Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and National Telecommunications and Information Administrator Arielle Roth joined Chairman Tom Cole in the Chickasaw Nation near Ada, Oklahoma, to see firsthand how the Nation is using a range of broadband technologies and NTIA funding to connect its communities. During her visit, Assistant Secretary Roth toured a fixed wireless tower that delivers high-speed internet to Tribal residents, learned about the drilling equipment used to deploy fiber, and discussed how the Chickasaw Nation is incorporating satellite connectivity,

If you shop for home internet service in the coming months, something on the screen may look different. For the past two years, providers have had to show you a standardized "broadband label"—a black-and-white box modeled on the nutrition panel on a cereal box, listing the monthly price, what happens when the introductory rate expires, the typical speeds, the latency, the data allowance, and each fee added on top. The label had to sit right next to the advertised plan.

On July 23, 2026, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)—the legislative branch's audit and investigative agency—released Combating Fraud: Managing Risks in Federally Funded, State-Administered Programs (GAO-26-109100). GAO calls this a "Q&A report," a short-form GAO product prepared for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and addressed to Chairman James Comer R-KY) and Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA).

On May 21, 2026, the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy convened the Universal Broadband Summit, bringing together state broadband officials, industry associations, academics, local government organizations, union representatives, and civil society. Across the board, Summit participants agreed that online connectivity is necessary for full participation in modern society, and that its benefits extend beyond individual households to a more engaged electorate, a more educated public, and a more productive economy.

House Republicans repeatedly questioned whether the federal government still needs roughly 130 programs supporting broadband access. The issue surfaced throughout a hearing of the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

As Congress prepares to leave for the August recess, some broadband bills are getting attention. This week, the Senate Commerce Committee advanced seven bills spanning transportation, competition, and infrastructure issues. These bills now move to the full Senate floor for consideration later this year if time permits.

Broadband programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration have supported the construction of broadband networks in some of the most expensive-to-reach rural areas. NTIA’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program is one of the largest federal broadband programs to date.

The sixth report of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access highlights the successful progress of Wisconsin’s broadband expansion journey over the years. Thanks to Governor Evers’ leadership, more than 410,000 Wisconsin homes and businesses will have access to new or improved high-speed service.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act provided budget authorities for transportation, infrastructure, and energy projects. Together, the four agencies selected for this review—the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and Department of Transportation—obligated a majority of their IIJA or IRA funding.

On July 22, 2026, the U.S. Government Accountability Office—the audit and investigative arm of Congress—released a report describing what happened to money Congress appropriated in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act after the Trump administration ordered agencies to review that money against its own priorities.