Jessica Dine

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration asks what to do with the $21 billion it has yet to commit, but the question it should first ask is how to ensure the $21 billion that NTIA has already committed to broadband deployment accrues benefits to the American people rather than going to unused networks that sit gathering dust. It is important to consider that the “non-deployment” funds were intended to solve a particular problem—the persistent broadband adoption gap—that simply building more networks without addressing demand will do nothing to address.

Recent advances in technology have dramatically expanded the potential for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to meet global connectivity needs. Satellites in orbit have grown tenfold over the past decade. LEO systems can now deliver faster speeds and lower latency than previous generations, enabling services ranging from broadband internet and remote backhaul to sensing networks and enterprise Internet of Things. This report by the LEO Policy Working Group highlights three salient LEO issues for policymakers to address.

A bipartisan group of 14 signatories representing 11 organizations asked Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to move forward with updating EPFD limits to boost competition in the satellite marketplace, lower costs for consumers, and strengthen American leadership in space. The groups stress that doing so will “unlock the full potential of LEO satellites both domestically and abroad.” The letter was filed in the FCC docket 25-157, “Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband.”

Policymakers’ attempts to keep up with the shifting nature and increasing importance of communications services have fallen short, and the digital divide persists between those who have up-to-date technology access and those who do not.

The federal government needs to get its broadband policy straight. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration just overhauled a major broadband infrastructure program to shift billions in funding from fiber networks to unlicensed fixed wireless, or ULFW, a high-capacity Wi-Fi connection that's transmitted over the airwaves to a location.

The federal government is pouring $42.5 billion into funding broadband infrastructure across the country so that all Americans can get online. But five months after we should have broken ground on the new broadband networks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hit reset on the entire program. The new rules he released won't bring us any closer to closing the digital divide—in fact, they'll undo years of progress toward that goal.

In early May, following months of silence and confusion, the Trump administration abruptly cancelled Digital Equity Act programs—the US’s biggest investment in providing Americans with the tools and skills they need to reap the benefits of accessing the internet.

America’s $42.5 billion investment in universal broadband internet access may be on track for a major overhaul. Three years into its meticulous planning and implementation process, and with significant progress already made, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program may pivot from prioritizing fiber to satellite connectivity.

The internet plays an essential, everyday role in the lives of Americans. Internet access—both fixed and mobile—is a critical resource that allows individuals and families to participate in work and education opportunities, receive telehealth services, access public benefits and services, communicate with loved ones, and more.  Yet affordability remains one of the primary barriers to reliable broadband access.

It’s clear we need more resiliency in our broadband policy. If nothing else, the hurricanes ravaging the U.S. Southeast have shown us that. In the last few weeks, pervasive wireless and wireline communication outages have left people that are already struggling in the wake of disaster completely cut off from resources, important news updates, and loved ones.