Level of Government

There is a lot of talk about improving the Federal Communications Commission broadband maps. I published a blog a few weeks ago that described a bill passed by the Senate that would require a new review of the FCC broadband maps. The bill is labeled the Modernization, Accountability, and Planning for Broadband Funding Act. I’m all for changes that would create an accurate broadband map.

According to interviews and research from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, state broadband officers are exhausted by the challenges and shifting dynamics of implementing the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. Leaders from the Benton Institute have interviewed over 30 SBOs so far about what it is taking to implement BEAD. And Dr. Revati Prasad of the Benton Institute talked about the takeaways from those conversations in a recent Fiber Broadband Association webinar.

Brandy Reitter, the executive director of the Colorado Broadband Office since February 2022, stepped down after giving the agency two days’ notice. “Yes, unfortunately, OIT received Brandy’s resignation. She will be missed and we appreciate her service to the state,” Erin Jeffreys, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Information Technology, home to the broadband office, said in an email.

The Federal Communications Commission has announced it’s waiving its rules limiting foreign equity ownership to 25 percent in the Paramount-Warner Bros.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) issued an executive order to dramatically accelerate the implementation of new third-party oversight of safety and security risks in AI systems, as well as independent audits. The executive order convenes a group of world-leading experts to provide, within two months, a guide for California to reinforce and strengthen its AI safety and security laws.

TDS Telecommunications has launched faster internet speeds for customers in Neillsville, Medford, Mosinee, and Junction City, marking the first phase of multi-year broadband upgrade projects in each central Wisconsin community. The projects are now delivering speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gig), depending on location. The high-speed data infrastructure upgrades are supported, in part, by the Federal Communications Commission’s Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model program.

A host of industry players, policy wonks and businesses are grappling with the question of how to regulate AI in a trustworthy manner. The industry's mad dash is the product of an ad hoc regulatory apparatus and a general consensus that swift action from Washington is 

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) attempted to pass his AI Emergency Button Act through unanimous consent to require artificial intelligence developers to install an emergency kill switch, but an objection from Sen. Rand Paul prevented the bill from passing unanimously. 

Reps Walkinshaw (D-VA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced bipartisan legislation to replace fragmented federal reporting with reliable annual data showing who Medicare telehealth is reaching, where access barriers remain, how patients are faring, and where taxpayer dollars may be at risk. The Telehealth Reporting and Transparency Act of 2026 would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report annually on telehealth utilization, patient access, available health outcomes, provider participation, and program integrity. The annual report would include:

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA-48) introduced the Digital Asset Inventory and Audit Act of 2026, legislation to ensure the federal government identifies, secures, and accounts for cryptocurrency and other digital assets that come into its custody.