Kevin Taglang
The FCC Wants to Speed Up Wireline Deployment. How Will It Impact Broadband?
On June 25, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would, for the first time, set nationwide limits on how much time state and local governments may take to approve wireline telecommunications deployments (networks delivered over physical lines such as fiber-optic, copper, or coaxial cable) in public rights-of-way and how much they may charge for that access. The proposals would reach state and local governments at every level that issue permits, right-of-way agreements, or pole attachment approvals for fiber and other wireline
NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth Provides Congress an Update on BEAD
The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened an oversight hearing focused on the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator Arielle Roth was the sole witness.
Who Stands to Lose in the Current E-Rate Debate?
On June 25, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a new proceeding that could fundamentally reshape—or potentially end—one of the federal government's primary tools for closing the digital divide. The FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the E-Rate program asks some of the most consequential questions the program has faced in its nearly 30-year history: Has E-Rate fulfilled its mission? Should eligibility be narrowed? Should funding levels change?
NTIA Opens Third Round of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration opened the third—and, given the dollars remaining, likely final—competition for funding under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
President Trump Signs Directive Reshaping How the Military and Intelligence Community Use AI
On June 5, 2026, President Donald Trump signed National Security Presidential Memorandum-11 (NSPM-11), titled Artificial Intelligence in the National Security Enterprise.
E-Rate and Children's Screen Time
On June 4, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission circulated a combined Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that could fundamentally reshape the E-Rate program—the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) program that has subsidized telecommunications and internet access for schools and libraries since 1997.
Supreme Court Backs FCC Enforcement Authority
On June 4, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in FCC v. AT&T, Inc. and Verizon Communications, Inc. v. FCC, a case that challenged the Federal Communications Commission's ability to hold telecommunications companies accountable for violating federal law. The ruling addresses a fundamental question: Can the FCC investigate a carrier, find it violated the law, and assess a penalty—all without first convening a jury trial?
Cybersecurity and Frontier Models: Inside Trump's Latest AI Executive Order
On June 2, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security. The order is primarily a cybersecurity directive that focuses on hardening federal government computer systems against AI-enabled threats, creating a voluntary framework for evaluating the most advanced AI models, and directing federal prosecutors to pursue criminals who use AI.
OMB Proposes Changes to Federal Grant Administration How Will They Impact Federal Broadband Funding?
On May 29, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget proposes to revise the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance. The proposals might be among the most consequential changes to federal grant administration in more than a decade, particularly in the breadth of its policy conditions.