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  2. January 2026

January 2026

FCC Commissioner Gomez on Latest Effort to Pressure Broadcasters

Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez issued the following statement after the FCC released a misleading announcement suggesting that certain late-night and daytime programs may no longer qualify for the long-standing “bona fide news interview” exemption under the Commission’s political broadcasting rules: “Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to our political broadcasting rules. The FCC has not adopted any new regulation, interpretation, or Commission-level policy altering the long-standing news exemption or equal time framework.

Local AI regulation enters into debate over reducing barriers to wireless infrastructure

The wireless industry has long complained that high regulatory fees, strict regulations on tower placement and aesthetics, and other rules imposed by state and local governments are needlessly delaying the spread of modern infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Now, the wireless industry claims, local regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) systems could be contributing to the problem. In recent comments to the Federal Communications Commission, wireless companies and associations supported FCC proposals to speed up state and local approvals of wireless infrastructure construction.

Elon and the American Association of Colleges and Universities find 95% of college faculty fear student overreliance on AI

A new survey of college and university faculty nationwide finds widespread concern and skepticism about how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is affecting their teaching and student performance across academic disciplines. Key findings include:

Fiber Broadband Association Reports Rapid Fiber Expansion Amid Rising Labor, Materials and Permitting Costs

The Fiber Broadband Association partnered with Cartesian to research the cost of deploying fiber in communities and environments in the United States, using phone interviews, online surveys, Federal Communications Commission data, and other literature to provide context for the scale and pace of deployment. Selected highlights from the study include:

Verizon starts requiring 365 days of paid service before it will unlock phones

Verizon has started enforcing a 365-day lock period on phones purchased through its TracFone division after the Federal Communications Commission waived a requirement that Verizon unlock handsets 60 days after they are activated on its network. Verizon was previously required to unlock phones automatically after 60 days due to restrictions imposed on its spectrum licenses and merger conditions that helped Verizon obtain approval of its purchase of TracFone.

Old cell phone fears surface amid new Washington fight

The wireless industry is yet again hearing concerns about the safety of cell phones, but it’s not about their impact on mental health or the dangers of texting while driving.

Colorado Broadband Office Announces 2025 Advance Mini Grant Awards

The Colorado Broadband Office has officially announced the award recipients for the 2025 Advance Colorado Mini Grant Program. Following a surge in interest, the program saw $6.4 million in funding requests, highlighting the significant demand for localized broadband and infrastructure support. Eight grantees were selected to complete 12 projects. The grantees are:

GAO finds E-Rate Program uses best practices to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse

The Government Accountability Office identified nine requirements and leading practices to oversee and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in awards, including grants, contracts, and loans. Of the five programs reviewed, only the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) had documented procedures for all nine. The nine requirements include:

Anthropic, Google and Microsoft fight to win teachers

The next major artificial intelligence (AI) battleground is the classroom, as Google, Microsoft and Anthropic race to make their tools the chatbots of choice for teachers and students.  After early resistance, the floodgates are opening. When students began using ChatGPT for homework in late 2022, chatbots were widely seen as cheating tools to be banned or blocked.

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