- Arizona’s Broadband Director
- Vermont Launches Digital Empowerment Plan
- Bill Aims to Prevent FCC Censorship
- A Look at Broadband Legislation
- Sonoma County Provides Free Internet
ARIZONA’S BROADBAND DIRECTOR
Nick Capozzi will serve as Arizona’s new state broadband director, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced last week.
Capozzi brings experience from the governor’s office to the role; there, he served as operations adviser and state infrastructure coordinator. Because of these positions, he has been closely involved in statewide broadband expansion planning work. He also served as a budget and grants analyst within the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.
Capozzi’s first day as director will be March 31.
The state’s previous broadband director, Sandip Bhowmick, has been in place since February 2022, but is heading to a private-sector job. Watson credited him for his leadership in implementing transformative broadband programs, in the release.
The position of state broadband director was initially created in 2018 by the Arizona Legislature, which oversees the State Broadband Office housed within the ACA.
The office advances initiatives ranging from the Arizona Rural Broadband Development Grant program, to the Arizona Broadband Statewide Middle-Mile Strategic Plan, and federal programs like the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD).
The last of these programs is on hold indefinitely pending an investigation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Some states, like Louisiana, are ready to begin the building phase when the pause ends. As FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said of the program in a statement, “BEAD without equity is just BAD.”
State-level broadband efforts are, however, ongoing in Arizona and in December, the state launched a website featuring a state broadband map to coordinate various broadband expansion efforts. Arizona has been ranked as a top state in the country for its implementation of federal broadband programs, according to the announcement. For Arizona broadband expansion, this is “a time of immense activity and promise,” Watson said in her statement.
VERMONT LAUNCHES DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT PLAN
Last week, the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) initiated its Digital Empowerment (DE) Plan. Its five parts include research, device access, a Digital Navigator Program, workforce training, and grants to support the work. VCBB also recently hired Digital Equity Data and Research Specialist Yujie Li to support the work. The DE plan, along with its translation into 14 languages and an American Sign Language video summary, can be found on the VCBB website.
The state’s digital empowerment work has already been set in action, with VCBB sponsoring a new Broadband Technician Pre-Apprenticeship Training for an entry-level broadband network technician. The first course will be available to participants at no cost. The program aims to help the state meet the construction workforce needs to maximize BEAD program funding.
In related BEAD news from Vermont, the state has announced that it is accepting proposals from Internet service providers to implement the program.
“The VCBB is aware that the BEAD program is under federal review and will keep prospective subrecipients apprised of any changes that will affect the Full Proposal process, including changes to scoring,” the announcement said, noting the VCBB will continue to implement the BEAD program as outlined in the state’s Initial Proposal until it is given notice from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
BILL AIMS TO PREVENT FCC CENSORSHIP
Several senators introduced legislation last week that would explicitly state that the FCC is an independent agency and prohibit it from taking action — such as revoking a broadcast license — against any person based on their viewpoints.
“Free speech and freedom of the press is a pillar of our democracy, and I am committed to defending it from politically motivated attacks,” Sen. Ben Ray Luján said in a statement.
The FCC is typically split along party lines, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr— appointed by then-President-elect Donald Trump in November — recently garnered mixed responses after taking action to launch an investigation into private-sector companies’ practices.
The FCC chairman has previously stated that newsroom decisions should not be made by the government, as underlined in a statement by Matt Wood, vice president of policy at Free Press.
In separate FCC news, the chairman has issued a public notice opening a new docket on deregulatory initiatives. NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association CEO Shirley Bloomfield celebrated the opportunity to reform unnecessary regulatory burdens, in a statement. But she underlined the importance of doing so with caution to avoid “creating unintended consequences for FCC policies and priorities.”
A LOOK AT BROADBAND LEGISLATION
In other legislative news, lawmakers introduced the Deploying Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions and Legacy Applications Act last week in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would create online portals for the accepting, processing and disposing of communications technology permitting forms. The goal is to improve the transparency and accountability of the permitting process for the companies deploying broadband on federal lands.
And this week, representatives reintroduced the Broadband Expansion and Deployment Fee Equity and Efficiency Act of 2025. The legislation would improve transparency of federal broadband programming, specifically focused on application fees.
Also, the PLAN for Broadband Act passed as amended by voice vote in the Senate. That bill was reintroduced in February in an effort to prevent wasteful spending.
SONOMA COUNTY PROVIDES FREE INTERNET
In local news, the Sonoma County, Calif., Board of Supervisors approved the affordable housing site locations that are eligible to receive free Internet for one year, impacting 556 low-income households. This initiative uses American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Criteria for site selection included distribution among senior housing, families, low-income workers and individuals experiencing homelessness.
“The board has prioritized finding creative solutions to broadband infrastructure development in Sonoma County,” Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, board chair, said in a statement.
The Internet subscriptions will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible residents, and the funding will cover equipment rental costs, surcharges and fees for the year.
