Adoption

In 2021, New York passed the Affordable Broadband Act (ABA), requiring internet providers to offer high-speed broadband to lower-income households for as little as $15 per month.

All across the country, a group of connectivity experts teaches locals, old and young, about the benefits of getting online. These workers, called Digital Navigators, link people in the community with the resources and opportunities they don't know exist, like arranging online health appointments, applying for jobs, doing homework and making their businesses visible on the internet.

On March 27, 2025, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing to consider the confirmation of Arielle Roth, President Donald Trump's nominee for Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. If confirmed as the Assistant Secretary and head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Roth would oversee $48.2 billion in broadband infrastructure and adoption funding Congress allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) shared a couple of important updates about the Digital Access for All Idahoans (DAAI) Plan. The ICfL did not receive full spending authority from the Idaho Legislature for the federally funded DAAI Plan in the upcoming fiscal year. This impacts the scope of projects and opportunities tied to the plan. Notably, the ICfL will not be allowed to open another round of monetary subgrants in fiscal year 2026. The ICfL does anticipate being able to award the initial round of subgrants that opened in fall 2024.

Comcast aims to give its broadband acquisition efforts a shot in the arm with a new five-year price lock that features a few bells and whistles, including unlimited data. It marks the first time the cable operator has offered such a multi-year price guarantee.

Millions of Black Americans have been impacted by the digital divide, the gulf between people who have access to any internet at all and those who don't.

Cable operators still have a long road ahead in turning the corner on their subscriber slump, according to New Street Research, as the future of household growth looks bleak. Unsurprisingly, the Trump administration’s crackdown on U.S. immigration calls for slower population growth.

This week, the Senate Commerce Committee––chaired by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)––held a confirmation hearing for Olivia Trusty, President Trump’s nominee to be a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission. If (when really) Trusty is confirmed, she would join FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington to give Chairman Brendan Carr a working majority at the Commission. Trusty committed to the following actions if confirmed:

“Technology isn’t just about computers—it’s about creating access to jobs, education, healthcare, and staying connected with family,” says Joe Hillaire, the lead Digital Navigator for Lummi Nation, a Tribal land located along coastal northern Washington state. Joe is helping the Lummi Indian Business Council (LIBC) build a Digital Navigator program by providing skills training and facilitating access to digital tools for residents of the Lummi Reservation. The Lummi people have deep ties to th

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society launched four new research projects to examine a variety of barriers to building and using broadband. Since the passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, states have been working to achieve universal internet access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and the Digital Equity Act (DEA) programs.