Grace Tepper

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved updates to its pole attachment rules aimed at accelerating broadband deployment. I’m about to lose you as I write the next two words—pole attachments—but, if you’ll kindly unglaze your eyes, this is a crucial issue in efforts to ensure broadband networks reach everyone in the U.S.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly pervasive and is assuming a new role for teenagers in the U.S.––that of a social companion. AI companions, digital friends or characters that you can text or talk with whenever you want, are being used more and more by young people nationwide. Unlike regular AI assistants that mainly answer questions or do tasks, AI companions are designed to have conversations that feel personal and meaningful. Common Sense Media examines how U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 currently use AI companions.

This week, the House of Representatives passed nine communications and technology bills;  the legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate. These bills encompass a wide range of broadband-related policy aims, primarily focusing on consumer safety, cybersecurity, and wireless innovation. We're looking at how they can impact broadband consumers if they eventually become law.

For the LGBTQ+ community, digital spaces can prove both empowering and fraught with challenges. Technology acts as a catalyst for community building, economic opportunities, self-expression, and advocacy, while simultaneously posing risks of online discrimination, privacy concerns, and disparities in access. These dual realities define the stakes examined in LGBT Tech's new report, Beyond Binary: LGBTQ+ Rights in the Digital Landscape.

On Independence Day, President Donald Trump signed into law "The One, Big Beautiful Bill," revising the federal budget to fit the priorities of his administration. The legislation has made headlines for redirecting funding to military operations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and away from Medicaid and other social programs.

Most of us were watching the "Big, Beautiful Bill" get passed this week, which for the broadband world means the renewal of the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority.

When President Donald Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the first day of his second term, he launched an initiative to reduce federal grants, contracts, and programs across Federal government agencies. As of June 3, 2025, DOGE was estimating $180 billion in "savings" as a result of these reductions. This estimate includes funding for national broadband and digital equity efforts that have been cut entirely or significantly revamped in the last two months alone.

Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become ever more clear that all U.S. residents need accessible healthcare. For those who may not have broadband access at home or who struggle to navigate the increasingly complex digital tools used by our healthcare system, that accessibility becomes even more challenging.

The broadband industry has been reeling since the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released new rules for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program on June 6. Now, state broadband offices are scrambling to redo their subgrant programs in 90 days––right when many were poised to begin making their BEAD awards.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is here and cementing its place in our communications networks faster than any other developing technology.