Press Release

After a Supreme Court stacked with Trump-appointed justices overturned the 40-year-old Chevron deference doctrine, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Stop Corporate Capture Act (SCCA). The SCCA codifies the Chevron doctrine and strengthens the rulemaking process to block corporations from hijacking our government. The legislation would:

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced that $10 million has been awarded to 12 internet service providers (ISPs) in the latest round of Broadband Acceleration Grants. The awards will be paired with an additional $12.7 million in matching funds, resulting in an investment of nearly $22.7 million for high-speed broadband access projects across 14 rural Kansas counties. Initiated in 2020, the Broadband Acceleration Grant is a 10-year, $85 million program designed to bring essential internet access to Kansas communities.

Imagine transforming your community’s lighting grid into a high-bandwidth communication network, extending coverage, and enhancing connectivity across neighborhoods and business parks. The Brightening Connected Communities with Innovation Pilot Project will identify and test a mix of community partners. Selected projects will demonstrate novel use cases of Signify’s BrightSites technology to increase connectivity and help solve public safety, public connectivity, and transportation challenges.

Verizon reported second-quarter 2024 results today with strong wireless service revenue, broadband subscriber growth, and continued momentum in its three financial priorities of wireless service revenue, consolidated adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. The company remains on track to achieve its full-year 2024 financial guidance. Highlights from quarter two include:

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded more than $20.5 million to Michigan to implement their Digital Equity Plan.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Connecticut’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Connecticut to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. The BEAD program is a $42.45 billion state grant program authorized by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Francisco Cigarroa, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Ford Foundation, announced that president Darren Walker has shared his plans to step down from the foundation by the end of 2025. The Ford Foundation Board of Trustees will oversee the presidential leadership transition process.

The Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network sent a letter following concerns that Meta's ‘pay or consent' model might breach European Union consumer law. The European Commission coordinated this action which is led by the French Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention.

Tillman Fiber, a leading developer of open-access fiber infrastructure, announced the successful closing of $815 million in committed debt financing. The financing will support the deployment of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks throughout Florida, with the new credit facility providing for up to $200 million of additional term loans. This significant capital infusion comes on the heels of Tillman Fiber's Florida expansion and will enable the rapid deployment of high-speed and reliable fiber infrastructure across the state. 

The Federal Communications Commission voted to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades. Under the new rules, the cost of a 15-minute phone call will drop to $0.90 from as much as $11.35 in large jails and, in small jails, to $1.35 from $12.10. The new rules also, for the first time, address the exorbitant cost of video visitation calls, dropping those prices to less than a quarter of current prices and requiring per-minute rate options based on consumers’ actual usage.