The State of the Broadband Dream

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released "State of the Dream 2026: From Regression to Signs of a Black Recession," a continuation of a series of reports exploring the ways that policies and practices in the United States are structured to consistently disadvantage Black and Latino workers and families. In its 2026 edition, the Joint Center finds that the Trump Administration’s policy changes in 2025 undermine the structural supports designed to broaden broadband access and adoption and could reduce the number of Black households with internet access. At the same time, President Trump shifted away from precautionary artificial intelligence (AI) regulation toward a more deregulatory posture. The rescission marks a sharp departure from the prior focus on civil rights, transparency, and safety in federal AI policy. We look at the Joint Center's findings on broadband, AI, and the impacts of policy on Black communities.