Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) called on Arielle Roth, the recently confirmed Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to fulfill her responsibility to fully implement programs authorized and funded by Congress—specifically, the Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Senator Luján urged Roth to make her first act as Administrator the immediate restoration of suspended digital equity grants and the release of approved federal funding to connect all New Mexicans to broadband. Concerning BEAD he called for:

1. No new delays. The BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice should not be used to further delay approvals or revisit established allocations—such as the over $675 million allocated to New Mexico.
2. A meaningful low-cost service option. Internet service providers that win BEAD funding must offer a low-cost service option that is affordable and high-speed, not just a box-checking exercise. 
3. Deference for local expertise. States are best suited to determine what technology is appropriate for their terrain and therefore must be afforded deference on priority project determinations, so long as they meet the speed, latency and scalability requirements of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

He also asked Roth to answer the following questions by August 15, 2025:

1. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $2.75 billion to support three grant programs under the Digital Equity Act to equip individuals and communities with the skills and tools needed for full participation in all aspects of society. Earlier this year, the states’ Capacity Grants were wrongfully terminated as were the Competitive Grant grantees and the others recommended for an award. In accordance with the law, when will you reinstate the grant programs under the Digital Equity Act? Please provide a specific date.
2. States would already have shovels in the ground if not for the delays this administration introduced with the initial 90 day extension and subsequent June 6^th Public Notice. Will you commit to no further delays and approve States’ BEAD Plans within 90 days of submission?
3. Congress authorized BEAD funds for non-deployment uses, including affordability and adoption. Further guidance from NTIA should not hinder states’ ability to exercise discretion granted by statute to use funds for non-deployment. When will you release the updated guidance for these uses? Please provide a specific date.

Private equity funding has been flooding into broadband, partly drawn by the sweetener of $42 billion in federal funding from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program. Broadband deployment is a high-cost business, and most internet service providers need outside financing to grow. But when we go looking, private equity is increasingly our only option. The problem is that, with sky-high return expectations and short timeframes, this money is unsuited to building in rural and low-income communities most in need of investment. The result? Private equity-backed broadband looks a lot like the legacy telcos it is supposed to disrupt, skipping over poor, rural or low-density communities. This leads to the modern equivalent of redlining — swaths of America excluded by the math and logic of prevailing capital. There are, of course, responsible private equity firms delivering real value. But as a vehicle for expanding broadband to underserved communities, this capital is structurally misaligned. The incentives that drive private equity — rapid returns, scale at all costs, and quick exits — run counter to the long-term commitment, trust, and responsiveness that equitable broadband requires. If we’re serious about closing the digital divide, we must channel mission-aligned capital into the sector. Getting it done right requires investors and operators who see broadband as long-term infrastructure, not a short-term asset to flip. The capital we need:

• Understands the realities of rural broadband
• Respects the expertise and experience of local operators
• Is willing to accept reasonable — not extractive — returns
• Will invest for generational impact, not just quarterly gains

[Brian Snider is the CEO of Halo Fiber.]

The Northeast Ohio Regional Digital Opportunity Alliance, which includes the Cuyahoga County Public Library, was planning to increase the number of digital navigators in 2025. It was part of a larger plan to expand efforts to close the digital equity gap. In many Greater Cleveland communities, many residents don’t have the computer skills needed to do such things as apply for a job, use MyChart or handle other matters that increasingly can only be performed online. In May, the Trump administration canceled millions in federal digital equity funding, funds the president said were illegal, unconstitutional and “woke handouts based on race.”  Federally funded programs such as the Ohio Digital Inclusion Grant Program aim to help several populations, including rural residents, veterans and racial and ethnic minorities. Now, the local alliance’s plan to expand has been placed on hold. Instead of about 10 digital navigators throughout Cuyahoga County, there are about half that number. CCPL avoided laying off digital navigators after three found jobs within the library system. The alliance, which also includes partners in Lorain County, is not deterred by the federal funding being canceled and will look for other options, said Rebecca Ranallo, CCPL’s literacy and learning director. These include non-government grants and other funding. The alliance’s partners in Cuyahoga County had previously received both federal and local foundation grants. 

Schurz Communications formed Schurz Broadband Group (SBG), a new division designed to unify and amplify the strengths of regional fiber-based internet providers under one mission-driven broadband organization. SBG will advance innovation, fiber expansion, and digital access while maintaining the local leadership, brand identity, and customer trust that define each of its operating companies. SBG supports all of Schurz’s regional broadband companies: Antietam Broadband in Maryland, Burlington Telecom in Vermont, Hiawatha Broadband in Minnesota, Long Lines Broadband in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, NKTelco in Ohio, and Orbitel Communications in Arizona. Each provider will continue to operate independently and locally under its own brand name, preserving deep roots in the communities they serve, while gaining access to shared strategic resources and technology leadership through SBG. Diego Anderson will serve as SBG’s President, overseeing the division’s vision, strategy, integration, and overall performance. Jim Kronenbusch will be Chief Technology Officer, leading technology, product innovation, OSS/BSS digital strategy infrastructure development, and network scalability across the group. And Sheryl S. Rosen has been named Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for marketing, brand strategy, retention, product marketing, lead generation, and go-to-market strategy alignment across locations.