Level of Government

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) came to a close at the start of June, due to a lack of funding and a failed effort in Congress to pass extended appropriations in time. But the program is not entirely dead yet. A couple of potential paths forward have reemerged in Congress.

Michigan Medicaid patients need only Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's signature to be able to pay the same rates for telehealth as they do for in-person doctor's visits. HB 4580, sponsored by Rep. Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield, has already passed the Senate and House.

On May 7, the Federal Communications Commission reclassified “broadband Internet access service” (BIAS) as a “telecommunications service” subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC under Title II of the Communications Act. The FCC determined that “the freedom to send and receive lawful content and to use and provide applications and services without fear of blocking continues to be essential to the Internet’s openness,” and expressed concern that BIAS providers may be incentivized to block edge providers’ content. Under the Open Internet rules, BIAS providers are prohibited from impairing or de

Canada has ordered large online streaming services to pay 5 percent of their Canadian revenue to the government in a program expected to raise $200 million per year to support local news and other home-grown content. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced its decision after a public comment period. The fees apply to both video and music streaming services.

State budget woes will not derail a major broadband infrastructure project in California, but cuts will be made.

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, on behalf of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is issuing this Request for Proposals for the Residential Retrofit Program to solicit applications from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or Managed Service Providers (MSPs) for fiber construction to eligible Affordable Housing Properties and in-building and in-unit installation of cabling and related equipment.

Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled application guidelines for more than $11 million in new grant programs under Empire State Development’s ConnectALL Initiative, the largest-ever investment in New York's digital infrastructure, ahead of the launch of the applications on June 17. Together, the programs—the Regional and Local Assistance Program and the Digital Equity Technical Assistance Fund—will prepare local government and nonprofit organizations to participate in upcoming broadband deployment and digital equity programs across the state.

Governor Laura Kelly announced that seven organizations will receive a combined $3.9 million in grants through the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) program. ADOPT supports the Kelly administration’s work to connect more Kansans to high-speed internet by making public Wi-Fi accessible and distributing devices in underserved areas. The program helps organizations serving Kansans move forward by ensuring that communities can access public Wi-Fi and the devices needed to participate in today’s technology-driven world. ADOPT grants were awarded to: 

By connecting more people to the internet via the Affordable Connectivity Program, the savings from reductions in the cost of Medicaid alone could result in a net gain to the government.  And that does not incorporate savings from Medicare, the Veterans Administration, and other government-funded healthcare programs.  Further, there are other savings related to other government programs.  For lower-income individuals, adopting in-home broadband increases their likelihood of employment by 14%, with 62% of those newly connected households citing the connection as having helped them or a 

The Federal Communications Commission proposed action to help protect America’s communications networks against cyberattacks by improving internet routing security. The proposal would require broadband providers to create confidential reports on the steps they have taken, and plan to undertake, to mitigate vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the technical protocol used to route information across the internet. The nation’s largest broadband providers would also be required to file specific public data on a quarterly basis demonstrating their BGP risk mitigation progress.