January 2026

Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand broadband access in Pennsylvania through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program is still on hold, after federal officials failed to meet their self-imposed December 2025 deadline to review the commonwealth’s plan for spending the money. Without federal approval, Pennsylvania cannot finalize agreements with the companies that expect to receive the money, and they cannot begin construction. The cause of the delay is unclear. Pennsylvania submitted its plan on September 4.

As we enter 2026, I think it is worth stepping back and asking not just what the Federal Communications Commission has done for consumers, but where it has been directing its energy. Too often, that energy has gone into culture-war fights instead of the day-to-day work of protecting consumers and expanding access to reliable and affordable broadband. From my perspective, the FCC has drifted from its mission in two ways that should concern this Committee. First, it has exercised its authority in ways that raise serious First Amendment concerns.

As hundreds of thousands of us prepare to walk down Martin Luther King Drive for one of the largest marches in the nation, we carry with us Dr. King’s vision of a Beloved Community. In San Antonio, DreamWeek reminds us that this dream is not just about where we walk, but how we care for one another in every space we inhabit, including digital ones. The theme for DreamWeek 2026 is “Revelations: Unlocking Our Full Potential.” As a Digital Navigator, I believe that unlocking our potential begins with feeling secure.