Aug 24, 2026 · 11 min · 9 segments
In this week’s episode of [The Broadband Exchange](https://www.telecompetitor.com/podcast/ "Telecompetitor, The Broadband Exchange"), we hear about multiple ways AI can be employed for the benefit of…
Ian DescherHost
The commission reported that, as of June 2025, 96.9% of Americans had access to fixed terrestrial broadband at speeds of at least 100 megabits per second downstream and 20 megabits per second upstream.
The number of people without access at that level fell about 23% in one year and roughly 43% over two years.
The report found that about 10.5 million people still lack fixed terrestrial service at 100 by 20, including more than 9 million rural residents.
It also returns to a deployment-only interpretation of the law, reversing the broader approach used in 2024, when the FCC also considered affordability, adoption, and equitable access.
In a statement, Commissioner Ana Gomez concurred with rather than fully endorsed the report.
She argued that meaningful availability should include whether people can afford and use the service.
She also challenged the report's reliance on satellite availability, noting that advertised coverage and delivered performance are not always the same thing.
At the Broadband MT conference this week, Montana's State Broadband Association annual meeting, which I had the pleasure of attending, U.S. Telecom President and CEO Jonathan Spalter predicted that the midterm elections could create an opening for federal broadband permitting reform if Democrats win control of either chamber of commerce this November.
He joked that Congress has reached an Olympian level of excellence at getting nothing done, but his larger point was serious.
Partisan dynamics have stalled action even on areas in which the parties broadly agree.
The association is working with the White House to extend useful permitting exclusions to broadband projects, pressing Congress to pass legislation, and engaging the FCC, where Chairman Brendan Carr has already made permitting a priority.
Spalter emphasized that delays affect more than provider construction schedules because they also leave people waiting for service.
Meanwhile, in California, the state approved nearly $32 million through the California Advanced Services Fund, Up to $24 million of that will support three infrastructure projects serving 590 unserved locations across Fresno, Merced, Plumas, and Tulare Counties.
The Plumas County project is also designed to strengthen communications resilience during the region's recovery from the Dixie Fire.
Nearly $596,000 will install broadband infrastructure at four affordable housing developments with 315 residential units.
Those projects will provide Wi-Fi at 100 megabits per second downstream and 20 upstream.
Eight digital literacy projects are expected to train more than 2,600 people, while two statewide call centers will help connect more than 29,000 households with affordable service.
Taken together, the awards address infrastructure, affordability, and the skills needed to make a connection useful.
Also in California, state regulators approved the Charter Cox transaction, but the approval came with a substantial set of conditions.
The commission reported that, as of June 2025, 96.9% of Americans had access to fixed terrestrial broadband at speeds of at least 100 megabits per second downstream and 20 megabits per second upstream.
The number of people without access at that level fell about 23% in one year and roughly 43% over two years.
The report found that about 10.5 million people still lack fixed terrestrial service at 100 by 20, including more than 9 million rural residents.
It also returns to a deployment-only interpretation of the law, reversing the broader approach used in 2024, when the FCC also considered affordability, adoption, and equitable access.
In a statement, Commissioner Ana Gomez concurred with rather than fully endorsed the report.
She argued that meaningful availability should include whether people can afford and use the service.
She also challenged the report's reliance on satellite availability, noting that advertised coverage and delivered performance are not always the same thing.
At the Broadband MT conference this week, Montana's State Broadband Association annual meeting, which I had the pleasure of attending, U.S. Telecom President and CEO Jonathan Spalter predicted that the midterm elections could create an opening for federal broadband permitting reform if Democrats win control of either chamber of commerce this November.
He joked that Congress has reached an Olympian level of excellence at getting nothing done, but his larger point was serious.
Partisan dynamics have stalled action even on areas in which the parties broadly agree.
The association is working with the White House to extend useful permitting exclusions to broadband projects, pressing Congress to pass legislation, and engaging the FCC, where Chairman Brendan Carr has already made permitting a priority.
Spalter emphasized that delays affect more than provider construction schedules because they also leave people waiting for service.
Meanwhile, in California, the state approved nearly $32 million through the California Advanced Services Fund, Up to $24 million of that will support three infrastructure projects serving 590 unserved locations across Fresno, Merced, Plumas, and Tulare Counties.
The Plumas County project is also designed to strengthen communications resilience during the region's recovery from the Dixie Fire.
Nearly $596,000 will install broadband infrastructure at four affordable housing developments with 315 residential units.
Those projects will provide Wi-Fi at 100 megabits per second downstream and 20 upstream.
Eight digital literacy projects are expected to train more than 2,600 people, while two statewide call centers will help connect more than 29,000 households with affordable service.
Taken together, the awards address infrastructure, affordability, and the skills needed to make a connection useful.
Also in California, state regulators approved the Charter Cox transaction, but the approval came with a substantial set of conditions.
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