Continental Divide Electric Cooperative (CDEC) submitted an interim build-out shortfall notification dated Jan. 5, 2026. In accordance with Federal Communications Commission rules and CDEC’s Tier 3 compliance gap status, the Company submitted its first quarterly report regarding progress towards complying with its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund obligations in New Mexico. CDEC reports that, since Dec. 31, 2025, the Company has reported and certified an additional 131 locations in the High-Cost Universal Broadband portal, bringing its total certified locations deployed to 2008, as of June 30, 2026. The Company continues to work diligently to close the compliance gap. 

The Illinois Office of Broadband (IOB) announced its new Illinois Broadband Permit Map, a leading resource on infrastructure deployment in Illinois. This map shares data on various permitting entities and other features that are helpful in determining where and which permits are necessary for broadband construction. This interactive tool provides high-level guidance and a starting point for broadband deployment in Illinois by aggregating data on roadways, railroads, waterways, and state and federal land, and connecting those features to permitting contacts and applications statewide. IOB's effort follows months of research, data analysis, and user feedback sessions between the IOB's Permitting and Policy Team and key broadband stakeholders. On June 30, IOB held a live demonstration of the permit map, where they walked Illinois broadband stakeholders through its uses and provided guidance on how to use the map when engaging with broadband infrastructure deployment projects. 

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, National Digital Inclusion Alliance Executive Director Angela Siefer received an email with the subject line “Help Needed in Minnesota.” By Monday morning, we were on a call with the leaders of the Hopkins Digital Access Initiative—Rebekah Crosby, Carolyn Leslie, and Beth Kivett—forging a new partnership to address urgent digital inclusion needs in Hopkins, a first-ring Minneapolis suburb, a community flooded with ICE and CPB agents. The tactics employed by ICE and CPB in Minnesota made it unsafe for many Hopkins residents to leave their homes. It echoed of early-COVID lockdowns that left people cut off from their community, wondering how they would continue to work, go to school, feed their families, or do any daily activity. As rapid response resources were organized through websites, Whatsapp and Signal chats, and remote learning platforms, it became clear that digital access is still the linchpin that determines whether a household can receive support in a time of need.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the FCC will vote at the next Commission meeting on an order that tees up a large swath of prime, mid-band spectrum for auction. Specifically, the FCC will vote on July 22 to hold an auction of 160 megahertz of spectrum in the Upper C-Band (3.98-4.14 GHz) in 2027. The rules would also effectively harmonize terrestrial wireless operations across the entire C-Band to create a single “super-band” spanning 440 megahertz (3.70-4.14 GHz). This sets America up to lead the world in next-gen connectivity. The plan also maximizes the amount of spectrum repurposed while establishing a fast and fair transition for incumbent satellite services and a successful coexistence environment for critical aviation safety systems in the adjacent band. Congress required the FCC to auction at least 100 megahertz of Upper C-Band spectrum no later than July 2027, and the FCC has moved quickly. We are on track for an on-time auction that clears significantly more spectrum than the minimum required under law. This auction is expected to raise many billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury as well. By accommodating the transition of aviation and satellite services in tight coordination, the FCC’s plan ensures that the Upper C-Band can be lit up for most Americans before the end of 2030—faster than originally expected.

The Government Accountability Office highlighted three areas where open recommendations to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration should be given high priority:

• Managing radio-frequency spectrum: Radio-frequency spectrum is a scarce natural resource used to support an increasing number of public and private-sector activities. GAO recommended that NTIA, in consultation with the Federal Communications Commission and other relevant federal agencies, monitor and keep its collaboration guidance up to date. We also recommended that NTIA establish shared procedures for the design of spectrum studies that agencies use during domestic and international spectrum management activities. Taking these actions would strengthen NTIA’s ability to collaborate with other agencies and better position the U.S. at international conferences where spectrum regulations are updated.
• Managing IT and cybersecurity risks to spectrum infrastructure: The security of the IT systems that federal agencies use is vital to protecting national security, especially as risks to these systems increase. NTIA relies on multiple custom IT systems to manage federal spectrum use that are out of date. In 2024, NTIA awarded contracts to support the modernization of these systems. However, GAO reported that NTIA is missing key planning and cybersecurity practices, and recommended NTIA implement these practices. As NTIA continues its modernization efforts, implementing these practices would better ensure the success of these efforts.
• Managing federal broadband programs: Broadband access is critical for economic development. Yet, many communities remain unserved or underserved, particularly in very rural areas and on tribal lands. From 2020 through 2024, statutes appropriated over $82 billion to programs across multiple agencies to improve access to broadband. GAO recommended that NTIA better communicate projects’ financial sustainability to Congress and continue to improve collaboration with other federal providers of broadband funding. Taking these steps will help ensure Congress is properly informed about the finances of NTIA’s programs and reduce potential waste in broadband programs.

Global artificial intelligence spending is forecasted to reach $2.5 trillion in 2026, according to one estimate, marking a 44% increase year-over-year. In 2027, spending is expected to reach $3.3 trillion, reflecting another 32% increase year-over-year. The majority of this money has funded AI infrastructure, followed by AI services and AI software (representing about 54%, 23%, and 18% of spending, respectively, for 2026). As discussed in our most recent Brookings report, federal AI spending in the U.S. is also rapidly increasing, and at a rate faster than the rest of the world. Our research showed that the value of funds obligated increased by 966% between 2024 and 2026 (from $355 million to $7.2 billion), and the value of potential awards increased by 1,912% for the same period (from $4.6 billion to $91.8 billion). Out of 441 total federal agencies, the number of agencies with AI contracts rose from 17 in 2022 to 23 in 2024 and 28 in 2026. While the U.S. Department of Defense accounted for by far the most AI contract spending (at $90 billion), other agencies with AI contracts include the Department of Commerce ($197 million), the Department of Health and Human Services ($138 million), and NASA ($45 million). Even small agencies—such as the National Archives and Records Administration ($110,000), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ($890,000), and the Department of the Interior ($1.5 million)—had contracts, reflecting how AI is spreading across the federal government.

Is social media safe enough for children? Today, parents must primarily rely on claims that social media companies make about their products to answer that question. But how accurate are these claims? To answer that question, we undertook a methodical independent analysis of features claimed to be provided by: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. We found that most features do not live up to the promises that companies make about the safety they provide. Of the 86 features that we tested, 51 failed, or ~60%. The rest of our report explains in detail how we conducted our analysis and detailed findings. Our goal is to provide a robust understanding of the gap between the promise and reality of social media safety features.

The AI executives who loudly warned about mass job loss may have been wrong, said Zynga founder Mark Pincus. Several leading voices in Silicon Valley, including AI CEOs themselves, have softened their stance on AI-driven job loss. The softening rhetoric comes just before OpenAI and Anthropic are rumored to go public and also amid a surge in AI hate from consumers. Pincus said he doesn't buy "the doom and gloom that all the jobs are going to go away," mirroring the tone shift from AI's loudest evangelists. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who has warned of a white-collar bloodbath, recently said that falling AI costs could create new demand for workers amid an AI-driven productivity boom. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he and his executive team were right on their technological predictions but "pretty wrong" about the impact on white-collar work. Investors like Marc Andreessen, Chamath Palihapitiya and now Pincus have also argued AI will ultimately create more opportunity than it destroys.