The Federal Communications Commission launched a rulemaking to accelerate infrastructure builds by modernizing its environmental regulations. As part of the FCC’s Build America Agenda, this proceeding aims to cut red tape and unleash new infrastructure projects through a comprehensive review of the FCC’s National Environmental Protection Act rules. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted will examine the FCC’s environmental regulations to align them with the amended NEPA statute, speed up the federal permitting process, support faster infrastructure deployment, and ensure that the Commission’s regulations are clear. The Notice will also take a fresh look at the FCC’s National Historic Preservation Act regulations and other aspects of its environmental regulations. The FCC will seek comment on the terms and exclusions in the updated NEPA statute, including “major federal action,” which triggers federal agencies’ NEPA obligations. It will also ask for input on how the updated NEPA statute should be applied to the Commission’s regulations and on what changes are needed.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to launch a rulemaking for a ground-up re-examination of the national alert and warning systems, including the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. This action will explore whether fundamental changes to these systems could make them more effective, efficient, and better able to serve the public’s needs. Specifically, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will:

• Seek comment on the objectives for effective alert and warning systems.
• Explore which entities need to be able to send alerts to fully accomplish these objectives and how these needs should be addressed in the design of alerting systems.
• Consider the alert transmission capabilities that a national public alert and warning system must have to achieve its objectives, including the need for resilience, geographic targeting, and security.
• Ask whether EAS and WEA are meeting the needs and expectations of both the public and alerting authorities, and if not, whether redesign or targeted changes would allow EAS and WEA to fully reach their potential.
• Examine both the types of information and distribution methods needed to effectively convey information to the public through EAS and WEA.

August 7 marks the final chapter of a dark moment in our nation’s history. After months of cowardly capitulation, including an unprecedented payout to settle a meritless lawsuit in exchange for regulatory approval, Paramount and Skydance have completed their merger, and ‘New Paramount’ will be created. This will be a new company, born in shame after trading away fundamental First Amendment principles in pursuit of pure profit. It embraced this Administration’s radical notion that discriminatory behavior should be tolerated and even embraced, while efforts to expand opportunity for everyone should be rejected. More alarmingly, the company agreed to never-before-seen forms of government control over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment—actions that violate both the First Amendment and the law. A government-sanctioned ‘truth arbiter’ will soon arrive at CBS. Their role will be to ensure that journalists at CBS do not criticize this Administration or express views that conflict with its agenda. That should alarm anyone who values the core democratic principle of a free and independent press. I urge others to take notice and find their courage. And I will continue to call out cowardly corporate capitulation for what it is: a betrayal—not just of journalistic independence, but of the public trust.

On September 4, states must submit their final proposals, selecting Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment grant winners, to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for approval. Early signs suggest those awards will favor satellite providers and serve fewer locations than expected. As a refresher, the Trump administration's NTIA revised the rules for the BEAD program in early June. While BEAD previously sought to prioritize fiber deployments, the new rules stipulate states must select the cheapest technology for the job. That change-up required states to re-do their BEAD plans, and the NTIA in July approved all initial proposals from states and territories spelling out how they plan to conduct their grant processes. Now, as states proceed with their revised BEAD bidding processes, early signs suggest that BEAD dollars will reach fewer locations than expected and that low-Earth orbit satellite providers are primed to scoop up billions that were largely off limits in the former, fiber-focused version of the BEAD program.

Nebraska’s state broadband map—which was carefully designed and included a wealth of local input—received a major jolt with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s changes to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. The map is now inundated with industry data from unlicensed fixed wireless providers. Congress allocated $405 million to Nebraska to bring broadband internet to all unserved and underserved locations in the state. Following the release of NTIA’s June 6, 2025, policy notice, the total count of eligible locations for funding from Nebraska’s BEAD program was reduced from 29,597 to 14,288, a 52 percent reduction in eligible locations. Local governments throughout Nebraska are sending letters to their state legislators, congressional delegation, and Governor Jim Pillen to voice their concerns about the BEAD changes. The Southeast Nebraska Development District created a map to illustrate the number of eligible locations eliminated per county, and combined that data with information about which counties have already sent letters voicing concerns. Douglas County, which contains Omaha, lost the most locations of any county in the state—1,737 or 85 percent of its eligible locations due to the new BEAD guidelines. 

Broadband is no longer a luxury—it’s essential for economic opportunity, education, and community resilience. The Maine Connectivity Authority is meeting this need by investing in infrastructure through a deeply local, collaborative approach. In June 2025, MCA President Andrew Butcher's 900-mile journey across Maine in a 1984 Westfalia VW van affectionately named “Buttercup” offered more than scenic views—it offered a deep dive into the human side of digital connectivity. The tour, designed to engage local communities and observe broadband projects firsthand, highlighted a unique hypothesis: the more digitally connected we become, the more isolated we may feel as humans. Yet, the conversations, encounters, and collaborations revealed that connectivity, when paired with human engagement, is a powerful enabler of community and opportunity. Buttercup, with its retro charm, proved an unexpected bridge to conversation. From grizzled Harley riders to festival-goers, people were drawn to share their stories, dreams, and experiences. The van became a metaphor for connectivity itself—a way to bring people together in a state defined by vast distances, rugged terrain, and one of the highest concentrations of rural and aging populations in the United States. The Driving Connections Tour revealed a key insight for the telecommunications industry: broadband is not simply about technology—it’s about enabling human connections, educational opportunities, economic development, and equity.