The Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative is delivering on its promise to connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service by 2030. Since the President took office, more than 2.4 million previously unserved homes and small businesses have been connected to high-speed Internet service. Below are highlights of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) achievements under the Biden-Harris Administration. 

• Made available more than $20 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding to states and territories, subject to BEAD terms and conditions.
• Awarded $1.86 billion in awards to 226 Tribal entities—the largest ever investment in high-speed Internet on Tribal Lands.
• Awarded $980 million to 36 organizations across 40 states and territories to deploy, lease, or upgrade networks, which increase our nation’s network resilience and lower the cost of connecting homes and small businesses.
• Made high-speed Internet service available to more than 40,000 previously unserved households, nearly 3,000 businesses, and more than 130 community anchor institutions (like schools and libraries) to date through $282.7 million in awards.
• Awarded $262.8 million to 91 Minority-Serving Institutions to expand remote learning opportunities and spur economic development in their surrounding communities.
• Oversaw the creation of Digital Equity plans from all 56 states and territories.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance's (NDIA) Digital Inclusion Start-Up Manual is intended to provide guidance to organizations looking to increase access and use of technology in disadvantaged communities through digital literacy training, affordable home broadband, affordable devices and tech support. These efforts might take place within a community-based organization, a library, a housing authority, a local government or other community locations. NDIA focuses the detailed guidance on creation of a community digital inclusion program which is a local nonprofit, public or private initiative aimed at making at least one of the “five elements”—affordable broadband, internet-enabled devices, digital literacy training, technical support or empowering applications or content—more accessible to community members, especially the “most disadvantaged.” Learning from NDIA’s affiliates, this guidebook shares strategies and recommendations from digital inclusion programs around the United States. 

Efforts to expand high-speed internet access in Wisconsin have hit a political roadblock, stalled by partisan infighting, according to Democratic Assembly members. A budget proposal made by Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI)) seeking $750 million in state funding to supplement federal broadband dollars was removed during the final stages from the state’s 2023-25 budget by Republican lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee. Rep. Mark Born (R-WI), who co-chairs the Republican-led budget committee, justified the funding removal by noting Wisconsin was set to receive $1.1 billion in federal money to expand broadband through the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Despite GOP assembly members emphasizing their priority to spend federal funds first, Gov. Evers has expressed that he will continue to advocate for state broadband funding in the next budget cycle. 

The dust has yet to settle after August’s surprising deal between Google and California lawmakers, sidestepping two major legislative efforts to force tech giants to pay local newsrooms for their content. The closed-door agreement, brokered at the eleventh hour, has drawn both praise and harsh criticism. While many of California’s local news leaders and advocates have called this first-of-its-kind deal a step forward—just as many say it falls well short of the need and expectations. They also say a divide among news leaders regarding the two bills likely weakened the industry’s positioning against the powerful tech giant. “It divided us. It divided the industry. And it's never good when the industry is divided,” explained Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of the News/Media Alliance. 

There has been a strike by 17,000 union members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) against AT&T that started on August 16. Like most strikes that last for more than a week, there is some rhetoric flying from both parties accusing the other side of negotiating in bad faith. Telecommunications strikes have been part of the history of the industry. One of the first big telecommunications strikes was in 1947 with the union at that time being the National Federation of Telephone Workers. The CWA was born out of the aftermath of the 1947 strike. I decided to write about this because I was part of the 1983 strike against AT&T. I was in management at Southwestern Bell and was informed at midnight on a Saturday night to report immediately to be an operator. I grew up in a union household, and I saw first-hand how being in a strong union benefited workers and their families with good wages and a solid retirement plan. Getting a firsthand look at the day-to-day work of running a giant telco during a strike gave me an increased appreciation of the great work the union folks at the company did every day.

On September 9, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel spoke at the Consortium of State School Boards Association about the Learn Without Limits initiative. "Six weeks ago, the FCC voted to modernize the E-Rate program to support Wi-Fi hotspots for loan in libraries—and school libraries—nationwide," she said. "For the student without a connection at home or with housing that is inconsistent, having a teacher loan out a hotspot helps make sure they have a stable way to access to the internet. And keeping that kid connected is about more than one child. It is good for the class. It is good for the school. It means everyone has a greater chance at success."