Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

On the run-up to SpaceX’s historic initial public offering on June 12, commentators worried about who would get hurt. Their top concern was for everyday retirement savers: Major stock index providers like NASDAQ had changed their own rules to fast-track SpaceX’s inclusion in their market measures. These unusual moves would force holders of plain vanilla index funds to buy into a risky, unproven stock.

Public Knowledge, UnidosUS, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance released a new report on digital equity policy. The Blueprint for Equitable Digital Participation was designed to center the lived experiences of those directly impacted by digital inequities. The Blueprint illuminates the systemic barriers faced by communities most impacted by the digital divide and proposes a variety of effective policy solutions that empower consumers and ensure sustainable f

Angela Siefer discusses the impact the cancellation of Digital Equity Act funds has had on digital equity and inclusion organizations and initiatives over the last year, and the ongoing efforts underway to get that funding restored. Those efforts include the National Digital Inclusion Alliance's decision to sue the Trump administration over the canceled program.

California state regulators say AT&T lied to the Federal Communications Commission in an attempt to shut off its old copper phone network without providing an adequate replacement. “AT&T asserts that California seeks to prohibit or hinder wireline carriers from discontinuing copper facilities and investing in fiber,” said a June 15 filing by the state of California and the California Public Utilities Commission. “Indeed, AT&T has been making this argument for years.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the Department of Commerce announced two new notices of funding opportunity: one for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and one for the Native Entities Grant Program, the native entity set-aside under the Digital Equity Act. Together, these NOFOs will make $790 million available to Tribal and Native communities to advance broadband co

Most rural broadband providers expect AI to change how they operate, even as the majority remain in the early stages of using it, according to Telecompetitor’s 2026 Rural Broadband State of AI study. Of the 132 providers surveyed, 91 percent said they anticipate a significant impact on both their own companies and the wider industry. That expectation has not yet translated into deep adoption, and the findings suggest that many providers are not as far behind as they might feel.

Digital infrastructure is no different from other public goods that we deem essential, but that aren’t universally provided by the market. Some of the most effective tools for closing these gaps over the long term come from community finance, not one-off federal grants. Connect Humanity was created for this purpose.

After reselling Starlink's traditional service to business customers who are out of reach of terrestrial broadband connections, Alaska's GCI is now doing more with Starlink by tapping the satellite broadband service for backup connectivity at several locations. GCI, Alaska's top cable and mobile operator, said it plans to use Starlink's dedicated service with bonded gateways to provide more resilient and reliable connectivity to thousands of customers across several "major community hubs," including Bethel, Sitka, Kotzebue and Dillingham.

The Federal Communications Commission grants Wisper Internet a limited waiver of the Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund service milestone and non-compliance rules. If Wisper timely repays the RDOF support it has received for all the eligible census blocks within the census block groups covered by its authorized Arkansas winning bids, we will relieve Wisper of RDOF obligations to serve these CBGs.

In the wake of the hurricanes and flooding that affected North Carolina in 2024, Rebecca Jinnette, a digital skills agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, has worked to close digital skill gaps in communities impacted by disasters. Through training, technical support, and guidance, she helps residents access information and resources on disaster preparedness and recovery. Between April 15, 2024, and May 18, 2026, Jinnette delivered 345 informational class sessions.