Infrastructure
North America Ranks Among World’s Most Expensive Regions for Broadband
U.S. broadband costs remain high compared to similar Western economies.
Georgina Mackie
Georgina Mackie studied Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin and the University of California, Los Angeles. Her interests include gatekeeping in news coverage and the impact of AI on the news ecosystem.
Congress
Congress to Take Up Broadband, Public Safety Bills Under Suspension-of-Rules
House to consider FirstNet reauthorization, USF vetting bill, and others.
Cybersecurity
Cyber Nominee Warns U.S. Could ‘Cede Strategic Ground’ on Digital Infrastructure
Cassady called for coalitions of trusted partners to support secure U.S. digital ecosystems.
universal service
Analysts Call for Public Broadband as Thousands Remain Offline in NYC
New York City’s reliance on companies like Spectrum and Verizon has not delivered affordable or universal service, analysts say.
Democracy
Internet Shutdowns Becoming Routine for Authoritarian Regimes, Panel Says
Costly VPN and satellite tools fall short as enforcement tightens.
Chris Wright
Energy Officials Pressured to Expand Grid as AI Demand Surges
The department is exploring using federal land and agency sites to speed data center buildout.
FTC
FTC and Eight States Settle With Ad Agencies Over Alleged Boycotts
Settlement targets alleged coordinated ad restrictions based on political content.
Privacy
Virginia Bans Sale of Precise Geolocation Data
Ban reflects growing push to curb data brokers, even as industry warns of impacts on digital services.
Birmingham
Alabama Governor Signs Measure Freezing Power Rates
Critics say the measure was weakened from its original intent, limiting oversight.
Satellite
Senate Commerce Advances Bills Targeting Satellite Security
Measures include cybersecurity guidelines for commercial satellites and restrictions on foreign operators.
Satellite
Senate Commerce Targets Satellite Security in Next Executive Session
Satellite security and proposed social media warnings headline Commerce committee markup.
Data Centers
House Bill to Offset Data Centers' Impact on Energy Costs Introduced
Lawmakers say utilities are increasingly passing infrastructure costs to households.
Data Center
Hyperscale Data Centers to Reach 67% of Global Capacity by 2031
Cloud giants rapidly expanding infrastructure as AI demand accelerates.
Nebraska
Nebraska Broadband Director Patrick Haggerty to Depart May 1
DOT Director Vicki Kramer will take over the role on an interim basis.
Data Center
Sangamon County, Illinois, Approves $500M Data Center After Heated Debate
Critics warn the project could strain local resources while offering limited long-term benefits
Energy
West Virginia Law Sets 50-Gigawatt Energy Expansion Goal
Critics warn the energy law favors fossil fuels and could raise utility bills.
