Most States have now sent final Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment proposals to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration with a list of the proposed internet service providers to win BEAD funding for every eligible location. The next step is for NTIA to review grant applications, which is now underway. NTIA has already been contacting States and establishing a cost cap for each State based on the CostQuest cost models. Several States have reported that NTIA is instructing the State to outright reject any proposed award that is more than 85 perent of the cost cap. This seems to be a tool to get the broadband office to cancel grants rather than NTIA having to be the heavy. What’s clear is that the bottom-line result of applying a cost caps will mean a lot more locations awarded to satellite or other low-cost technologies.

This report is based on the TechSee Home Connectivity Survey, conducted in August 2025 with a nationwide sample of U.S. consumers. The survey was designed to capture real-world experiences and expectations around home Wi-Fi performance, troubleshooting, and provider interactions. Key takeaways include:

• Connectivity issues are common: 68 percent of households reported Wi-Fi problems in the past 12 months. Disruptions are frequent, with 18 percent experiencing them daily and another 20 percent weekly.
• Coverage pain is widespread: 76 percent of consumers who reported connectivity issues experience location-specific gaps in their home.
• The support burden is heavy: Two-thirds of households contacted their internet service provider at least once in the past year due to connectivity issues; nearly 39 percent had a technician dispatched.

Generative artificial intelligence is having a profound impact on higher education. EDUCAUSE assembled a global panel of experts to envision their preferred future of GenAI in higher education and create an action plan to get to that future. Panelists focused on a 10-year time horizon, imagining how current trends, technologies, and practices might converge to result in a better future. From that vision, they identified actions to be taken by individuals, units and departments, cross-department collaborators, and cross-institution collaborators. Actions include:

• Engage with GenAI as a creative tool, not a substitute teacher. 
• Remain informed about the ethical and social implications of AI, including the relevant legal and regulatory landscape.
• Provide faculty, staff, and administrators with GenAIrelated professional development.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a bill that will create new transparency measures for large AI companies, including public disclosure of security protocols and reports of critical safety incidents. Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said Senate Bill 53 will create “commonsense guardrails” to ensure groundbreaking innovations don’t sacrifice safety and transparency amid the rapid growth of AI technologies. Newsom said the bill strikes the right balance of working with the artificial intelligence companies while not “submitting to industry.” The new law will require companies to disclose their safety and security protocols and risk evaluations. It mandates reporting of critical incidents — such as cyberattacks or unsafe behavior by autonomous AI systems — to the state’s Office of Emergency Services. Cal OES would begin publishing annual reports in 2027 that anonymize and aggregate critical safety incidents it receives. SB 53 also strengthens whistleblower protections for employees who report violations. The attorney general in California will be able to bring civil penalties of up to $1 million against companies that violate the new law.