August 2025

Nebraska’s state broadband map—which was carefully designed and included a wealth of local input—received a major jolt with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s changes to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. The map is now inundated with industry data from unlicensed fixed wireless providers. Congress allocated $405 million to Nebraska to bring broadband internet to all unserved and underserved locations in the state.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced the appointment of Andy Hendrickson as Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology. Hendrickson will serve as the Commission’s principal technical advisor, helping to shape spectrum policy, guiding equipment authorization, and ensuring regulatory standards reflect today’s rapidly evolving communications landscape. Ira Keltz, who has served as the FCC’s Acting Chief of OET since October 2024, will resume his prior role as Deputy Chief of OET.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to launch a rulemaking for a ground-up re-examination of the national alert and warning systems, including the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. This action will explore whether fundamental changes to these systems could make them more effective, efficient, and better able to serve the public’s needs. Specifically, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will: