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  2. April 2025

April 2025

Tennessee Offers BEAD Update: 298 Applications for More Than $704 Million

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) offered an update this week on the first round of their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program applications. In total, providers requested $704,316,251.14 in funds. Tennessee was allocated about $813 million in BEAD funds. According to the update, Tennessee received 298 BEAD applications in the first round that cover 174 of the state’s 178 Project Area Units (PAUs).

Arizona and Indiana Update BEAD Progress

Arizona and Indiana have provided updates on their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Programs:

Chairman Carr touts all the ways the FCC has reduced regulation

The Federal Communications Commission is taking a victory lap for the moves it’s made thus far to cut down telecom regulations—even if they actually weren’t all deregulatory.

Chicago Public Library Foundation 2024 Report

The Chicago Public Library Foundation released its 2024 Impact Report. The report highlights the library system's work, including efforts to bridge the digital divide. Highlights include:

DOGE cuts into telecommunications industry's business

Iridium, Verizon, and Comcast are among those telecommunications companies that are warning of reduced sales to government customers due to cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Sens Cantwell, Schumer, Markey Call on FTC to Protect Consumers’ Neural Data

Sens Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Ed Markey (D-MA) called on the Federal Trade Commission to take action to protect Americans’ neural data from potential exploitation or sale, as brain-computer interface technologies rapidly advance. “These systems enable direct communication between an individual’s brain and external devices, such as computers or smartphones, by detecting and translating neural activity into commands,” the Senators wrote in a letter to FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson. “Unlike other personal data, neural data—captured directly from the human brain—can reveal m

Community Solutions to Rural Technology Gaps in Mississippi

This case study examines the digital divide in Mississippi’s Coahoma and Warren counties, where 39 percent and 25.3 percent of households, respectively, lack access to a large-screen computer. Through partnerships with the Mississippi Broadband Association, AT&T, and local organizations, Digitunity has provided residents in this area with refurbished laptop computers and connections to digital skills training and affordable internet access.

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