Federal

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award an application from California, allowing the state to request access to more than $70 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The state will use the funding to implement key digital equity initiatives.

California: $70,226,453

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award applications from Georgia and Indiana, allowing them to request access to more than $37 million to implement their Digital Equity Plans. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The states will use the funding to implement key digital equity initiatives.

Georgia: $22,455,639

Analysts expect the U.S.

In this Order, the Federal Communications Commission adopts the final eligible services list for funding year 2025 for the schools and libraries universal service support program (more commonly referred to as the E-Rate program). The FCC also releases the final eligible services list for funding year 2025 and authorize the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to open the annual FCC Form 471 application filing window no earlier than 60 days after the release of this Order.

The Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission has entered into a Consent Decree to resolve its investigations into whether AT&T violated the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) rules. To settle these matters, AT&T agrees to a total settlement value of $2,299,990 to fully resolve the FCC’s investigations, which includes (i) a civil penalty of $1,921,068, and (ii) repayment to the United States Treasury in the amount of $378,922.

Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) Executive Director Brandon Carson announced the approval of $45 million in Multi-Purpose Community Facilities grant funding to 49 projects in 26 counties across Pennsylvania. This funding will support key projects in local communities and help connect Pennsylvanians to the internet at places like a primary care health center in Allegheny County, affordable housing in Delaware County, and a public library in Northumberland County.

The United States White House issued a memorandum providing further direction on appropriately harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) models and AI-enabled technologies in the United States Government, especially in the context of national security systems (NSS), while protecting human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, and safety in AI-enabled national security activities.

Dealing with customer service should be easy. But all too often consumers of communications services cannot get help without navigating a complex maze of chatbots and other automated tools, experiencing delays that leave them exhausted and no closer to resolving their problem. Consumers can even be deterred from or delay switching services, which in turn harms the marketplace.

Elon Musk’s fast-growing satellite business Starlink could be poised to gain billions of dollars more in federal contracts and subsidies under a Donald Trump presidency, industry experts say, in a reflection of the world’s richest individual’s deepening financial stake in Washington politics. Trump has cast himself as a space patron, pledging to unleash funds for national-security installations in orbit and slash red tape for Musk.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted new rules to bolster the Commission's coordinated nationwide approach to the 4.9 GHz spectrum band through a nationwide band manager framework. "To ensure that the 4.9 GHz band is put to more robust use nationwide in the near term—the 4.9 GHz Band Manager, once selected, will be eligible to apply for a nationwide overlay license and authorized to enter into a sharing agreement with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet).