Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits
Most Americans see freedom of the press – protected by the First Amendment to the U.S.
September 2026
Global Mobile Suppliers Association survey finds North America led fixed wireless device shipments in 2025 (telecompetitor)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Tue, 09/15/2026 - 16:38Phones are the new cigarettes: why restaurants are discouraging and even banning them (Guardian, The)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Tue, 09/15/2026 - 16:33
50 U.S. States Broadband Speed Performance
What a difference two years makes. When we first tracked fixed broadband performance across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in 2024 using Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data, only 10 states provided the Federal Communications Commission’s minimum standard for broadband speeds (100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload) via fiber, cable, or DSL to at least 60 percent of their Speedtest users. In the first half of 2026, 46 states and D.C. hit that 60 percent threshold, and just four states fell below the mark: Wisconsin, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska.
The 2026 Bay Area AccessTECH Summit is a gathering for leaders and practitioners dedicated to digital inclusion. This event is designed for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, funders, health and workforce partners, and community stakeholders committed to bridging the digital divide.
Trump Administration Reforms Spectrum Relocation Process to Speed Up Auction Timelines
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration applauded the release of the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum-26-19, which will drastically improve the process for repurposing federal spectrum for 6G—a key initiative for NTIA as it conducts an unprecedented number of band studies to relocate federal spectrum for commercial use. OMB Memo-26-19 rescinds guidance that prevented NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission from running in parallel the wo
Starlink’s Other Network
Since nobody I know will even be using a government spy satellite, you might wonder why I am writing about Starshield, the military-grade network operated by SpaceX. I’ve been wondering lately about Starlink’s claim that it is interested in providing backhaul to cell sites and bigger broadband connections to rural businesses. This has always puzzled me because, at the local network level, a satellite network is no different than any other network.