Blizzard the Avalanche Fund Leads Datagram's $4M Pre-Seed Round to Become DePIN Baselayer
The funds are being used to launch its sovereign Layer 1 blockchain on Avalanche, optimized for real-time performance and composability. The $4M raise will also accelerate Datagram's node network deployment in key markets, onboard strategic partners, and accelerate Datagram Network's roadmap for its upcoming node sale and mainnet launch.
60% of global capacity in connectivity infrastructure is underutilized, with up to 80% of bandwidth, CPUs, and storage across personal and enterprise systems sitting idle. Datagram's network employs idle compute, storage, and bandwidth into a high-availability, decentralized infrastructure backbone powering applications in gaming, AI, communications, and more.
'Avalanche shares our belief that real-time infrastructure must be decentralized, efficient, and open' said Jason Brink, CEO of Datagram Network. 'Their leadership in this round validates the technical foundation we have built and the potential we see to become the baselayer for the decentralized internet.'
Launching as a sovereign Layer 1 blockchain on Avalanche, Datagram's network offers deterministic finality, ultra-low latency, and native composability across the broader Avalanche ecosystem for over 200 enterprise partners and more than 1 million users worldwide. The network is also blockchain-agnostic at its substrate level, meaning it can seamlessly integrate with existing and emerging DePIN networks across chains.
'Datagram is building the missing link between underutilized infrastructure and real-time Web3 applications' said Lydia Chiu, SVP of Corporate Development and CIO of Blizzard the Avalanche Fund. 'We are excited to support their mission to make decentralized infrastructure more performant, composable, and widely accessible.'
'Infrastructure is the foundation for digital freedom and ownership' said Leigh Travers, Director of Capital Markets at Animoca Brands. 'Datagram's architecture unlocks a decentralized model that can scale with real-world demand from gaming to AI to the broader open metaverse. We believe their approach is essential to building the next generation of the Internet.'
The company's roadmap will rollout partnerships across gaming, telecom, and AI, along with the expansion of its AI-based routing engine to optimize traffic flow across a global network of decentralized nodes. Datagram also launched its Alpha Testnet, allowing users to run nodes, contribute to network performance, and earn rewards in $DGRAM. This was the first public phase of Datagram's rollout of its real-time infrastructure and verifiable DePIN interoperability.
About Datagram
Datagram is a global, AI-driven Hyper-Fabric Network redefining the new era of Internet connectivity and DePIN cross-network interoperability. By harnessing idle hardware and bandwidth, the network dynamically optimizes traffic, reduces congestion, and scales effortlessly to deliver seamless, low-latency performance across gaming, AI, telecom and beyond. Having served over 200 enterprises and 1 million users worldwide, Datagram is the next-generation baselayer for DePINs and high-performance applications.
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About Avalanche
Avalanche is an ultra-fast, low-latency blockchain platform designed for builders who need high performance at scale. The network's architecture allows for the creation of sovereign, efficient and fully interoperable public and private layer 1 (L1) blockchains which leverage the Avalanche Consensus Mechanism to achieve high throughput and near-instant transaction finality. The ease and speed of launching an L1, and the breadth of architectural customization choices, make Avalanche the perfect environment for a composable multi-chain future.
Supported by a global community of developers and validators, Avalanche offers a fast, low-cost environment for building decentralized applications (dApps). With its combination of speed, flexibility, and scalability, Avalanche is the platform of choice for innovators pushing the boundaries of blockchain technology.
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6 hours ago
- CNET
Stop Overpaying for Internet: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Internet for Big Savings
You don't need a computer science degree to make sense of the internet plan you're paying for, but you do have to do a little research. ISPs often use flashy advertising or marketing to distract you from the hidden fees or price increases in your internet bill. Often, the clues to what your internet service bill will look like and the plan's speed are right in front of you, albeit engulfed in jargon; you just need to know what to look for. In the past year, as a broadband writer, I've spent hours reading through internet service provider offerings -- and the customer service reviews about those offerings. It can be boring, but the key to getting a decent internet deal -- one that saves you money and comes with enough speed -- is reading the fine print. If you share the sentiments of thousands of Americans who hate their internet service providers, you're probably not thrilled about the prospect of sifting through ISP promotional offers for hours. When the time comes to shop for home internet, it can be tempting to just buy whatever convenient internet plan your friends and neighbors are using and move on with your life. While our internet options are sorely limited depending on where we live, keep in mind that you'll have to live with the internet plan you pick. If it's too slow, you'll be picking up the phone in a few months to call customer service again. If you're getting lured into a plan with hidden fees and promo pricing, you might find your bill doubling after a year or a few months have passed. We rely on the internet for nearly everything these days. With fears of a looming recession and prices rising due to tariffs, it's crucial to find ways to save a little money on such an essential service. Here's my fool-proof method for finding the best internet plan for you. Locating local internet providers 10 common mistakes made when picking internet plans A little patience and some reading will go a long way with buying an internet plan -- but there are some specific terms to look out for. Before you even start shopping, you should have a good idea of how much speed you'll need and your budget. Here are the top 10 mistakes I've noticed people making when picking out an internet plan: We'll go over each of these in depth below so that when it comes to finding a good internet service provider, you'll be a pro. 1. Paying for internet speeds you don't need Getty Images Internet is already expensive once you factor in the equipment fees, hidden fees (more on those later) and potential yearly price increases. Don't overpay for internet speeds that you just won't use -- but you shouldn't settle for a low tier only to go crawling back to customer support for an upgrade to a higher tier later. The easiest way to avoid that strife is to take stock of how much internet speed your household is actually using before you begin shopping for a new plan. To start, count the number of gadgets and smart home devices in your home. Smart devices can be sneaky bandwidth hogs, often overlooked when considering internet usage. If you have more than 10 devices online concurrently during a typical day, with internet usage involving more than just browsing the web, a good rule of thumb is to stick to speeds of 500 megabits per second or higher. If you only have one or two devices on during the day and only one or two internet users working remotely, browsing the web, streaming or gaming at a time, you should be safe with 150 to 300Mbps. Since I work remotely and typically only use two devices simultaneously, AT&T Fiber's cheapest 300Mbps tier works just fine for me. If you've experienced excessive lag, buffering and Wi-Fi issues with your current tier, it might be time to size up. Your Wi-Fi setup could be to blame for your internet connectivity issues, so run down the list of possible solutions before upgrading. Advertised vs. actual speeds On that note, keep in mind that what your ISP is advertising as a maximum speed (in my case, 300Mbps), may not be the actual speeds you'll get consistently. Your actual speeds will likely be much slower -- especially if you're relying on Wi-Fi and connecting multiple devices to your network. Even 1,000Mbps tiers may face congestion and slowdowns, as CNET's Trisha Jandoc discovered in her home. When looking for a reliable internet plan, make sure you're taking a holistic look at your speed usage and factoring in slowdowns you may experience depending on the number of devices, the type of internet users in the house and the internet connection type. 2. Not considering the internet connection type Did you know there's more than one type of internet connection? You may have multiple internet connection types at your address; evaluate them all instead of opting for whatever is most convenient. Here's a quick rundown: Fiber internet : Typically considered the gold standard of broadband, fiber internet can deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds -- a feat no other internet connection type can boast of yet. You may be eligible for fiber internet at an address previously only serviceable for cable, so it's worth asking your landlord or calling a fiber provider to see if you can get fiber. : Typically considered the gold standard of broadband, fiber internet can deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds -- a feat no other internet connection type can boast of yet. You may be eligible for fiber internet at an address previously only serviceable for cable, so it's worth asking your landlord or calling a fiber provider to see if you can get fiber. Cable internet : Since fiber internet is much less available than cable internet, you're much more likely to be serviceable for cable instead of fiber. Cable is a decent second-best option, with speeds that can reach multi-gig levels (though upload speeds remain sorely lacking). : Since fiber internet is much less available than cable internet, you're much more likely to be serviceable for cable instead of fiber. Cable is a decent second-best option, with speeds that can reach multi-gig levels (though upload speeds remain sorely lacking). 5G or fixed wireless internet : If you can't get either fiber or cable, consider 5G internet. Wireless internet is becoming increasingly popular, and Verizon 5G and T-Mobile Home Internet have dominated the space in recent years. Verizon's 5G home internet plans claim to offer speeds up to 1,000Mbps and T-Mobile just boosted its speeds and added a new speed tier. : If you can't get either fiber or cable, consider 5G internet. Wireless internet is becoming increasingly popular, and Verizon 5G and T-Mobile Home Internet have dominated the space in recent years. Verizon's 5G home internet plans claim to offer speeds up to 1,000Mbps and T-Mobile just boosted its speeds and added a new speed tier. Satellite internet: With nearly 100% availability, satellite internet is a safe bet for rural communities or those on the go, but it tends to be high in costs and is prone to network congestion. Unless you don't have another option, consider satellite and DSL internet a last resort. 3. Falling for promotional pricing and flashy advertising A recent CNET survey found that 63% of adults are paying more for their internet than they paid last year. Internet providers are profit-motivated first. If you stumble upon a cheap internet plan or deal that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Plus, if you decide to call before you do some research, your customer service representative will probably try to talk you into either upgrading to a faster (more expensive) plan or adding some services you simply don't need. Xfinity's FCC-mandated broadband nutrition label displays the "post-introductory price" after one year of service: the monthly cost jumps from $55 to $89. Screenshot by Cierra Noffke/CNET Pricing traps and promotional bait are popular among ISPs. Your best defense is to always read the fine print -- especially before you pick up the phone to sign up for a plan. If you're not careful, you could be roped into a two-year contract, with your bill increasing exponentially in the next year. Cable providers Xfinity, Astound and Spectrum are notorious for price increases that can range from $20 to $30 more after a promotional period. In the case of Xfinity, your bill might double after the first year, unless you sign up for a price-lock. If you closely examine the FCC-mandated broadband nutrition labels, you can see what your monthly bill will look like after the promo period ends. 4. Not reading the fine print to look for contracts, hidden fees or data caps OK, I know it's boring and arguably the worst part about picking a good internet plan, but reading through the terms of service is the best way to figure out what the internet plan you're looking at actually entails. Consult your ISP's broadband nutrition labels for basic facts and read their full terms of service for any follow-up issues you uncover. If you still have outstanding questions, write them down and make sure you ask them when you call. First, make sure you're not signing up for a contract unless you have no other option. Contracts require you to stick with an internet service for the entire term. If you decide your internet plan isn't working for you halfway through, you'll either suffer for the next six months or pay a hefty termination fee. Screenshot of Sparklight's broadband nutrition labels across three plans. Notice how Sparklight describes the data included with each plan as "Unlimited." If you read the fine print, you'll find it actually enforces a soft cap of 5TB. Screenshot/CNET Next, make sure you're checking for data caps. The broadband nutrition label should indicate any data caps, but sometimes, ISPs won't use the broadband labels to clearly state whether they're enforcing a data cap (looking at you, Sparklight), so you'll have to read through the fine print. Also, sometimes ISPs enforce "soft caps" or use "priority data," which means your internet speeds will be throttled once you max out your allotted data. Lastly, are there any hidden fees or junk fees you should worry about? That promotional price of $30 a year for 150Mbps may seem attractive initially, but if your provider leases equipment for an additional $15 and enforces a maintenance fee of $12 monthly, you're looking at $57 monthly. In some cases, you may be able to call and negotiate with your ISP to waive a few of those fees. If you're trying to cut back on initial internet costs, consider installing your internet yourself. 5. Not calculating the cost per Mbps The cost per Mbps is a great way to gauge how good of a deal your internet plan is. Internet prices fluctuate depending on the internet connection type, regional pricing or related market issues. The cost per Mbps is the ratio between the monthly rate (excluding taxes and extra fees) and the advertised speeds -- or the price you're paying for 1Mbps of speed. You can find the cost per Mbps by dividing the monthly rate by the plan's max speed. A good rule of thumb is to stick to a cost per Mbps between 10 and 25 cents or lower -- if you can. Anything lower than 10 cents per Mbps is usually a good deal. I'll caution that the high speeds of fiber internet plans can make using the cost per Mbps approach confusing. For example, AT&T's fastest tier of 5,000Mbps costs $245 a month. That's a hefty price for a lot of speed. The cost per Mbps of that plan comes out to 5 cents, which is pretty good by broadband standards but an unrealistic monthly rate for home internet. If you're thinking of picking a plan with promotional pricing, compare the cost per Mbps for both the introductory and post-introductory rates. Spectrum's $50 for 500Mbps plan comes out to a decent 10 cents per Mbps, but if you stick with that plan for a year, your monthly rate will jump to $80, which is a much higher 16 cents per Mbps. In that case, consider shopping around after your promo period ends. 6. Not comparing internet plans or reading customer reviews I know, I know, I've already asked you to read the terms of service for one ISP, and now I'm asking you to cross-analyze the offerings from multiple ISPs. It's tedious work but the only way to ensure you're getting the best deal is to carefully read and compare the terms of service of all the ISPs in your area. Now that you know what to look for, you can compare the cost per Mbps and terms of service across different ISP plans. If you're one of the lucky few who can choose between more than one or two decent internet providers, you should choose carefully. The terms of service will give you a good sense of what to expect from your internet plan but those words are written from an ISP perspective. You should always take customer reviews with a grain of salt but they're usually an honest portrayal of how those service terms actually play out. For example, if people express consistent confusion about price hikes, consider that a red flag about promotional pricing traps. You can turn to resources like Reddit for city-specific threads about ISPs or the Better Business Bureau for a closer look at what people didn't like about their service. 7. Ignoring tech support and security We usually don't think about our internet until something starts going wrong. Like most internet shoppers, you're probably not planning for connectivity issues and if you pick a good ISP and speed, hopefully, you won't have to deal with those issues. But internet connectivity problems are inevitable, whether it's a problem with your equipment, your Wi-Fi setup, outages your provider is experiencing or more significant problems beyond your control. If you can choose between a good ISP without free tech support and a good ISP with free tech support, opt for the support. You'll never know when you'll have to make a phone call to troubleshoot your connection or your equipment. 8. Not buying your own routerBefore I started writing about home internet, I never considered my router and I couldn't tell you the difference between a modem and a router. But now I know that it can save you money to buy your equipment upfront instead of paying an extra $10 to your ISP every month. Most routers cost $200 or less, which will pay for itself in a little more than a year. Plus, you won't have to worry about racing to return your equipment when your plan ends. There's also a chance your router can offer better performance than the one your ISP offers. CNET's Joe Supan saved nearly $1,000 by buying his own router instead of renting from Xfinity and he noticed improved upload speeds after doing so. Just note that if you buy your own router, you likely won't be eligible for tech assistance from your ISP anymore, and they may even try to blame your internet connectivity issues on your router. Most router manufacturers -- notably TP-Link, Netgear, and Linksys -- offer their own customer service support anyway. 9. Not looking at mobile bundle discounts (or other deals) The best home internet discounts typically come from bundling with your ISP's mobile service. Switching over your mobile service provider can be a hassle if you don't already get service from the same company but you could save as much as $35 each month on internet by doing so. Astound and Mediacom offer some of the best mobile discount opportunities but you may have other options, too. ISPs often try to lure customers with low pricing or other add-ons, and while some deals aren't worth signing up for, others, like T-Mobile's $300 gift card and Frontier Fiber's $30 plan for 500Mbps, are worth a try. 10. Not thinking twice about your router placement Last but not least, after you've done your research and committed to a plan, you'll have to pick a date for installation. Most people trust that the technicians who install their equipment will pick the best place in the house, but that's not always the case. Wi-Fi works best with an optimized setup. If you can place your router/modem in a central spot in the house, closest to where you're working or where your most used TV is located, work with your technician to make that happen. You can always invest in some Wi-Fi extenders or a mesh network if you think the connectivity will be an issue but don't assume your technician knows what's best. After all, this is your internet plan, and you'll be using it every day. FAQs Should I rent or buy my modem or router? It may seem daunting to buy your own router, but the decision could save you money in the long run. Most routers cost around $200, which should pay for itself after a year since many ISPs charge $10 to $15 for equipment rental. If you buy your own router, your ISP won't be able to offer tech support if there's an issue with the equipment, but router manufacturers often come with their own tech support anyway. Plus, newer routers often perform better than the routers ISPs rent out -- CNET broadband writer Joe Supan bought his own router (which saved him nearly $1,000), and he saw improved upload speeds with his cable internet.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
4 Internet Delivery Services Stocks to Watch in a Thriving Industry
The Zacks Internet - Delivery Services industry participants, such as GoDaddy GDDY, Vipshop Holdings VIPS, QuinStreet QNST and Asure Software ASUR, are well-positioned for growth due to their sustained efforts in adapting to changing consumer preferences. A greater Internet presence in emerging markets, a burgeoning affluent middle class and the accelerated uptake of smartphones are set to aid Internet-Delivery Services industry participants. Online delivery is yet to expand beyond major metros, underlining lower penetration and significant room for growth. However, persistent macroeconomic uncertainties, protracted inflationary conditions and still-high interest rates remain major challenges. Elevated operating expenses related to hiring new employees and sales and marketing strategies to capture more market share are likely to strain margins in the near term. As expansion into newer markets will take some time to generate volumes, higher upfront costs might erode profitability. Industry Description The Zacks Internet - Delivery Services industry primarily comprises companies that offer services via Internet-based platforms. These include food delivery, online travel booking, direct marketing, media services and web hosting, among others. Some companies in this space offer Internet domain registration and web hosting registration, and sell e-business-related software and services. A few industry participants provide air and train ticket bookings, customized holiday packages, hotel bookings, bus tickets and car hire services. Some players offer online direct marketing and media services, including online messaging, email broadcasting, search engine marketing and brand management facilities. Growth-stage companies in the industry are spending more on R&D and sales & marketing, making it difficult for them to generate profits in the near term. Trends Shaping the Future of the Internet - Delivery Services Industry Smartphones and Internet Penetration Fuel Growth: The relentless rise in smartphone usage and better Internet access are reshaping the delivery services landscape. Whether it's ordering dinner, booking a trip, or managing HR software from a mobile app, the digital shift is unlocking massive opportunities. Companies in the Zacks Internet – Delivery Services industry are riding this wave, with 4G adoption already widespread and 5G now emerging as a game-changer, bringing faster connections and more seamless user experiences. The broader and deeper this connectivity runs, the more scalable and efficient these businesses can become. Shifting Consumer Preferences: The shift in consumer preferences, driven by convenience and easy accessibility, is anticipated to aid the industry. The accelerated transition from offline to online food ordering, as well as the rising penetration of online travel booking, augurs well for industry players. However, as higher consumer spending appetite is the main driver of the overall industry's health, any sluggishness in the global economy will pose a risk. Tech Innovations Give the Industry an Edge: Advances in technology, including smart routing algorithms, real-time GPS tracking and predictive delivery models, are making the customer experience faster, more reliable and more transparent. These advances are driving down delivery times, reducing inefficiencies and giving early adopters a real edge in a highly competitive market. Tariff War Risks: Although these companies don't directly import goods, the fallout from a tariff war can still hit them hard. When tariffs drive up prices, small businesses pull back, new startups pause their launches and enterprise clients grow cautious. That ripple effect is evident from weaker advertising spending, fewer domain registrations or slower demand for digital tools. So, while the pain may be indirect, it's real, and it could weigh on revenue growth and margins if trade tensions keep escalating. Higher Upfront Costs to Hurt Profitability: Online delivery is yet to expand beyond major metropolitan areas, underscoring lower penetration and significant room for growth. However, higher upfront costs associated with expansion strategies may erode profitability. Intensifying competition from big tech giants is another challenge for industry participants. Amazon continues to build out its delivery muscle, and Alphabet is expanding into food delivery with projects like Wing and its suite of apps. These tech giants bring deep pockets, vast infrastructure and enormous user bases, raising the bar for everyone else in the industry. For smaller players, the pressure to scale quickly while defending their turf is becoming a high-stakes balancing act. Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright Prospects The Internet - Delivery Services industry is housed within the broader Computer and Technology sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #55, which places it among the top 22% of about 250 Zacks industries. The group's Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, implies solid near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. The industry's positioning in the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries is a result of a positive earnings outlook for the constituent companies in aggregate. Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let us look at the industry's recent stock-market performance and valuation picture. Industry Outperforms S&P 500 and Sector The Zacks Internet-Delivery industry has outperformed the S&P 500 composite and the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector over the past year. The industry has risen 23.2% during this period, while the S&P 500 and the broader sector have gained 11.7% and 11%, respectively. Industry's Current Valuation On the basis of forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S), a commonly used multiple for valuing Internet-Delivery stocks, the industry is currently trading at 1.81X compared with the S&P 500's 5.23X and the sector's 6.62X. Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 2.03X and as low as 0.66X and recorded a median of 1.07X, as the charts below show. 4 Stocks to Watch Vipshop Holdings: It is an online discount retailer for brands. The company offers branded products to consumers in China through flash sales on its website. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Vipshop Holdings' continued efforts to strengthen product offerings and improve product procurement are aiding its financial performance, given the growing proliferation of online shopping. Further, the solid execution of its merchandising strategy is bolstering its active customer base. Additionally, Vipshop Holdings' quarterly results are likely to keep benefiting from its deepening focus on high-margin-generating apparel-related businesses, especially the discount apparel business. Furthermore, the company's deep discount channels are expected to bolster its online gross merchandise volumes in the quarters ahead. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has been revised upward by 4 cents to $2.49 per share over the past 60 days. QuinStreet: It is a provider of online direct marketing and media services. QuinStreet offers online messaging, email broadcasting, search engine marketing and brand management services. QuinStreet is benefiting from the accelerated shift from an offline to an online business model across industries. Ad spending is likely to continue increasing, driven by improving business activities. The company is well-positioned to bank on this opportunity and acquire new customers and high-value deals. QuinStreet carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings has been revised downward by 5 cents to $1.05 per share in the past 30 days. GoDaddy: It is an Internet domain registrar and web hosting company that also sells e-business-related software and services. The company is engaged in designing and developing cloud-based technology products for small businesses, web design professionals and individuals. GoDaddy is benefiting from strong momentum across the Applications & Commerce business and expanding its global footprint. Growth in bookings, primarily driven by strong customer additions and price increases in various domains, has been a key catalyst. GDDY's focus on pricing, bundling and cost optimization, along with innovation in commerce and seamless user experiences, ensures continued momentum. It is also expanding its commerce offerings, seeing significant growth in gross payment volume. GDDY stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has been revised downward by 6.8% to $5.92 per share over the past 60 days. Asure Software: This is a cloud computing firm that offers business clients the chance to modernize their human capital management (HCM), time and attendance solutions, and payroll and taxes. Asure Software's strategic initiative to become a pure software-as-a-service HCM company is aiding its top-line growth. This Zacks Rank #3 company's focus on driving innovation for its HCM solutions is helping it expand its footprint in the HCM market. New client additions and a continued focus on cross-selling to existing clients are driving Asure Software's revenues. The company's differentiated employee strategy, measurement capabilities and comprehensive product offerings are helping it win new customers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Asure Software's 2025 earnings has remained unchanged at 90 cents per share in the past 60 days. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report GoDaddy Inc. (GDDY) : Free Stock Analysis Report QuinStreet, Inc. (QNST) : Free Stock Analysis Report Asure Software Inc (ASUR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Vipshop Holdings Limited (VIPS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Wall Street Journal
6 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
A Crucial Moment for Crypto Legislation
The internet of the mid-1990s looked quite different from today. Amazon sold only books, Google didn't exist, and there was no practical way I could use it to help expand the restaurant chain my brothers and I had begun in Pennsylvania. The World Wide Web was an interesting idea, but few fully understood how much it would revolutionize our daily lives. That changed when Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first set of rules and guardrails around the development of the internet. The law enabled telephone and cable companies to offer broadband services. Congress's action opened markets to competition and gave companies the clarity they needed to develop services for new technologies and scale them across the country. By 2014 broadband providers had made $1.4 trillion in capital investments to build the internet's infrastructure. Under clear, light-touch regulation, the internet flourished and America became the tech capital of the world.
