May 2025

Some good, some bad. That’s the short version of what the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) had to say about that so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” that passed the House on May 22. The House-passed reconciliation bill includes provisions that would restore the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to conduct spectrum auctions and direct the FCC to auction off 600 megahertz of spectrum within a certain timeframe.

Kinetic and Thomas County announced the completion of a nearly $13.3 million fiber optic expansion project. Kinetic, the State of Georgia, and 25 counties have partnered to invest over $354 million in Georgia broadband infrastructure development since the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law in 2021. The Thomas County project has been generously funded through a combination of more than $6.8 million from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund (SFRF), and a county match of $1.3 million.

Verizon and Cecil County Government marked the installation of roughly 93 miles of new high-speed internet in central and western Cecil County. The project extended  service to 360 previously unserved addresses at a cost about  $4.8 million. Funded jointly by Verizon ($2.45 million), a grant from the Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband ($2.1 million), and Cecil County Government ($250,000), the project finished ahead of schedule and on budge.