Monday, January 26, 2026
Headlines Daily Digest
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Introducing: A People-First Chatbot Bill
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One of the more curious undertakings done by the Federal Communications Commission every year is the Urban Rate Study. This is an annual exercise to determine the highest monthly broadband rates that Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETC) can charge. This basically means regulated carriers and other internet service providers that participate in some grant or subsidy programs. At a minimum, these rate caps apply to incumbent rate-of-return telephone companies and internet service providers (ISPs) that participated in the Rural Broadband Experiment, Connect America Fund Phase II Auction, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, and Enhanced A-CAM. These rate caps will apply to any Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program winners that are certified as an ETC. These rate caps also apply to any ISP that voluntarily became an ETC in order to participate in any other subsidy program, such as the Universal Service Fund. The FCC publishes this rate near the end of each year, and by July 1 of the following year, every ETC must certify to the FCC that it doesn’t charge a rate higher than the benchmarks. The FCC determines rate caps for an interesting mix of speeds that match the minimum speed goals set over the years for different subsidy programs. The FCC samples actual rates in the market and sets the target rates by applying two standard deviations. The FCC also sets the minimum size of any rate cap, and for 2026 has raised any monthly rate caps to provide at least 800 megabytes of data as of July 2026.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to virtual health care, with patients expected to interact through portals, secure messaging, and video visits, and with providers monitoring conditions using connected devices that collect and transmit patients’ biometric data. These technologies offer health care access for underserved communities but require internet access, devices, and digital skills. All fifty states were allocated funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 to expand broadband access and support digital inclusion, ensuring device availability, affordable broadband, digital skills training, accessible applications, and technical support. But funding lapses and policy rollbacks now threaten gains that could have advanced health care access and equity. As health care moves online, universal digital access and literacy are health policy imperatives. This brief outlines pathways from digital inclusion to health care access and equity, synthesizing post-2020 evidence and offering policy solutions to sustain momentum.
With the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies in doubt and skyrocketing healthcare costs burdening millions of American households, one powerful tool of modern medicine and technology is not being talked about enough: telehealth. Harnessing the wonders of modern telecommunication technologies, we can now deliver healthcare services at a distance—virtual video visits with healthcare providers, remote monitoring of chronic health conditions, accessing online health information, plus the secure transmission of electronic health records. The promise: studies have shown telehealth can significantly reduce healthcare costs, potentially shaving tens of billions of dollars off the nation’s healthcare bill—all while improving health outcomes. The problem: it hinges on universal access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service, which tens of millions of Americans currently lack.
The Broadband Opportunity and Fairness Act (HB 382) was introduced by Delegate Kris Fair (D-MD). The Broadband Opportunity and Fairness Act requires broadband providers to offer low-cost internet service plans to eligible low-income households. The bill requires low-cost plans to be prominently featured on provider websites, and data about plans and enrollment must be provided annually to the state. The bill also creates an advisory board to define a "low-cost broadband service option" that would include members of the state government, broadband providers, and stakeholder groups.
The City of Chicago released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the new Small Business Technology Enhancement Program, an initiative aligned with the Chicago Digital Equity Plan and Cut the Tape for Small Business. Through this RFP, Chicago will award $400,000 in digital equity funding to a local digital inclusion organization to provide free technology training, coaching, and resources for under-resourced small business owners and entrepreneurs. The program will operate using a hub-and-spoke model, allowing the selected organization to sub-grant to community partners to expand impact and reach entrepreneurs across Chicago. Requests for Proposal submissions must be completed and submitted through iSupplier by February 16th, 2026 at 12:00 PM Central Time.
This week, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and the nonprofit Fairplay released model legislation for a People-First Model Chatbot Bill. The People-First Chatbot Bill intends to give lawmakers a straightforward approach to address the harms caused by artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot products developed and deployed by tech companies with little oversight or transparency. Rather than outlawing chatbots, the model bill provides a workable, clear framework to encourage the development of safer technology.
On January 20, representatives of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) met with a policy advisor to Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez to discuss a concern about Charter Communications. In a letter to the FCC, WISPA wrote, “Charter has apparently adopted an internal policy to not renew contracts for upstream wholesale services with wireless internet service providers and to not enter into any new contracts for those services with WISPs.” If this is true, small WISPs might find it challenging to connect their wireless traffic to nearby cable and fiber infrastructure owned by Charter, making it hard to backhaul their traffic to the broader internet. “In rural areas where there are no or few other options for these services, Charter’s internal policy could have the effect of cutting off internet service to the communities WISPA’s members serve or increasing costs resulting from a reduction in competition for upstream wholesale services,” wrote WISPA. The member organization also noted that the new policy could be applied more broadly following the proposed merger between Charter and Cox Communications, which is expected to close in mid-2026.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and Zoe Walker (zwalker AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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