May 2025

DOGE & Disability Rights: Three Key Tech Policy Concerns

Three months into the Trump administration, the Department of Government Efficiency has wreaked havoc on the United States federal government and on many individuals who rely on government services.

Federal Government Terminates $35 Million of Funding to Provide Digital Skills and Online Safety for Rural Mainers, Small Businesses, Veterans and Low-Income Residents

The Maine Connectivity Authority, the agency leading the statewide expansion of broadband and digital opportunity in Maine, has received a notification from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that as of Friday, May 9, it has terminated three grants totaling $35 million in funding for Maine. These grants funded programs to improve digital skills, provide internet safety education and ensure people have affordable devices.

Biggest Nevada BEAD Awardee is Commerce’s Latest Pen Pal

The latest stakeholder to send a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is Sky Fiber Internet, the largest Nevada Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment awardee in the rural broadband funding program. In the letter, the company urged Lutnick to expedite contract finalization and issue guidance so construction can begin. “Delays not only risk higher costs and lost labor but also erode public confidence in what is arguably the most ambitious and promising broadband investment in our nation’s history,” said Sky Fiber Internet CEO Garry Gomes in the letter.

40 years ago, the FCC opened the 2.4 GHz spectrum and it kickstarted an invisible, wireless revolution

In 1998, a handful of companies focused on wire replacement for mobile voice and data came together to form the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, an entity that would grow to include tens of thousands of members who would spend the next two and a half decades working to create a better world through connection. Fifteen years before Bluetooth technology began helping to create a healthier, smarter, more productive, and more sustainable world, the Federal Communications Commission approved the use of unlicensed spectrum in the 2.4 GHz band, laying the foundation for 

It’s Time For Trump To DOGE The FCC

President Trump’s vision for restoring constitutional government is finally taking shape, and nowhere is that more urgently needed than at the Federal Communications Commission. With the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency, the federal bureaucracy has been put on notice: bloat, redundancy, and mission creep are no longer acceptable. Agencies must operate within clear constitutional boundaries and serve the public interest, not their own expansion. The FCC is a prime candidate for DOGE-style reform.

GoNetspeed Tells Us How Pole Attachment Changes Could Streamline $250M Fiber Investment

GoNetspeed hopes that a change in Massachusetts pole attachment rules will enable the company to complete its planned $250 million fiber build in the state more quickly. As Jamie Hoare, GoNetspeed's Chief Legal Counsel, explained, Massachusetts is one of multiple states where communications network operators are not bound by Federal Communications Commission One-Touch-Make-Ready rules. Instead, the state sets its own pole attachment rules.

Sponsor 

Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

Date 
Wed, 06/11/2025 - 12:00 to 13:00

Chatbots and virtual agents are no longer just productivity tools—they’re becoming confidants, life coaches, and even therapists. An emerging category of AI companions—digital personas designed to engage with humans via text, voice, or virtual reality—can provide emotional support, companionship, and personalized interactions.



Sponsor 

Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

Date 
Mon, 05/19/2025 - 14:00 to 15:00

U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema has issued her ruling in the landmark DOJ v. Google ad tech case. In a much-anticipated decision, she found that Google monopolized both the ad exchange market and the ad server market—representing the DOJ’s second major antitrust win against Google in less than a year.