Sertex Broadband Solutions has been awarded a $1.58 million contract to expand Vermont’s Deerfield Valley Communications Union District (DVFiber) fiber-to-the-home network across five towns in southeastern Vermont. The expansion project includes approximately 60 miles of new fiber construction in West Brattleboro, Dummerston, Marlboro, Newfane, and Guilford (VT).
After months of regulatory pushback, Verizon finally secured California approval for its $20 billion Frontier acquisition. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted in favor of the deal. Following that ruling, Verizon announced it expects to close the transaction on January 20. New Street Policy Analyst Blair Levin said CPUC’s decision was “imminent” based on an Administrative Law Judge’s filing.
xAI announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Government of El Salvador to launch the world's first nationwide AI-powered education program. Over the next two years, xAI will deploy Grok across more than 5,000 public schools, delivering personalized learning to over one million students and empowering thousands of teachers as collaborative partners in education.
New York State reopened the Municipal Infrastructure Program (MIP) Request for Applications, making up to $36 million available to support broadband infrastructure projects across the state through ConnectALL, the state’s broadband office. MIP connects unserved and underserved communities to high-speed internet through open-access and publicly controlled broadband infrastructure.
The rapid acceleration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the education system is creating new opportunities that could transform assessments, personalize learning, and support instruction. It also raises uncertainty and concerns about policies that would impact professional development, access and equity, data privacy, and student safety.
Friday, January 16, 2026
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced the Creator Bill of Rights (H.Res.1005), a resolution supporting fairer treatment, economic security, and transparency for creators and digital workers in the modern platform-based economy. The resolution seeks to:
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