Anchor Institutions Face Funding Crisis as Digital Divide Widens, Panel Says

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2025 — Schools, libraries and healthcare facilities are struggling to maintain connectivity amid federal funding cuts and policy changes that threaten their ability to serve vulnerable communities, experts warned during a webinar Wednesday.

The Oct. 15 Broadband Breakfast Live Online discussion, held as the federal government shutdown entered its third week, highlighted mounting challenges for anchor institutions that provide essential broadband access to millions of Americans.

"Anchor institutions are really the heartbeat of our communities," said Joey Wender, Executive Director of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition. "It's where we gather, it's where we learn, and it's where we seek care."

Broadband Breakfast on October 15, 2025 - Libraries, Schools, and Telehealth: How Anchor Institutions Bridge Gaps

Are anchor institutions the key to closing the digital divide?

Broadband BreakfastMichael Wallace