Federal Agency

The Federal Communications Commission's Office of Managing Director (OMD) announces that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the second quarter of 2025 will be 0.366 or 36.6 percent. Contributions to the federal universal service support mechanisms are determined using a quarterly contribution factor calculated by the FCC. The FCC calculates the quarterly contribution factor based on the ratio of total projected quarterly costs of the universal service support mechanisms to contributors’ total projected collected end-user interstate and international telecommunications re

It was initially viewed as a "once in a lifetime" funding effort, a moonshot geared toward connecting all Americans to the Internet after the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the extent of the digital divide in the US.

Conexon Connect, the internet service provider formed by rural fiber broadband leader Conexon, continues to extend access to high-speed internet across rural America.

The broadband industry is constantly evolving. New developments in internet connectivity, from Li-Fi to 5G internet, have changed how we get online over the years.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr established a new Council for National Security within the FCC. The Council will leverage the full range of the FCC’s regulatory, investigatory, and enforcement authorities to promote America’s national security and counter foreign adversaries, particularly the threats posed by the People’s Republic of China and Chinese Communist Party. Chairman Carr also named his National Security Counsel, Adam Chan, as the first Director of the FCC’s Council on National Security. The Council will have a 3-part goal:

When Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr issued his big deregulation announcement, I have to admit I chortled a little bit at my desk. The irony of the announcement just tickled my funny bone. At a certain point, there’s nothing else to do but laugh.

Over Valentine's Day weekend 2025, parts of Appalachia, many still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene just 5 months earlier, were battered by another round of heavy rain and flooding.

The future of America’s broadband is at a crossroads. Commerce Secretary Lutnick recently stated that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is in “dire need of a readjustment.” With his call for a “tech-neutral” approach, all signs point to a shift away from fiber and towards satellite.

The next phase of Elon Musk’s plan to entangle his companies with the workings of the federal government is well underway. That entails not only President Donald Trump’s photo op with a Tesla in front of the White House but also, surprisingly, the future of your internet connection.

As a Marjorie and Charles Benton Opportunity Fund Fellow, I have been reviewing state digital equity plans, 5-Year Action Plans, Initial Proposals, and Final Proposals with the goal of understanding how states are working with Tribes on addressing broadband needs. A wise Oneida advisor of mine once shared that in order to properly engage with Indigenous communities, you must practice the three Rs: respect, relationship, and reciprocity. When it comes to the work on Tribal broadband in the U.S., these three essential practices can mean the success or failure of the landmark investm