effort — known as the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program — if former President Donald Trump wins the White House in November 2024. The big-ticket broadband program is at an inflection point. While the Biden administration has signed off spending plans from most states and territories, it will be many months before any internet construction projects begin — the first groundbreaking won’t start until 2025, under the next president. And the administration’s various grant requirements have sparked partisan tussles throughout the last year, especially over the implementation of broadband affordability provisions and other requirements around climate resiliency and the use of union labor. Those squabbles have led to delayed approval in some cases, even as they stoked simmering rancor in Washington (DC). Republicans — backed in some cases by the broadband lobby — have led the charge against Biden’s BEAD requirements. And many believe a Trump administration may revisit these policy cuts.

Sen John Thune (R-SD) and several of his colleagues in sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding her "egregious mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives." In particular, the Senators criticized the delayed rollout of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, saying, "Instead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment. By imposing burdensome climate change mandates on infrastructure projects, prioritizing government-owned networks over private investment, mandating the use of unionized labor in states, and seeking to regulate broadband rates, your administration has caused unnecessary delays leaving millions of Americans unconnected."

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federally funded program providing discounted internet service to economically disadvantaged households, officially ended on June 1, 2024, due to lack of funding from Congress. With no more federal financial support, millions of households are left to reap the consequences. More than 23 million households nationwide were enrolled in ACP, with nearly one million homes in New York City. For Black residents of New York, internet access is vital for survival in a world that becomes more internet-dependent each day. Though the end of ACP leaves a significant blow to these households, the fight for equitable broadband access continues.

Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is proud to announce the start of a new Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program in Vermont. The program puts participants to work right away, allowing them to learn on the job and earn a paycheck from the start. The Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program is part of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), a Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program. VCBB is partnering with Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), TIRAP’s national sponsor, to bring the program to Vermont. It’s now officially underway with its first Vermont employer, Sertex Broadband Solutions, signing on to participate.

In the creation of its Initial Proposals Volume 1 and  Volume 2 for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding, the Missouri Office of Broadband and Development (OBD) laid out three goals. In its first goal, OBD recognizes the need for high-quality, affordable broadband for all residents in the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are over 687,000 Missouri households (28% of all households) with income less than $35,000 per year.​ Missouri's Digital Opportunity Plan further reports that cost is the primary reason why Missourians do not have broadband Internet access. Below, we take a look at how Missouri's BEAD Initial Proposals plan to ensure low-cost broadband service for all Missourians.

Richmond (VA) City Council recently adopted a resolution to declare high-speed internet a public necessity for all Richmond residents. Approximately 9.7 percent of Richmond residents do not have an internet subscription, according to the 2023 American Community Survey one-year estimates. Low-income communities are among those affected, unable to access important telehealth, education and workplace opportunities, according to City Council. Part of the Council’s vision is to have a faster, fiber network throughout the city. Broadband allows users to connect to the internet, and different services offer varying speeds. 

The United Nations Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on AI released a report, Governing AI for Humanity, calling for a new policy dialog on AI so that the UN’s 193 members can discuss risks and agree upon actions. The report asserts that while AI is transforming our world, offering tremendous potential for good, the opportunities it provides may not manifest or be distributed equitably if the technology is left ungoverned. AI, therefore, presents challenges and opportunities that require a holistic, global approach cutting transversally across political, economic, social, ethical, human rights, technical, environmental and other domains. In this interim report, the UN outlined principles that should guide the formation of new international AI governance institutions. These principles acknowledge that AI governance does not take place in a vacuum, that international law, especially international human rights law, applies in relation to AI.