Fiber Connect

GFiber, AARP Partner on Senior Internet Training, Starting with Chandler, Ariz.

One in four Americans will be over 65 within years. An industry partnership is building the digital literacy infrastructure to reach them.

Akul Saxena

May 18, 2026 — 2 min read

Photo of (from left), Joseph Wender, Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition; Alex Glazebrook, OATS Senior Planet; Ariane Schaffer, GFiber; Deborah Kish, Fiber Broadband Association.

ORLANDO, May 18, 2026 — The Trump administration's cancellation of $2.75 billion in federal digital literacy funding last May left internet training programs for seniors without a primary funding source.

A coalition of fiber providers, a digital literacy nonprofit, and a trade association announced Monday they intend to fill part of that gap through a privately funded partnership launching first in Arizona.

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Fiber Connect Digital Equity Act SHLB Coalition OATS Senior Planet Chandler, Ariz. Ariane Schaffer Alex Glazebrook Deborah Kish BEAD

GCI Expands 5G to 9 More Southeast Alaska Towns

GCI has expanded 5G service to nine more Southeast Alaska communities, boosting mobile connectivity across the region.

Former FCC Republican Michael O’Rielly Supports Ending E-Rate ‘If Is Is Hurting Students’

“If E-Rate is not delivering, or worse, if it is hurting students, then it should be curtailed or ended,” O’Rielly says, adding the FCC has the legal authority to pursue reforms.

AI and Robotics Drive an IPO Boom in China as Shein Lists in Hong Kong

The trend also reflects a growing tendency for Chinese companies to list shares in Shanghai or Hong Kong rather than New York.

September 15, 2026: Building a Better Connected City

Join SmartWAVE Technologies and Juganu for an engaging conversation about how smart street lighting can become the foundation for a more connected, intelligent, and resilient city.