Gov Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced that $6.7 million has been awarded to five Internet Service Providers through the latest round of the Broadband Acceleration Grant program.
Broadband news digest for January 9, 2026
Every unserved or underserved residential and business location in New Mexico now has an enforceable commitment or provisional award to obtain a broadband connection. This milestone was made possible by a patchwork of state and federal funding efforts and program development.
Friday, January 9, 2026
Louisiana has taken another major step toward statewide high-speed internet access, becoming the first state in the country to sign Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant agreements with internet service providers. The first BEAD grant agreements in Louisiana include 39,853 locations to be built by national and local providers. These agreements build on Louisiana’s ongoing progress in expanding broadband access across the state.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the January Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2026:
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the FCC will vote on an Order to enhance unlicensed use in the 6 Gigahertz (GHz) band. Specifically, the FCC will vote to create a new category of unlicensed devices—GVP devices—that can operate outdoors and at higher power than previously authorized devices. The FCC’s action on 6 GHz promises more innovations and consumer benefits for years to come, driving growth in wireless, internet of things (IoT), and related industries.
The Federal Communications Commission announced a settlement agreement with satellite and earth-station operator Marlink for violating the terms of national security and law enforcement commitments made to the U.S. government. As the FCC often does with licenses, the FCC conditioned Marlink’s license on compliance with the terms of a mitigation agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of an interagency committee known informally as “Team Telecom.” Marlink violated those terms by allowing foreign employees to access U.S.
The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program is inching closer to execution with 42 states now approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). But once the money finally rolls out, public accountability will be critical to ensure the work gets done on time, said Kathryn de Wit, director of Pew Charitable Trusts’ Broadband Access Initiative.
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