Federal Agency

Under the Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s leadership, the Department of Commerce took a new approach to economic policy to turn the agency into an engine of innovation and growth. With transformational investments to enhance U.S. competitiveness, Secretary Raimondo worked to unite the Department’s bureaus and economic tools to ensure the United States can meet the challenges of the 21^st century and lead for decades to come. Some highlights from the Department of Commerce under Secretary Raimondo:

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has recommended for award more than $369 million to 41 organizations to support digital skills and inclusion projects in communities across the country. These investments will empower individuals and communities across the nation with the essential skills they need to thrive in today’s connected world.

Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), the public agency leading the statewide expansion of broadband and digital equity in Maine, announces the opening of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Project Application, where applicants will submit bids to provide high-speed, reliable internet to locations still struggling with slow or unreliable service, or no internet connection at all. Maine was allocated $272 million in federal funding from the BEAD Program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Operators in New York state now have to abide by a new law requiring them to offer a broadband option for $15 per month, whether they like it or not (and many of them don’t). However, the war for broadband access rages on, and the state’s decision doesn’t make matters any less complicated. Originally passed in 2021, the New York law states internet service providers must offer low-income households a 25 Mbps internet plan for no more than $15 per month (or $20/month if it’s a 200-meg plan).

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Nevada’s Final Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative to connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service. Nevada’s Final Proposal outlines its plan for using the more than $416 million in allocated BEAD funding to connect 43,715 households and businesses.

In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC seeks to unlock the full potential of broadband in the 896–901/935–940 MHz band (900 MHz band) by proposing a framework that will enable increased broadband deployment on all ten megahertz of the band’s spectrum while also maintaining the option of narrowband operations to meet the needs of incumbents in the band.

Following recent reports involving an intrusion by foreign actors into U.S.

The Federal Communications Commission selected 707 participants for the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program, including 645 schools and districts, 50 libraries, and 12 consortia. Participants in the three-year pilot program will receive support to defray the costs of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment and provide the FCC with data to better understand whether and how universal service funds could be used to improve school and library defenses against increasing cyberattacks.

Republican Senate aide Olivia Trusty has been picked as a commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission, President-elect Trump announced on Truth Social. Trusty currently serves as a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Before that, she was policy director for the Senate Commerce Committee, where "she has fought tirelessly to grow the Economy, empower Innovation, and reignite the American Dream," said Trump. Trusty has staffed Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH).

On January 13, 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced its approval of Louisiana’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal. Delaware’s approval followed the next day. With those two landmarks, coming as the fourth year since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) begins to elapse, the BEAD program is at last beginning to bear fruit.