by Pivot
Author: Ian Doescher
North Carolina Announces $33M in Broadband Funding, Brightspeed Wins Big Again
Brightspeed was also the largest winner (by number of counties) in North Carolina broadband funding made available at the end of last month.
Toward Better Public-Private Partnerships: DIG Smart in Maryland
DIG’s hope is that every broadband project in Maryland will begin with an eye toward possible public-private partnerships.
Charter Communications and Cox Communications to Merge
The two companies will change the company name to Cox Communications but will use the Charter Spectrum brand name.
Oklahoma Board Advances More Than $53M in Middle-Mile Broadband Grants
If approved, the Oklahoma broadband grants would be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Service Guarantees, Price Locks the Most Popular Recent CX Moves
Before price locks became the dominant CX trend of 2025, two large national providers introduced groundbreaking service guarantees.
Tennessee Offers BEAD Update: 298 Applications for More Than $704M
In this first round, Tennessee received 298 BEAD applications that cover 174 of the state’s 178 Project Area Units (PAUs).
Meet the California Legislator Who Introduced the State’s $15 Internet Bill
The California bill requiring providers to offer a $15 internet plan is similar to a New York law that went into effect last year.
Oregon Announces More Than $24M in Broadband Grants, Offers BEAD Update
According to the announcement, most locations served by this round of Oregon broadband grants are unserved.
North Carolina Announces More Than $22M in Broadband Project Grants
This round of broadband grants will connect 10,810 homes and businesses to high-speed internet in 14 North Carolina counties.
Starlink to Acquire Google Fiber in $22B Deal
The announcement said Google Fiber CEO Dinni Jain will leave his post and become a board member at Starlink.
Fourth Leg of the Relay Race: Meet the South Carolina State Broadband Director
Jim Stritzinger, Director of the South Carolina Broadband Office, likes “to think of the work we’re doing as an Olympic relay race.”
Arielle Roth Discusses BEAD and Satellite Technology in NTIA Director Hearing
Arielle Roth is nominated to be director of the NTIA, which oversees the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Texas Adds to List of BOOT Program Broadband Grants
The list of Round 2 awards in the Texas BOOT Program so far includes seven additional new grants since January.
Commerce Secretary Wants BEAD to Fund Satellite, Other Alternative Technologies
Changes to the BEAD Program, including a move toward more alternative technologies, were discussed as early as last year.
The Michael Jordan of Broadband: Meet the Indiana State Broadband Director
Stephen Cox was enjoying retirement in Florida when the opportunity to become the Indiana state broadband director arose.
Google Interview: The Promise of Agentic AI for Broadband Providers
The ability of agentic AI to make decisions and carry them out brings enormous efficiency benefits, Jain said.
NTCA Women in Telecom Session Highlights Work/Life Balance Issues
The Women in Telecom session at RTIME encouraged attendees not to separate professional and personal values.
Data Centers and the Opportunity for Rural Broadband Providers
Jeff Johnston listed several opportunities for broadband providers as data centers come to their communities.
Universal Service Fund the “North Star”; Day of Action Planned
Describing protecting universal service as a “battle,” Bloomfield said work to save the USF would involve every branch of government.
Washington State Reassures Partners After Federal Funding Pause, Restart
The federal funding pause memorandum created uncertainty among many federal grantees, including those in the broadband industry.
Trump Administration Rescinds Pause On Federal Grant Funds, Including BEAD
Reaction from Congressional Democrats to the Office of Management and Budget’s federal grant pause was swift.
BEAD and Beyond: New York’s Broadband Director Has a Holistic Vision to Fulfill
New York’s total investment in its broadband programs is about $1.3 billion, which is a mix of state and federal funding.
New York Begins Enforcing Low-Cost Internet Plan Law
The low-cost internet program was part of the Affordable Broadband Act, which was passed under former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
NTIA Approves Nevada’s BEAD Final Proposal
Nevada’s final proposal details how it will use the more than $416 million in allocated BEAD funding to connect 43,715 homes and businesses.
