Broadband Breakfast
NTIA Focused on Making New BEAD Round as Accurate as possible, Roth Says
The Commerce Department is hoping to make broadband coverage maps as accurate as possible before a new round of funding aimed at locations that previously fell through the cracks. Assistant Commerce Secretary Arielle Roth, head of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said that at the agency’s last convening of state broadband directors, officials were adamant about “the importance of getting this right.”
USF Working Group ‘Getting Closer and Closer’ to Discussion Draft
Lawmakers are making progress on draft legislation to update an $8 billion-per-year telecommunications subsidy. A bipartisan working group with members from both chambers of Congress has been working for years to update the Universal Service Fund, which is supported by fees on a shrinking pool of voice revenue.
Three Former FCC Commissioners Advocate to Continue E-Rate Program
Three former commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission have passionately affirmed the necessity of $2.4 billion E-Rate program. At the annual AnchorNets 2026 conference, hosted by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, former Commissioners Rachelle Chong, Deborah Taylor Tate, and Mignon Clyburn attested to the importance of E-Rate for schools, children, and rural communities.
USF Reform Could Put Hyperscalers, Data Centers on the Hook
A federal broadband subsidy program under financial duress could get bailed out by AI-related companies, as policymakers consider making major users of broadband infrastructure contribute to universal service. Universal service reform could expand the pool of companies that help finance broadband networks to include hyperscalers, cloud providers and other major users of internet infrastructure, according to former Federal Communications Commission officials and broadband advocates.
A $50 Billion Health Fund and Rural America’s Internet Gaps
Awards from a $50 billion federal rural health fund included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act from July 2025 are now paying for digital health care records and home monitoring devices. But whether that remote care reaches a patient still depends on the connection in the patient's home or pocket. Maine's first-year share of that fund is $190 million, according to Andrew Solomon, a senior program manager at MCD Global Health, the Maine public health nonprofit administering the work.
NTIA Still Finalizing Eligible Locations for New BEAD Round
States have yet to receive lists of locations that will be eligible for an additional round of broadband grant funding. “We may not see it until sometime in November, perhaps,” said Glen Howie, head of Arkansas’ broadband office. “I think they’re waiting on the June data to take another look at their lists and see what that looks like.”
11 AI Bills Cleared Committee this Summer, But None Has Reached the House Floor
Eleven bills carrying most of a bipartisan artificial intelligence package cleared the House Science Committee in July, and a separate bill setting safety rules for the most powerful AI systems could get a hearing in November, said Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA). He said the pieces could be combined into a single bill eligible for a floor vote in December. The package started as the Great American AI Act, a 269-page discussion draft Obernolte released with Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) on June 4, 2026.
SpaceX Still Pushing to Slash High Cost Fund
SpaceX is still pushing federal regulators to slash a broadband subsidy that supports rural internet service providers the company is increasingly competing with for subscribers. Three SpaceX attorneys and satellite policy chief Joseph Bissonnette recently met with staff from the Federal Communications Commission to press their case.
An Enduring Commitment to Universal Service Transformed Alaska
It used to be a real challenge to talk to someone across Alaska, or across the country. Many Alaskans remember waiting in line to use the only telephone in a village. For me, it was the phone at the winter watchman's house in Ekuk. We each got a few minutes because everyone was waiting. Long-distance calls were expensive, and simply talking to family or conducting business required patience and persistence. Even after the internet arrived, connectivity remained limited in many parts of Alaska.