Level of Government

Lawmakers are making progress on draft legislation to update an $8 billion-per-year telecommunications subsidy. A bipartisan working group with members from both chambers of Congress has been working for years to update the Universal Service Fund, which is supported by fees on a shrinking pool of voice revenue. 

WTC Fiber has completed a major community-wide public Wi-Fi initiative that expands free, reliable internet access at parks, recreation facilities, nonprofit organizations, public service agencies and other gathering places throughout Manhattan and Riley County (KS). The project includes 124 Wi-Fi access points and represents an investment of more than $830,000 in local connectivity and digital access.

Silicon Valley is stressing over the uncertainty around how artificial intelligence will be regulated—or even what to call it. Now, the CEOs preparing their businesses for an AI-driven economy are starting to feel the anxiety. “There’s no real framework in place,” said SoFi CEO Anthony Noto. The midterms are looming. Potential presidential contenders are rolling out policies to shape AI’s future development and its role in the economy.

In the event of an emergency, every second matters. Gov Jeff Landry (R-LA) recently emphasized that though first responders are ready to answer the call, they need access to reliable technology to communicate effectively. Louisiana is working quickly and efficiently to ensure its communities do not fall behind when it comes to technology and infrastructure. Through federal partnerships and with the help of President Trump and the congressional delegation, Louisiana is making significant progress in bringing reliable connectivity to communities that have gone without it for too long.

SpaceX reached a deal to buy cellular spectrum licenses from investment firm Grain Management, its biggest move yet into a wireless market dominated by traditional telecom companies. The Elon Musk-led space company will pay about $8 billion in cash for the assets. The U.S. licenses, which are in the 800-megahertz band, are tailored for wireless service from cellphone towers rather than satellites.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the October Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2026:

Three former commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission have passionately affirmed the necessity of $2.4 billion E-Rate program. At the annual AnchorNets 2026 conference, hosted by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, former Commissioners Rachelle Chong, Deborah Taylor Tate, and Mignon Clyburn attested to the importance of E-Rate for schools, children, and rural communities.

A federal broadband subsidy program under financial duress could get bailed out by AI-related companies, as policymakers consider making major users of broadband infrastructure contribute to universal service. Universal service reform could expand the pool of companies that help finance broadband networks to include hyperscalers, cloud providers and other major users of internet infrastructure, according to former Federal Communications Commission officials and broadband advocates. 

On October 8, the Schools, Health and Libraries Coalition released a new study, conducted by the Brattle Group, on the economic impact of the E-Rate program. Brattle finds that removing roughly $2.6 billion in annual E-Rate support would reduce annual real GDP by about $4.2 billion, which translates to about $1.60 in lost economic activity for every $1 of E-Rate support removed. The report comes as the Federal Communications Commission conducts “the most comprehensive review of the E-Rate program in more than a decade.”

CostQuest Associates announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Federal Communications Commission to continue providing the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric, the foundational dataset underpinning the Commission’s Broadband Data Collection program. CostQuest was awarded the contract on September 4, 2026, following a competitive procurement process. The award reaffirms the company’s role in providing location-level data that federal, state, and local policymakers rely on to improve broadband mapping and expand connectivity across the United States.