‘Beneficiary Pays’ Model Gains Traction With Lawmakers
Lawmakers at Data Center World urged Congress to adopt a “beneficiary pays” model, requiring companies that drive demand for new transmission lines—such as data centers—to foot the bill. Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R‑ND) and Rep. Scott Peters (D‑CA) highlighted cost allocation as the chief obstacle to grid expansion and called for clear criteria and permitting reform. The bipartisan push aims to stabilize the grid, upgrade capacity, and avoid reliance on aging plants. A deal is reportedly near, but legislators warn the window for action is closing.
Little Talk of BEAD at Lutnick’s House Hearing
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified before the House appropriations subcommittee on the FY2027 budget, where the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program received limited discussion. Lutnick indicated that guidance for states on using the program’s non‑deployment funds is...
Comcast Beats on Broadband Losses and Wireless Adds
Comcast reported its first year‑over‑year improvement in residential broadband churn since Q4 2020, shedding only 65,000 subscribers versus a 117,000 loss a year earlier. The company also posted a record quarterly gain of 435,000 wireless lines, pushing its mobile base above...
Lawmakers Weigh Satellite Licensing Overhaul Amid Growing Demand
The House Communications and Technology Subcommittee reviewed the SAT Streamlining Act, legislation designed to modernize U.S. satellite licensing by giving the FCC clearer authority over geosynchronous and non‑geostationary systems and related ground infrastructure. The bill imposes a one‑year deadline for...
Malone's GCI Buying Alaska Subsea Fiber Operator Quintillion, Ending Grain Management's Brief, Painful Tenure
John Malone‑controlled GCI Liberty announced the purchase of Alaska subsea fiber operator Quintillion for a $310 million enterprise value, including a $160 million unsecured loan. The deal adds Quintillion’s 1,800+ miles of subsea and terrestrial fiber and a planned 1,500‑mile expansion to...
Poverty Advocacy Group Raises BEAD Funding Concerns
Children’s Defense Fund warned that Mississippi’s $700 million BEAD allocation could be diverted from the state’s poorest and minority communities as Starlink competes for the funds. The NTIA rejected Starlink’s request for a waiver, keeping the state’s broadband eligibility rules in...
AI Compute Shortage Challenges ‘Bubble’ Narrative
AI compute capacity is tightening as demand surges, undermining claims of an AI bubble. Senior director Vlad Galabov of Omdia highlighted the shortage at Data Center World. OpenAI had to scale back its video‑generation tool Sora to reallocate compute to...
Early Community Engagement May Avoid Data Center Delays, Industry Panel Says
Data center developers are being urged to engage local communities and policymakers early to avoid costly delays, panelists said at Data Center World. Brandie Williams highlighted that over 70% of projects from 2020‑2022 stalled due to poor communication. Regulators in...
Company Wants FCC to Reallocate TV Spectrum for Mobile
Landover, a telecom firm with U.S. and European wireless experience, filed a petition with the FCC to reallocate the 554‑608 MHz TV band for 5G and future 6G use. The company proposes to coordinate broadcaster relinquishment, repack the remaining spectrum into...
Permitting Reform Needed As Energy, Data Center Demand Surges
Federal permitting rules are under pressure as U.S. energy and data‑center demand surge, with industry leaders warning that review processes can stretch four to five years. Speakers at an American Enterprise Institute panel highlighted the fragmented involvement of the Interior,...
Senators Propose Update to Communications Accessibility Law
Senators Ed Markey and Ben Ray Luján, joined by Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brian Fitzpatrick, introduced a bipartisan Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act to modernize the 2010 accessibility law. The bill expands captioning, audio description, and device activation requirements...
North Dakota Regulators Can’t Help Blumenthal on Data Center Oversight
Senator Richard Blumenthal asked state utility regulators for data‑center nondisclosure agreements, but the North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) said it does not regulate such facilities and can provide only limited information. The PSC is reviewing a $110 million power project...
AST to De-Orbit Satellite After Failed Launch
AST SpaceMobile announced that its BlueBird satellite, launched on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, failed to reach a usable orbit and will be de‑orbited. The company expects the satellite’s cost to be recovered through its insurance policy. The Federal Aviation Administration...
North America Ranks Among World’s Most Expensive Regions for Broadband
A new global study finds North America is the second‑most expensive region for fixed‑line broadband, with an average monthly price of $98.40. The United States ranks 167th worldwide, paying about $80 per month, trailing several European economies. By contrast, Eastern...
States Map Out Plans for $50 Billion Rural Health Program
State leaders are drafting strategies to tap the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, which will disburse $10 billion annually from 2026 through 2030. The initiative mandates integrating broadband and digital tools into rural health delivery, with North Carolina targeting roughly 400...
NextNav Cleared for More Coexistence Tests
NextNav received FCC clearance to conduct a second round of field trials in Pueblo, Colorado, evaluating how its proposed 5G‑based GPS backup can coexist with railroad automatic equipment identification (AEI) systems. The tests, which run through October 1, 2026, follow a similar...
Congress to Take Up Broadband, Public Safety Bills Under Suspension-of-Rules
Congress will consider a slate of broadband and public‑safety bills under suspension of the rules during the week of April 20, 2026. House measures aim to speed federal permitting, improve emergency‑communication tracking, and reauthorize FirstNet through fiscal year 2037. The Senate will debate...
Cyber Nominee Warns U.S. Could ‘Cede Strategic Ground’ on Digital Infrastructure
Adam Cassady, President Trump’s nominee for ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that safeguarding digital infrastructure is as critical to national security as traditional sea lanes and energy routes. He highlighted subsea...
Education Groups Opposed to E-Rate Bidding Portal
The FCC is set to vote on a draft order that would create a USAC‑run E‑Rate competitive‑bidding portal, slated to launch on July 1 2027 for the 2028 funding cycle. Recipient groups, including the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, argue the...
Analysts Call for Public Broadband as Thousands Remain Offline in NYC
Analysts Suzi Ragheb and Katherine Jin argue New York City should stop subsidizing private ISPs and build a publicly owned broadband network. The city currently spends roughly $38 million a year to provide subsidized service to 330,000 public‑housing residents, yet private...
Telecom Sales Platform CableFinder Announces Partnership with Fiber Carrier Lightpath
CableFinder, a telecom sales platform, announced a partnership with fiber carrier Lightpath that will enable single‑session contracts and real‑time serviceability checks via an API‑driven marketplace. Lightpath contributes over 12,000 miles of AI‑grade fiber, owned by Optimum and Morgan Stanley, to...
FCC’s Carr Concerned About Verizon-Contractor Commitments
FCC Chair Brendan Carr voiced concern that Verizon may be breaching its post‑merger commitments to contractors, a condition of the FCC’s approval of the $20 billion Frontier acquisition. The agreement with NATE requires transparent procurement and inflation‑adjusted pricing, but contractors allege...
Energy Officials Pressured to Expand Grid as AI Demand Surges
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the House Energy and Commerce Committee that exploding AI and data‑center workloads are driving a "huge demand for electricity" and forcing a rapid expansion of generation and transmission capacity. He said the Department of...
Lawmakers Aiming to Circulate Draft USF Framework This Summer
Lawmakers are preparing a discussion draft to modernize the $8.5 billion‑per‑year Universal Service Fund, with a target release this summer. The FCC has opened a comment period, ending May 15, on potential reforms to the nonprofit that administers the fund, USAC, focusing...
Connectbase CEO Predicts Edge Technology Is What’s Next for AI Inference
Connectbase CEO Ben Edmond said edge technology will drive the next wave of AI inference, shifting focus from hyperscale data centers to localized processing. In a webinar with INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering, Edmond highlighted use cases such as autonomous drones,...
Funding Secured for 2.7 GHz Studies, NTIA Says
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced it has nearly secured funding to study repurposing roughly 200 MHz of the 2.69‑2.9 GHz federal band for commercial wireless use. The agency cleared relocation plans and cost estimates for the two primary users,...
NTIA Holds Panel Showcasing Benefits of Fixed Wireless
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration hosted a panel on April 14 highlighting fixed wireless as a practical solution to the digital divide in remote regions. Panelists emphasized lower start‑up costs, rapid scalability and superior climate resilience compared with traditional...
FTC Moves to Crack Down on Hidden, Unfair Rental Fees and Perhaps Bulk Billing
The Federal Trade Commission opened an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to curb hidden, deceptive rental fees, reviving the possibility of regulating bulk‑billing internet arrangements after the FCC abandoned its ban. More than 1,500 comments from industry groups, consumer advocates,...
USTelecom Pushed for White House Environmental Review Guidance
USTelecom successfully lobbied the White House to issue new Council on Environmental Quality guidance that expands categorical exclusions for federal infrastructure projects. The memo directs agencies to reuse existing environmental reviews and adopt peer exclusions, aiming to cut duplicated NEPA...
BEAD Program Drives $100M+ Broadband Expansion in Spokane County
The federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has allocated more than $100 million to Spokane County, Washington, with a provisional $90 million award to public development authority Broadlinc and matching state funds. The money will finance a hybrid rollout of...
Virginia Enacts Law to Streamline Wireless Infrastructure Upgrades
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed House Bill 277 into law, streamlining upgrades to existing wireless infrastructure by restricting local governments from denying modification requests that do not substantially change a facility’s dimensions. The bill defines “substantial change” to include work...
Ookla Report: MmWave 5G Networks Are Growing
Ookla’s latest speed‑test report shows that Verizon and AT&T are expanding mmWave 5G deployments, especially in dense urban centers. Verizon’s mmWave footprint grew from 75 markets in 2024 to 91 in late 2025, while AT&T’s testing activity rose 20% in...
Senate Commerce Targets Satellite Security in Next Executive Session
On April 13, 2026, the Senate Commerce Committee scheduled a markup session to consider nine bills, including the Secure Space Act and the Satellite Cybersecurity Act, aimed at strengthening U.S. satellite communications security. The Secure Space Act would bar the...
Robert Corn-Revere: Fact Checking Without Facts
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is using the public‑interest licensing standard to threaten broadcasters that he labels as spreading "fake news," a stance that departs from decades‑old FCC precedent. Over the past year he has posted on social media that stations...
House Bill to Offset Data Centers' Impact on Energy Costs Introduced
Rep. Paul Tonko introduced the Power for the People Act, a House bill that would require data‑center developers to pay for the transmission upgrades their power demand triggers. The legislation follows a Senate counterpart introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen...
Die-Hard Eagles Fan in Indiana Created ‘Optimization Algorithm’ to Slash His Annual NFL Streaming Bill by 60%
Ryan Kellermeyer, a Philadelphia Eagles fan living in Indiana, built an optimization algorithm through his startup HUDDLEMAXX that slashed his annual NFL streaming costs by roughly 60%, dropping the bill from $937 to about $375. He filed an FCC complaint...
New Mexico Funds Wi-Fi for Historical Sites
New Mexico’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion awarded a $460,000 grant to the Department of Cultural Affairs to install free public Wi‑Fi at 12 historic sites, creating 213 new access points. The funding comes from the $100 million Connect New...
Nebraska Broadband Director Patrick Haggerty to Depart May 1
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen announced that broadband office director Patrick Haggerty will step down on May 1. Haggerty, who joined in 2023, oversaw the state's broadband expansion, securing about $44.5 million in federal funds and $21 million in private investment under the...
Sangamon County, Illinois, Approves $500M Data Center After Heated Debate
Sangamon County’s board voted 17‑10, with one abstention, to approve CyrusOne’s $500 million data‑center project on 280 acres of farmland in Talkington Township. The decision clears a major zoning hurdle, though additional permits are still required before construction can begin. Supporters...
Ex-FCC Chief Ajit Pai: Wireless Competition Is Driving Prices Down
Former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argued that intensified competition among wireless carriers is pushing prices lower while boosting service quality. He cited a 6% decline in wireless plan costs and a 17% drop in smartphone prices, alongside a 50% rise...
First Data Center Project Enters Federal 'FAST' Permitting Program
A Virginia data center expansion has become the first project to receive FAST‑41 coverage, a federal permitting program originally limited to energy, transportation and broadband sectors. The designation, part of the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, offers a coordinated,...
Georgia AG Chris Carr Ready to Shoot at Drones to Stop Prison Cellphone Smuggling
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced a plan to shoot down drones that drop contraband into state prisons, releasing a campaign video that frames the tactic as a "multiple means necessary" approach. He and 20 other Republican attorneys general urged...
Anchorage Blocks New Data Centers in ‘Residential Zones’
Anchorage’s City Council approved a 10‑2 ordinance that bars new data centers from being built in residential zones, limiting them to commercial and industrial districts. The measure introduces a mandatory public‑review process and requires utilities to assess water, wastewater, and...
West Virginia Law Sets 50-Gigawatt Energy Expansion Goal
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey signed House Bill 5381, establishing a long‑term plan to lift the state’s generation capacity from 16 gigawatts to 50 gigawatts by 2050. The legislation consolidates fragmented statutes, mandates a five‑year energy development plan, and prioritizes...
Texas Camps Sue to Block State Fiber Internet Mandate
Nineteen Texas summer camps filed a lawsuit to block a state rule that forces them to install end‑to‑end fiber broadband and maintain a secondary connection. The mandate, enacted under Senate Bill 1 after a deadly 2025 flood, aims to improve...
Pole Attachment Disputes Over Costs, Timelines and Safety at Broadband Breakfast Event
Broadband providers and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association clashed at a Broadband Breakfast event over who should foot the bill for pole replacements, the speed of make‑ready work, and safety liabilities. The utility group warned its members’ poles are...
Defense Department Urges FCC to Oppose DJI Petition Over Security Risks
The U.S. Department of Defense formally urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject DJI's petition to be removed from the FCC’s "covered list," which bars certain foreign‑made drone equipment from import and sale. In a memorandum, the DoD argued that...
NTIA Launches Portal to Speed Spectrum Coordination for Space Launches
On April 7, 2026, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) unveiled the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal, an online platform designed to accelerate federal spectrum coordination for commercial space launches. The portal replaces a manual, email‑based system, allowing providers...
Aiden Buzzetti: The FCC Should Make Sure EchoStar Creditors Are Paid Back Billions Owed
The FCC faces a pivotal decision as EchoStar, owner of DISH Wireless, seeks to sell its 5G spectrum for roughly $50 billion while allegedly refusing to honor $7‑10 billion in debts to tower owners, fiber providers, and contractors. The dispute stems from...
$28.5 Million Massachusetts Initiative To Bring 27,000 Laptops, Tablets to Residents
Massachusetts is deploying a $28.5 million Connected and Online Program that will distribute nearly 27,000 internet‑enabled laptops, tablets and computers to residents. The initiative, funded by the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund, will allocate 26,368 devices to nonprofits, hospitals, libraries and...