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Politico Benton Institute For Broadband Society

Bonisiwe Shabane
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politico benton institute for broadband society

Learn About the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act In the absence of federal leadership, state governments are working to ensure that every household can afford to get and stay connected. We engage in long-term planning and provide practical, day-to-day resources to strengthen the public benefits of broadband, protect democratic values, and communicate why it matters. Our articles are curated by Executive Editor Kevin Taglang who has 30 years of experience in this field. Benton provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, connecting communications, democracy, and the public interest. The daily digest is delivered via email Monday-Friday mornings.

You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday. Round-Up for the Week of December 1-5, 2025 As of this week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved final Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program proposals from 30 states and territories. With less than four weeks left in 2025, Democratic leadership from the House Commerce Committee sent a letter to NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth asking a number of questions about NTIA's progress on BEAD implementation,... Here's a bit of a recap of the last six months of BEAD changes that led up to the letter and concerns about squandering the $42 billion opportunity to connect everyone in America to...

Here’s How NTIA is Changing the BEAD Program If you were relaxing on a beach on June 6, good for you—unless, of course, you are a state broadband officer. You may have missed NTIA's June 6 BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, which ushered in a host of changes to BEAD Program rules. NTIA's new rules instructed states to pick the cheapest technologies to deliver internet access and forced every state and territory to redo their subgrant programs in 90 days. The Policy Notice also eliminated BEAD requirements for fair labor practices, factoring in climate changes over the lifetime of networks, consumer protections, and measures to ensure these taxpayer-funded networks are affordable for potential subscribers. 22 States Filed a New Suit Challenging the Trump Administration.

What Does it Mean for Broadband? Parliamentarian requests AI moratorium rewrite BEAD Process Will Be Chaotic, But Some Plans Can Be Salvaged Eligible Entities Should Press Forward with Broadband Adoption Efforts TODAY: Supreme Court’s final opinions of the term are coming June 27, Chief Justice Roberts says | WJTV Residents of western North Carolina gather near a fire station last fall to access Wi-Fi service in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

The region is among the areas meant to benefit from the BEAD program for rural broadband access. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images) The Trump administration on Friday released revised rules for a federal program meant to widely expand broadband access, stripping the Biden-era effort of many key requirements and making it easier for Elon Musk’s company... Under the revised guidelines, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, known as BEAD, will take a technology-neutral approach to expanding broadband access rather than focusing on fiber internet. The original program favored fiber because of its speed, reliability and ability to reach remote locations. The change opens the door for more internet providers to use BEAD grants for technologies including satellite internet service, which is provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Under the new rules, Starlink could receive $10 billion to $20 billion in BEAD money, up from $4.1 billion the company would have received under the original rules, according to The Wall Street Journal. Groups applying for BEAD funding also will no longer be required to offer a low-cost service option for internet users in locations they are serving. Some states had proposed services as low as $30 a month. Trump Administration Announces the Benefit of the Bargain BEAD Program Here’s How NTIA is Changing the BEAD Program White House security staff warned Musk’s Starlink is a security risk

England’s High Court Warns Lawyers to Stop Citing Fake A.I.-Generated Cases | New York Times FCC Chairman Carr Applauds Chairman Cruz's Reconciliation Text | Federal Communications Commission "We humanize communications policy and help people understand its impact on their everyday lives." Benton underwrites policy and legal experts who work to articulate and advance a public interest-focused broadband agenda and communicate why “broadband for all” matters. Benton connects stakeholders through information sharing and analysis to frame and promote conversation, and a more inclusive debate around broadband policy. Benton curates and distributes broadband research and analysis to policymakers, public interest advocates, philanthropy, and more.

Benton identifies and highlights best practices and strategies as state and local leaders find innovative and creative ways to advance their broadband goals. The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society talks about the impact of policy and broadband adoption… To improve broadband adoption, future growth will have to come from the same population segments that experienced adoption growth upon the pandemic’s onset. They are the segments where significant connectivity gaps remain—and thus are the most promising for attracting new subscriptions. The takeaways for policymakers and other stakeholders are: The rapacious energy needs of data centers finally seem to have taken a political toll.

In recent elections, candidates in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere ran—and won—on voters’ frustration with rising utility bills caused partly by America’s enormous AI buildout. This could have consequences for tech companies expanding in the U.S., which still need to build giant centers for their AI ambitions, but now find themselves on the wrong end of a political issue. But it also impacts America on the global stage. A nation where tech infrastructure is suddenly a bogeyman could find itself at a disadvantage—especially as global rivals race to fill the infrastructural gaps and expand their own AI economies. Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214 Wilmette, IL 60091 © 1994-2025 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.

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