AI is moving from a future consideration for rural broadband to a critical tool for operators in record time. This webinar unpacks the 2026 Rural Broadband State of AI study, a first-of-its-kind report drawn directly from 132 rural broadband providers on where they stand with AI adoption, what's holding them back, and where they expect the most value.
Brandy Reitter, the executive director of the Colorado Broadband Office since February 2022, stepped down after giving the agency two days’ notice. “Yes, unfortunately, OIT received Brandy’s resignation. She will be missed and we appreciate her service to the state,” Erin Jeffreys, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Information Technology, home to the broadband office, said in an email.
The Federal Communications Commission has announced it’s waiving its rules limiting foreign equity ownership to 25 percent in the Paramount-Warner Bros.
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) issued an executive order to dramatically accelerate the implementation of new third-party oversight of safety and security risks in AI systems, as well as independent audits. The executive order convenes a group of world-leading experts to provide, within two months, a guide for California to reinforce and strengthen its AI safety and security laws.
TDS Telecommunications has launched faster internet speeds for customers in Neillsville, Medford, Mosinee, and Junction City, marking the first phase of multi-year broadband upgrade projects in each central Wisconsin community. The projects are now delivering speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gig), depending on location. The high-speed data infrastructure upgrades are supported, in part, by the Federal Communications Commission’s Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model program.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) attempted to pass his AI Emergency Button Act through unanimous consent to require artificial intelligence developers to install an emergency kill switch, but an objection from Sen. Rand Paul prevented the bill from passing unanimously.
Reps Walkinshaw (D-VA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced bipartisan legislation to replace fragmented federal reporting with reliable annual data showing who Medicare telehealth is reaching, where access barriers remain, how patients are faring, and where taxpayer dollars may be at risk. The Telehealth Reporting and Transparency Act of 2026 would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report annually on telehealth utilization, patient access, available health outcomes, provider participation, and program integrity. The annual report would include:
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