Federal

Sen Cruz requests information on BEAD Program

I write to request a detailed update on the major administrative delays in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that have resulted from unlawful red tape imposed by your agency [the National Telecommunications and Information Administration]. Despite the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) three-year-old clear statutory mandate to bring the internet to the unserved, your agency has failed to connect a single American. What NTIA has done with the money so far is create a nearly billion-dollar slush fund to “administer” the program. Speci

US Considers a Rare Antitrust Move: Breaking Up Google

A bid to break up Alphabet Inc.’s Google is one of the options being considered by the Justice Department after a landmark court ruling found that the company monopolized the online search market. The move would be Washington’s first push to dismantle a company for illegal monopolization since unsuccessful efforts to break up 

Meta shutters tool used to fight disinformation, despite outcry

Meta has been bombarded by academics, researchers, politicians and regulators about a tool called CrowdTangle, which most people probably haven’t heard of. It’s been used to investigate the spread of violence, political disinformation and false narratives on Facebook and Instagram. On August 14, less than three months before the U.S.

Kamala’s tech ties: what is VP Harris’s relationship with Silicon Valley?

A recent San Francisco fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA), which raised more than $12 million, was the latest in the Harris campaign’s outreach to tech Democrats and an extension of a relationship with Silicon Valley elites that goes back more than a decade. Harris has extensive ties to some of the tech industry’s most influential players and prolific donors, in part due to her time as California’s attorney general and later,

The Connection Between Affordability and Internet Adoption in Oregon

Although broadband is widely available in Oregon, it is not universally available. Oregon and the Oregon Broadband Office (OBO) have been laying the groundwork for the delivery of affordable, reliable broadband internet to every household in Oregon.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves New York’s “Internet for All” Initial Proposal

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved New York’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.

Chairwoman Rosenworcel Calls on FCC to Inquire About Customer Service in Communications Industry

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared with her fellow commissioners a Notice of Inquiry that, if adopted, would seek information on ways to ensure that consumers have appropriate and efficient access to customer service resources when working with their phone, cable and broadband providers.

Midcoast Maine to Receive $35.6 Million for Community Broadband Projects

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) awarded two grants totaling $9,600,633 to connect 15,561 homes and businesses across Waldo and Lincoln Counties to expand access to the internet. The grants were made through MCA’s Partnerships for Enabling Middle Mile (PEMM) Program which addresses large-scale, regional broadband needs by leveraging middle-mile infrastructure. These two grants demonstrate 12 collective years of concerted community-driven broadband planning, regional collaboration, and highlight the value of public-private, regional-scale partnerships.

NTIA Tracks Historic Boost in Federal Broadband Investment

On August 7, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the third funding report showing fiscal year (FY) 2022 data reported by 13 agencies across 70 programs making investments in broadband.

Who Really Pays What for Internet Service? The Answer Is: Who Knows?

Since Congress established the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the media, government officials, and the public want to know how much funding will be available, which technologies will be deployed, and how the program will be administered. Often lost in the shuffle, however, are important steps Congress took to address long-standing challenges to equitable broadband access to ensure that funds received by state broadband offices are used to advance the BEAD program’s goals.