Commissioner Gomez Calls for Stronger Efforts to Close the Digital Divide
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez urged stronger action to ensure all communities have access to affordable broadband.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez urged stronger action to ensure all communities have access to affordable broadband.
ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 30, 2025 — Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Anna Gomez said she was “heartbroken” by the loss of the Wi-Fi Hotspot program, the Affordable Connectivity Program and other programs recently cut.
“These are all methods to reach the unconnected and to provide connectivity to the members of the community that cannot access it on their own, but need it in order to participate in just about everything we do in today’s society,” Gomez said.
“Whether it’s for students to be able to do their homework, whether it’s for teachers to be able to teach their students, whether it’s for people at home who need to apply for jobs or need to do their jobs, veterans who can get their health care remotely.”
Six grants will expand and implement Wi-Fi in public plazas, parks and municipal buildings.
As fiber networks rapidly expand nationwide, the retirement of legacy copper infrastructure has emerged as a critical broadband policy debate, raising complex questions about service continuity, regulation, and the risk of leaving rural and low-income communities behind.
The bill would direct the Illinois Commerce Commission to set broadband price protections for low-income residents.
Carriers worry permitting delays and labor shortages could lead to connectivity loss in rural communities.
Member discussion