NTIA
USDA, NTIA Receive Budget Cuts in Fiscal Year 2026
ReConnect eliminated; Digital Equity funding cut short
USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is a cabinet agency, and includes several broadband-related funding programs.
Funding
Trump Plan Wants to Cut USDA Broadband Funding
Other broadband resources are doing the job, White House said
Broadband Mapping and Data
GAO Flags Gaps in Federal Broadband Coordination and Data Accuracy
Three years after GAO recommendations, federal broadband coordination remains fragmented.
SpaceX
Tom Reid: Common-Sense Solutions to Closing the Digital Divide in Rural America
The BEAD investment offers great hope to rural America where we have been stuck in the digital divide since the beginning of the Internet age.
Data center summit
Panelists Warn of ‘Choke Points’ in America’s Nuclear Energy Future
Permitting delays, transmission backlogs, siting fights, and supply chain gaps top the list.
Digital Inclusion
USDA Scrubs DEI Criteria from Rural Broadband Grant Programs
Removal of DEI scoring may shift broadband funds away from Tribes and disadvantaged areas.
Nuclear
Reps. Fleischmann and Weber to Headline Data Center and Energy Summit
Experts gather next Thursday to explore AI infrastructure challenges at the intersection of data centers, nuclear power, and broadband.
Rural
Clearfiber CEO Sentenced for Money Laundering
Hensen submitted false invoices to the USDA
ReConnect
Senate Confirms Brooke Rollins to Lead USDA
Was approved in a 72-28 vote Thursday; approach to rural broadband issues was not prominently discussed in hearings.
Commerce
Senate Bill Requiring NTIA to Overhaul Federal Broadband Efforts Is Back
Bill mandates a national broadband strategy but explicitly bars new regulatory authority over internet service providers.
Funding
USDA to Open Applications for $26 Million Community Connect Program
Recipients last year included NEK Community Broadband, Lewis County PUD, and Pulse Broadband.
Funding
Tech, Broadband Bills Dropped by Congress in New Funding Bill
Omits measures on NTIA coordination, deepfakes, and FCC transparency.
Farm bill
Former RUS Leader Keeps Backing a Fiber-First Approach
‘To make America great again, you need ubiquitous, high-speed broadband.’
NTCA
USDA Announces $173 Million in Additional ReConnect Funding
ReConnect Program funding will flow to ten states.
Fiber
USDA’s Andy Berke Champions Fiber as Key to Rural Broadband Success
Broadband experts cautioned against alternative technologies under BEAD.
IRA
Rural Leaders See Their Hospitals Closing Without Robust Broadband
The Biden administration's broadband initiatives were described as crucial for saving rural hospitals.
