Daily Digest 2/3/2025 (Francis Thomas Vincent Jr)

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Table of Contents

State/Local Initiatives

California Public Utilities Commission Continues to Help Close Digital Divide Through Broadband Grants Across California  |  Read below  |  Press Release  |  California Public Utilities Commission
Benton Foundation
ConnectingALL with Digital Equity Capacity Grant in New York  |  Read below  |  Grace Tepper  |  Analysis  |  Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Conexon Connect expands footprint across rural Florida, delivering broadband access to 14,000 homes and businesses throughout Big Bend region  |  Read below  |  Press Release  |  Conexon
Surf Internet and ChoiceLight Partner to Connect South Bend Schools with High-Speed Fiber Network  |  Read below  |  Press Release  |  Surf Internet
Spectrum Launches Gigabit Broadband, Mobile, TV and Voice Services in McNairy County (TN)  |  Charter Communications
Washington State Reassures Partners After Federal Funding Pause, Restart  |  telecompetitor

Platforms/AI

Elon Musk's X sues Lego, Nestlé and more brands, accusing them of advertising boycott  |  National Public Radio
What Will A.I. Do for the Economy?  |  Bloomberg

Government & Communications

How federal agencies have already changed their websites under President Trump  |  Washington Post
FCC Asks CBS News to Turn Over Full, Unedited Transcript and Camera Feeds of Kamala Harris ’60 Minutes’ Interview  |  Wrap, The
Commissioner Gomez Statement on FCC Weaponization Against CBS  |  Federal Communications Commission
CBS News Set to Hand Over Transcript of ‘60 Minutes’ Interview to F.C.C.  |  New York Times
Trump Administration to Remove NY Times, NBC, NPR and Politico From Pentagon Office Space  |  New York Times
Federal Workers Ordered to Remove Gender Identity From Email Signatures  |  New York Times
Gov Abbott (R-TX) bans DeepSeek, RedNote and other Chinese-backed AI platforms on government-issued devices  |  Austin American-Statesman

Security

Alarmed by Chinese hacks, Republicans mute attacks on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency  |  Washington Post

Labor

Trump’s DEI purge targets federal workers who did not work in DEI  |  Washington Post

Elections & Media

Elon Musk donated $288 million in 2024 election, final tally shows  |  Washington Post

Agenda

Fact Sheet: President Trump Launches Massive 10-to-1 Deregulation Initiative  |  White House

Policymakers

Commissioner Simington Announces Staff Changes  |  Read below  |  Press Release  |  Federal Communications Commission
President Trump and the incredible shrinking Congress  |  Washington Post
Meet the Trump Budget Hawk Partnering With Musk’s DOGE  |  Wall Street Journal
Elon Musk’s Doge team granted ‘full access’ to federal payment system  |  Guardian, The
Musk Moves With Lightning Speed to Exert Control Over the Government  |  Wall Street Journal
Corporate America cosies up to Elon Musk as billionaire deepens ties to Donald Trump  |  Financial Times
Once a Trump critic, Mark Zuckerberg pivots toward the president  |  Los Angeles Times
Opinion | Tech companies are complying with dictators’ laws, compromising human rights and freedom of speech  |  Washington Post

Stories From Abroad

WhatsApp says journalists and civil society members were targets of Israeli spyware  |  Guardian, The
Temu, Shein and Amazon to be liable in EU for ‘unsafe’ or ‘illegal’ goods  |  Financial Times
Today's Top Stories

California Public Utilities Commission Continues to Help Close Digital Divide Through Broadband Grants Across California

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved $48 million for eight broadband infrastructure projects as part of the multi-year $2 billion Last Mile Federal Funding Account grant program, which expands broadband internet access for underserved and unserved communities across California:

ConnectingALL with Digital Equity Capacity Grant in New York

Grace Tepper  |  Analysis  |  Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

The New York State Digital Equity Plan––created by the state's ConnectALL Office––envisions a state transformed by digital infrastructure that brings to all New York residents access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband for education, economic growth, and full participation in civic life. With this vision and plan, the state is beginning to implement its programs, supported by over $36 million in funding from the National Telecommunication and Information Administration's (NTIA) Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. According to NTIA, ConnectALL will use its $36 million in funding to undertake the following key initiatives:

  • Fund new and existing programs that distribute new and refurbished devices, such as computers or laptops.
  • Fund tech support programs as a job-readiness pathway.
  • Develop digital safety trainings that protect against stolen data, scams, surveillance, and online harassment.

Keep reading for more specifics on ConnectALL's digital equity goals, key activities, and full implementation timeline.

Conexon Connect expands footprint across rural Florida, delivering broadband access to 14,000 homes and businesses throughout Big Bend region

Press Release  |  Conexon

Conexon Connect, the internet service provider (ISP) arm of rural fiber broadband leader Conexon, has reached another key milestone in Florida. In partnership with Madison-based Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC), the ISP has successfully completed its second broadband network in the state, delivering multi-gigabit fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) access to 14,000 rural homes and businesses across Florida’s Big Bend region. This breakthrough project, announced in spring 2022, solidifies TCEC’s place in Florida’s history as the first electric cooperative to launch a FTTH network to serve its members.

Surf Internet and ChoiceLight Partner to Connect South Bend Schools with High-Speed Fiber Network

Press Release  |  Surf Internet

Surf Internet has been selected to provide high-speed internet connectivity to the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC), one of Indiana’s largest school districts serving over 15,000 students. This initiative will connect 33 district sites, including schools and administrative buildings, to a dedicated high-speed fiber network. Each site will receive a 10 Gbps connection, with Surf supplying 20 Gbps of dedicated internet service districtwide. The upgraded connectivity will support essential district applications such as security systems, phone services, student information software, and remote learning tools. The project is funded primarily through the federal E-Rate program, which assists schools and libraries with telecommunication costs and is allocated based on the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. 

Commissioner Simington Announces Staff Changes

Press Release  |  Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commissioner Nathan Simington announced that he has appointed Adam Cassady to serve as his chief of staff. Former chief of staff, Erin Boone, will join FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's office.

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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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Kevin Taglang

Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
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