- Congress-Approved Funding Frozen
- Harris County, Texas, Launches Task Force
- NET Act Passes in Senate
- San Francisco Brings Free Wi-Fi to Chinatown
- Alabama Progresses on Middle-Mile Network
- Fiber Expansion Continues
CONGRESS-APPROVED FUNDING FROZEN
U.S. senators are seeking an explanation from U.S. Department of Commerce leadership as to why the Trump administration has frozen the distribution of nearly $1 billion in congressionally approved broadband grants from the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).
The senators wrote a letter highlighting their concerns “that the agency is reportedly applying additional, unnecessary standards and requirements to applications, resulting in uncertainty that threatens the success of existing and planned projects.” TBCP is the first National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) program that recognizes “Tribes’ sovereignty to determine broadband infrastructure needs on their own lands,” the senators said in the letter.
TBCP is a nearly $3 billion grant program established in 2021, funded through $980 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and $2 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grants through this program support tribal governments’ deployment of broadband on tribal lands and other work to support telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.
The senators’ letter includes several questions, calling on Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth to provide answers. These include asking for a status update on all remaining TBCP awards, clarity about NTIA-provided technical assistance, timeline information for TBCP Round 2 funding, any new guidance or requirements that NTIA may impose, and more explanation around non-deployment activities, something congressmembers have been seeking answers about since the summer. Last week, U.S. Rep Randy Udell issued a statement calling it “ignorant” to treat non-deployment funds as optional.
TBCP has awarded $2.24 billion to 275 tribal projects nationwide to date.
Native nations have historically faced disproportionate barriers to Internet access, with a 2021 report finding that nearly half of disconnected people are Black, Indigenous and people of color. Some tribal nations have built their own networks and leveraged digital navigator programs for training.
HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, LAUNCHES TASK FORCE
Harris County, Texas — home to the city of Houston — is establishing a task force for broadband.
The 16-member Harris County Broadband Task Force, the establishment of which was unanimously approved by the Harris County Commissioners Court last week, will support the implementation of the county's Broadband Roadmap, introduced in June.
The task force will act as an advisory group to the Commissioners Court, evaluating initiatives and making recommendations, and will report twice annually on progress.
The task force will be made up of 11 members of the public representing the following sectors: low-connectivity communities, independent school districts, nonprofit organizations, workforce and economic development, broadband providers, and higher education institutions. These members will serve two-year terms.
The other five members will be Harris County departments, serving permanently.
Appointments are slated to be made in December, and the first meeting is scheduled for January 2026.
NET ACT PASSES IN SENATE
In policy news, the Network Equipment Transparency (NET) Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate in February, unanimously passed that body last week. Now, it will need to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming law.
With broadband deployment ramping up across the U.S., supply chain disruptions can lead to project delays. This legislation aims to enable more proactive identification of issues in the telecommunications supply chain.
If enacted, the NET Act would amend Section 13 of the Communications Act of 1934 to require that the FCC’s Communications Marketplace Report include information about these disruptions and their impacts. The FCC would be charged with determining whether projects’ completions were impacted by lacking equipment.
The legislation would strengthen investments made through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand Internet access by identifying issues early, per a statement from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.
SAN FRANCISCO BRINGS FREE WI-FI TO CHINATOWN
In local news, San Francisco’s free public Wi-Fi network, known as #SFWiFi, is expanding to Chinatown.
This expansion will connect hundreds of households in Chinatown to free Internet. As of last week, the network is available at the Dragon’s Gate, in St. Mary’s Square and along Grant Avenue between Broadway and Pacific Avenue; the rest of the neighborhood is slated to be connected throughout the next year.
“Access and opportunity online must be available to everyone — no matter how much you make or what language you speak,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie in a statement.
The #SFWiFi network already provides free public Internet in more than 20 community hubs across the city, including parks and recreation centers.
ALABAMA PROGRESSES ON MIDDLE-MILE NETWORK
In state news, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey celebrated the progress on Alabama’s Statewide Middle-Mile Network last week.
The project is a partnership between the Alabama Fiber Network and Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). Currently, teams are nearing completion of the 3,500-mile fiber backbone that will support broadband access in unserved and underserved communities. The entire project is slated to be finished in February.
The middle-mile network will serve as the infrastructural foundation for last-mile Internet service providers to reach homes and businesses.
“The Alabama Middle-Mile Network is an essential building block for our state’s digital future,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said in a statement.
FIBER EXPANSION CONTINUES
Communities across the nation are continually expanding access to fiber-optic networks.
For example, fiber-based connectivity provider Lightpath has just announced a network expansion adding about 100 route miles of new fiber across the greater New York region — specifically Long Island, southern Connecticut, northern New Jersey, and Westchester County. The route supports 5G and AI-driven network deployments.
Brightspeed, a fiber broadband builder and provider, has announced the completion of its fiber network build in Indiana communities: Francesville, Knox, LaGrange, Nappanee, North Judson and Syracuse.
In Florida, fiber Internet provider Wire 3 announced it is expanding its network to include Clermont and Minneola in Lake County. This expands on the company’s initial plans. Construction is underway.
