Chili Palmer

The Indiana Broadband Office has announced the results of the 18th round of the Indiana Connectivity Program, awarding $133,943 to connect 28 households across 15 counties. The Indiana Connectivity Program pairs unserved and underserved locations with broadband providers and awards them grants to help offset construction costs. The providers have nine months to complete their projects. Indiana Connectivity Program awards are announced every few months, and more are expected.

The end of the Affordability Connectivity Program and changes to the Digital Equity Act have made broadband bills a burden for needy families, and new solutions are needed. That’s according to a new report from Older Adults Technology Services organization within the American Association of Retired Persons, published February 26. Nearly a third of older Americans (32 percent) lacked fully wired broadband access at home, according to 2023 data, the AARP report pointed out, amounting to more than 19 million people.

Starlink is offering a new home internet plan that’s as cheap—or cheaper—than some of the most affordable plans in the U.S. The new plan offers speeds up to 100 Mbps for $40 per month, with no upfront equipment costs. Upload speeds aren’t limited, but are usually much slower on satellite and cable internet plans alike.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced changes to the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program on June 4, 2025, leaving states scrambling to gather new applications that meet updated criteria and begin their “Benefit of the Bargain” funding rounds. The new deadline for states to submit their proposals is Sept. 4, 2025. Because of the tight turnaround, most states are closing their application windows to applicants before the end of July.

AT&T has pledged to accelerate fiber deployment in one million locations as a response to the passage of H.R. 1, signed into law July 4 by President Donald Trump. AT&T’s announcement promises to invest more rapidly in infrastructure projects starting in 2026. It was sent to AT&T investors one day before the bill was signed. The law, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, renews the ability of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to auction radio spectrum, an ability that had lapsed due to gridlock in 2023.

Customers in the U.S. are paying higher prices than they did a year ago for TV and streaming bundles, according to a new report from J.D. Power. They’re also paying a little more for wired internet, whether or not they choose to bundle with other services, but are paying a little less for fixed wireless internet compared to a few months ago.

A new report from the national internet comparison site ISP Reports ranks several fiber-rich cities among the best in the nation for internet speed. Markets with local infrastructure investments and new deployments outperformed some large markets, the authors said, and “are creating competitive broadband landscapes worth further exploration.” Residents of the Salt Lake City (UT) metro area saw an increase of 282 Mbps to reach a total of 7,215 Mbps. There, 99 percent of the city has access to broadband internet speeds, with 87 percent fiber coverage and 97 percent cable coverage.

One in four Americans list “saving money” as a top 2025 New Year’s resolution, and nearly a quarter of a million people ask Google about internet costs every month. Auditing your internet bill is a simple way to start. HighSpeedInternet.com’s latest report reveals average internet costs by state and provides tools you can use to compare providers and save money.