What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
Starlink seeks community hosts to sell hourly, weekly internet passes
Starlink has begun laying the groundwork for a program that would let individuals or businesses resell access to its satellite broadband service in short increments, including passes lasting as little as one hour. A new “Starlink for communities” page on the company’s website invites applicants to become hosts.
E-Rate, According to State E-Rate Coordinators
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the E-Rate program, asking if E-Rate is still necessary and how the program should change. This proceeding could drastically impact the work of the schools and libraries that rely on E-Rate funding. Every state has E-Rate coordinators that help schools and libraries navigate the federal program.
What is the true cost of permitting for a fiber build? Join the Fiber Broadband Association and Cartesian for a first look at new research examining how state and local permitting practices affect the economics of wireline deployment. Drawing on more than 100 real-world permitting examples across 30 states and territories, the study models 12 common permitting scenarios to quantify how fees, requirements, delays, and approval processes can affect network investment.
As BEAD moves from planning into deployment, the program is entering a new phase with important implications for broadband infrastructure and the communities it will serve. In this milestone 300th episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, is joined by Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, to discuss BEAD’s progress, evolution and long-term impact.
Expanding broadband networks is only part of the equation. Sustained adoption requires trusted local programs that help residents build digital skills, increase engagement, and realize the value of connectivity, strengthening customer retention, and return on broadband investment.
With all 50 states now having approved BEAD Final Proposals, the program is moving from planning to execution—but the process is far from settled. Carol Mattey, former FCC official, broadband and policy expert, and principal of Mattey Consulting, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to examine what happens when selected providers withdraw, states need to adjust awards, and new unserved locations emerge.
What Would the Luddites Make of Digital Opportunity?
Our goal at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is universal, meaningful connectivity. Under our logo, we say that broadband builds opportunities and strengthens communities. But we haven’t been living under a rock. We know technology does not always build opportunity or strengthen communities. And right now, a real bleakness surrounds technology and what it is doing to us—or might do to us. If you work in digital inclusion, that can give you pause. What exactly are we working to include people in?
President Trump launches ‘Super Intelligence Force’ after calls for AI slowdown
President Donald Trump announced that he would name four top administration officials to a “Super Intelligence Force” that will coordinate the federal government’s response to artificial intelligence. President Trump said Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, and Emil Michael, undersecretary of war for research and engineering, will lead the task force.
President Trump, Big AI go all-in together
President Trump and Big AI have fused their futures around four enormous bets.
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The economic bet: That trillions poured into chips, data centers and power will create a productivity engine powerful enough to fuel a new Industrial Revolution.
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The regulation bet: That Washington can clear the runway for an AI takeoff while leaving the companies largely responsible for policing themselves.
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The safety bet: That AI can grow vastly more powerful without becoming vastly harder to control.
A New Name, a New Platform, and a Voluntary Industry Accord on What You Used to Call AI
On September 29, 2026, President Donald Trump took three significant steps shaping how the federal government will use, refer to, and oversee artificial intelligence (AI)—including a voluntary accord with six of the country's largest AI companies that signals the Administration's preference for industry self-governance over federal regulation. The three actions were: