Legislation

The Minnesota Office of Broadband Development (OBD) received over $12 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to implement its Digital Opportunity Plan using Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funds.

The American people elected Donald Trump to be President of the United States and gave him a mandate to increase the impact of every federal taxpayer dollar. In Fiscal Year 2024, of the nearly $10 trillion that the Federal Government spent, more than $3 trillion was Federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans. Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) led 13 Senate Commerce Republicans in introducing a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that would nullify a partisan FCC order. As adopted, the Biden administration’s Wi-Fi Hotspot Order expanded the Universal Service Fund (USF) to subsidize Wi-Fi hotspots for off-campus use by schoolchildren. This partisan order, strongly opposed by then-Commissioner Brendan Carr and Commissioner Nathan 

Over the next 12 to 18 months, the vast majority of the $40 billion or in broadband deployment funding that U.S. Congress enacted in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will have been allocated to specific internet service providers (ISPs) for specific projects. Unless something goes wrong, all the roughly 6 million to 7 million BSLs targeted by the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will be included in some BEAD project. But the hardest part of the work will still lie ahead.

Spectrum announced the launch of Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to more than 3,100 homes and small businesses across McMinn and Meigs Counties (TN). Spectrum’s multi-year Rural Construction Initiative is an investment of approximately $9 billion – partly offset by over $2 billion in government support funding – that will ultimately connect approximately 1.75 million new homes and small businesses across the country.

Two Penn State faculty members recognized for their expertise in broadband and digital access helped shape an effort that secured a five-year, $11.9 million grant that aims to benefit residents of the city of Philadelphia. Christopher Ali and Sascha Meinrath both members of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, co-funded and help run the Pennsylvania Broadband Research Institute (PBRI), which is a partner in the grant.

Sens Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are announcing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is awarding $24.8 million to expand broadband and digital skills training across Maine. Awarded through the NTIA’s Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, this Maine funding will ensure communities have the access and skills to fully participate in the digital world, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Virginia has made significant progress in providing high-speed connectivity to all its households and businesses over the past decade and anticipates using $1.43 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding to reach 100 percent connectivity to all addresses in the next few years.

NaLA’s Annual Consumer Survey sheds light on life without the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Results from over 68,000 respondents, collected between November 1 and 20, 2024, highlight the critical need for the Lifeline and ACP programs to connect low-income households. This year, NaLA’s survey also included more than 30,000 personal testimonies from Lifeline and/or former ACP participants. These stories underscore the profound impact of both programs on consumers and the urgent need for continued support. Key findings include:

I would greatly appreciate having the opportunity to serve as a thought partner and sounding board as you make necessary reforms to the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) and the Broadband Equity Access Deployment (BEAD) Program. To get started on the reforms that would result in shovels in the ground quickly, I would propose the following based on our hard-won experience as the first state in the nation to achieve every major program milestone: