Level of Government

Louisiana continues to reach significant milestones while expanding broadband access across the state, with new Federal Communications Commission data highlighting the state's continued progress in bringing reliable connectivity to all communities. The latest FCC Broadband Data Collection data, which reflects broadband availability as of December 2025, shows significant growth in Louisiana's broadband access over the past six months. During that timeframe, more than 52,000 homes and businesses gained access to broadband statewide.

The Colorado Broadband Office announced recent actions taken to protect taxpayer funds following an inquiry into the misuse of state and federal broadband grant funding by Maverix Broadband, Inc. After receiving whistleblower reports, CBO took quick action to freeze payments to Maverix, launch an inquiry, move to terminate six active grants, and rescind more than $100 million in provisionally awarded Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding that has not gone out yet. 

AT&T, in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, added a new 5G cell site in Brantley County (GA) as a direct result of state and local public safety feedback, boosting wireless connectivity for first responders on 

What should the social contract be between the communications sector, the government, and the public in the next two decades? Its terms should reflect that the purpose of communications policy is to ensure that all Americans can fully participate in the economy and civic life of their communities. In 1996, there was a bipartisan consensus that policy should drive competition that, in turn, would drive the communications sector to continually deliver faster, better and cheaper communications for all.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved permanent, automatic disaster relief protections for customers enrolled in the California LifeLine program, helping ensure that low-income Californians can maintain access to essential communications services when disasters cause a disruption. Under the decision, affected California LifeLine customers will receive:

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is urging the Trump administration to overhaul implementation of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program to ensure BEAD meets its statutory goal to connect every American home and business with reliable, high-speed internet.

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.