Wednesday, September 23, 2026
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Colorado Takes Action to Protect Taxpayer Funds Following Broadband Grants Inquiry
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Colorado Takes Action to Protect Taxpayer Funds Following Broadband Grants Inquiry

The Colorado Broadband Office announced recent actions taken to protect taxpayer funds following an inquiry into the misuse of state and federal broadband grant funding by Maverix Broadband, Inc. After receiving whistleblower reports, CBO took quick action to freeze payments to Maverix, launch an inquiry, move to terminate six active grants, and rescind more than $100 million in provisionally awarded Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding that has not gone out yet.

Louisiana continues to reach significant milestones while expanding broadband access across the state, with new Federal Communications Commission data highlighting the state's continued progress in bringing reliable connectivity to all communities. The latest FCC Broadband Data Collection data, which reflects broadband availability as of December 2025, shows significant growth in Louisiana's broadband access over the past six months. During that timeframe, more than 52,000 homes and businesses gained access to broadband statewide. This expansion represents a 3.16 percent increase in the total number of locations served in Louisiana, highlighting how ConnectLA is helping expand access to more and more locations across the state day by day. Each additional location receiving access to reliable, high-speed internet represents more residents gaining better access to the tools and resources needed to develop in the state's growing digital economy. Louisiana has shown significant growth, standing out on a national scale, as this increase ranks Louisiana fourth nationally in terms of proportional growth, exceeding the 0.9 percent national average over the same time period.

AT&T, in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, added a new 5G cell site in Brantley County (GA) as a direct result of state and local public safety feedback, boosting wireless connectivity for first responders on FirstNet®, America’s public safety network. The site was built as part of AT&T and the federal government’s ongoing work to expand the FirstNet network where first responders need it most. This new cell site along Highway 82 in Brantley County will enhance connectivity and strengthen emergency response and operational efficiency for multiple state and local agencies.

New warnings that humans are flirting with out-of-control artificial intelligence raise an uneasy question: has A.I. surpassed climate change as one of humanity’s gravest risks? Though the danger of the technology is hard to assess, the worst-case scenario—human extinction—makes other earthly concerns seem small. Yes, climate change is creating dangerously hot conditions, fueling superstorms and killing crops, and it may lead to planetary upheaval. But that only matters if our civilization is still recognizable. All of this leaves climate activists competing for a finite pool of political consideration. As diplomats and world leaders gather at the United Nations to grapple with the planet’s most pressing problems, some worry that global warming could be overlooked even as it worsens.
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) and Zoe Walker (zwalker AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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Kevin Taglang
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Benton Institute
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