Press Release

Governor Whitmer Launches Statewide Initiative to Increase Affordable Connectivity Program Adoption

Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) and the Michigan High Speed Internet Office kicked-off a statewide Michigan Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Act Now initiative to increase awareness of the ACP, a $14.2 billion federal broadband benefit funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), that will connect more Michiganders to the long-term benefit that helps lower-income families pay for high-speed internet. The Michigan ACP Act Now initiative will unite a broad coalition of partner cities, community-based organizations and trusted institutions in partnership with EducationSup

Building a “No Regrets” Fiber Network

As broadband needs continue to increase, service providers want to build a “No Regrets” fiber network capable of operating for decades and easily upgradable as user needs increase and technology evolves.

Nebraska Farm Bureau Working with SpaceX’s Starlink To Expand Broadband Coverage in Nebraska

Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) understands that access to high-speed, high-quality broadband service is essential to Nebraska’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. This is why the Nebraska Farm Bureau is excited to work with SpaceX’s Starlink, to better fulfill the broadband needs of all Nebraskans. This will provide Farm Bureau members with two months of free service, a nearly $200 value when subscribing to Starlink for high-speed broadband internet service in remote and rural areas in Nebraska.

One Year In: Treasury Department’s Capital Projects Fund Connecting Nearly Two Million Families and Businesses

One year after announcing the first awards under the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF) in 2022, the US Department of the Treasury has awarded approximately $6.7 billion for broadband, digital technology, and multi-purpose community center projects in 42 states, which those states estimate will reach more than 1.88 million businesses, homes and other locations. These ARPA dollars are working in tandem with the In

2023 5G Challenge Update: All Nine Contestant Subsystems Pass Stage Two Wrap-around Emulation Testing

The 2023 5G Challenge is offering a $7 million prize pool for participants who successfully integrate their radio access network (RAN) subsystems with multiple other RAN participant subsystems and outperform their peers. Teams have progressed in testing since starting the challenge in late March. After the first nine weeks of host lab testing, the initial nine contestants have passed Stage Two wrap-around emulation testing. The following RU contestants passed Stage Two testing:

Three Takeaways from Version 2 of the FCC’s National Broadband Map

The Federal Communications Commission released Version 2 of the National Broadband Map. Three key takeaways from the latest data: 

House Oversight Committee Chairman Comer Probes Federal Trade Commission Chair Khan’s Abuses of Power

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) is opening an investigation into Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan. FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson recently resigned from her role after concerns about the integrity of the FTC under Chair Khan’s leadership, citing abuses of power and disregard for the rule of law and federal ethics standards.

Sen. Luján Introduces Legislation to Increase Multilingual Content Moderation Enforcement and Transparency

Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) led Sens Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to introduce the Language-Inclusive Support and Transparency for Online Services (LISTOS) Act to improve multilingual large language models, automated decision-making systems, and content moderation practices online to better protect non-English speaking communities. The LISTOS Act requires online platforms to consistently communicate and enforce their policies across languages and transparently report on the processes used to enforce policies.

Governor Ron DeSantis Awards $60 Million to 22 Projects Through the Broadband Opportunity Program

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced $60 million in awards through the Broadband Opportunity Program to expand broadband Internet access in Florida’s unserved communities. These awards will support 22 projects in 19 Florida counties for broadband Internet expansion that will impact nearly 58,000 unserved residential, educational, agricultural, business and community locations. Including today’s awards, more than $226 million has been awarded to expand broadband Internet access across the state, helping to connect more than 250,000 homes and businesses.

FCC To Commit Over $15 Million for Emergency Connectivity Funding

The Federal Communications Commission committed over $15 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country.