Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

The Universal Service Fund Working Group—a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress—is seeking input from stakeholders across the country to explore the current state of the USF. The Working Group aims to provide a bipartisan forum to guide reforms to the USF, ensuring that connectivity reaches Americans in every community across the nation. The USF Working Group is seeking comments on a variety of questions relating to the effectiveness of USF programs and potential reforms. Stakeholders can file answers to these questions along with any additional comments through the USF Workin

Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) called on Arielle Roth, the recently confirmed Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to fulfill her responsibility to fully implement programs authorized and funded by Congress—specifically, the Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Senator Luján urged Roth to make her first act as Administrator the immediate restoration of suspended digital equity grants and the release of approved federal funding to connect all New Mexicans to broadband.

The Northeast Ohio Regional Digital Opportunity Alliance, which includes the Cuyahoga County Public Library, was planning to increase the number of digital navigators in 2025. It was part of a larger plan to expand efforts to close the digital equity gap.

Heartland Forward, a non-profit, policy think-and-do tank working to accelerate economic growth in the middle of the country, today announced Ross DeVol, who has led the organization since 2019, will transition to serve as chairman emeritus and distinguished fellow, and Angie Cooper, who has served as president and chief operating officer, will lead the organization. Under Cooper’s leadership, Heartland Forward will continue to focus on its core impact areas all driven by applied research, programs, policy and convenings:

Veterans living in rural America are being left behind by Federal healthcare systems due to shortages of robust broadband services and limited telehealth access, lawmakers and witnesses warned on July 25 during a field hearing of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization. During the hearing, which was held in Urbana (IL), Members of Congress heard firsthand how the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) telehealth programs remain out of reach for many veterans in rural areas who lack reliable internet access.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) announced that certain Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) census block groups (CBGs) are now eligible for other funding programs.

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) requires states to establish a model letter of credit substantially similar to the model letter of credit established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in connection with the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. On December 11, 2024, the FCC adopted a Report and Order modifying its rules to eliminate Weiss ratings as the standard for United States banks to be considered acceptable for issuing letters of credit.

Affordable, accessible broadband unlocks tremendous economic, educational, and telehealth opportunities. Accordingly, achieving true universal broadband connectivity has been a long-standing bipartisan goal. Despite years of heroic eort, many parts of rural and hard-to-serve America lacked affordable access to broadband until recently. The advent of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband services like SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper has transformed connectivity for the better. Chamber of Progress has long supported public policy to advance LEOs.

Is there any practical future for the US Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program? The Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved the fiscal year 2026 budget for the Department of Agriculture. Buried within that budget is $100 million for new ReConnect loans or grants. It’s still early in the federal budget process, and the $100 million slated for next year is a preliminary number, but it’s already lower than previous annual allocations to the program. ReConnect has been a popular program, particularly with cooperatives and small telephone companies.

The Digital Opportunity Index aims to fill a critical gap: the absence of objective tools that assess, encourage, and reward intentional and transparent efforts by ISPs to close the digital divide. Mainstream standards such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) indices purport to align ethical and social outcomes with financial performance. These frameworks have helped investors evaluate corporate risk and long-term value, and are often used in due diligence processes.