Government & Communications

Michigan's Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks (ROBIN) program supports service providers and public-private partnerships in expanding high-speed internet access to underserved areas across the state.  Construction activities are ramping up as weather becomes favorable again and subgrantees are preparing for a productive season ahead with the intention of completing ROBIN program construction in 2026.

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr’s newest fight with Disney is starting to raise alarms among some members of the GOP and on K Street—though many Republicans appear ready to give him a pass.

The Federal Communications Commission ordered a review of all station licenses owned by ABC, an extraordinary move to pressure a major television network whose programming has frequently angered President Trump. The FCC said that the action was related to an investigation into ABC’s diversity and inclusion policies.

As Chair of the Public Utility Commission of Oregon (OPUC), I write to express appreciation to the FCC Office of Inspector General (OIG) for sharing the underlying death data that informed the OIG's January 26, 2026 Advisory Regarding Deceased and Duplicate Lifeline Subscribers. The opportunity to conduct an independent, Oregon-specific analysis of that data has been valuable and I submit this letter to provide additional context that offers a more complete picture of Oregon's program administration and the broader systemic issues raised in the Advisory.

USTelecom President and CEO Jonathan Spalter urged Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to implement recent White House guidance to federal agencies that would expedite broadband permitting on federal lands and help connect more Americans to fast, reliable internet service. In letters to both Secretaries (

Several former Federal Communications Commissioners and staffers across parties are urging the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to force a vote on the FCC’s news distortion policy, which they argue should be repealed after being abused by Chairman Brendan Carr. The group of petitioners asked the court to require the FCC to vote on a petition to repeal the News Distortion Policy.

Police in Virginia used a technique called geofencing to tap into Google's databases to find out who was near the scene of a bank robbery in the town of Midlothian, where a robber pulled out a gun and subsequently fled with $195,000. Geofencing allows the government to draw a virtual fence around a geographic area where a crime was committed.

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, Congress allocated $350 billion to state, territorial, local, and Tribal governments across the country to support their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency. Through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, over 30,000 recipient governments across the country invested funds to address their unique needs, including broadband infrastructure.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is hoping to complete guidance on $22 billion in broadband spending “over the next two months.” The agency had been planning to release the guidance March 11, but it’s been delayed.

One year ago, the Trump Administration released updated Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance to federal agencies about their use and procurement of AI. As feder