Latest news with #AccessandDeployment
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate parliamentarian allows GOP to keep ban on state AI rules
The Senate parliamentarian concluded the controversial push to ban state regulation of artificial intelligence for the next 10 years can remain in President Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill. The decision, announced by lawmakers over the weekend, followed weeks of speculation from both parties over whether the provision would overcome the procedural hurdle known as the Byrd Rule. The parliamentarian's decision will allow the provision to be voted on in the budget reconciliation process with a simple-majority vote. It comes after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, altered the language of the House's version in hopes of complying with the Byrd Rule, which prohibits 'extraneous matters' from being included in reconciliation packages. Under their proposal, states would be prohibited from regulating AI if they want access to federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The House's version called for a blanket 10-year moratorium on state laws regulating AI models and systems, regardless of funding. Still, some GOP members remained skeptical it would pass the Byrd Rule. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said last week it was 'doubtful' the provision survives. The provision has further divided Republicans, while Democrats are largely against it. While many Republicans are concerned with overbearing regulation of the emerging tech, a few GOP members argue it goes against the party's traditional support of states' rights. Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) told The Hill they are against the provision, while Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said he is willing to introduce an amendment to eliminate the provision during the Senate's marathon vota-a-rama if it is not taken out earlier. The provision received pushback from some Republicans in the House as well. A group of hard-line conservatives argued in a letter earlier this month to Senate Republicans that Congress is still 'actively investigating' AI and 'does not fully understand the implications' of the technology. This was shortly after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) confirmed she would be a 'no' on the bill if it comes back to the House with the provision included. 'I am 100 percent opposed, and I will not vote for any bill that destroys federalism and takes away states' rights, ability to regulate and make laws when it regards humans and AI,' the Georgia Republican told reporters. Several Republican state leaders and lawmakers are also pushing back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Senate parliamentarian allows GOP to keep ban on state AI rules
The Senate parliamentarian concluded the controversial push to ban state regulation of artificial intelligence for the next 10 years can remain in President Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill. The decision, announced by lawmakers over the weekend, followed weeks of speculation from both parties over whether the provision would overcome the procedural hurdle known as the Byrd Rule. The parliamentarian's decision will allow the provision to be voted on in the budget reconciliation process with a simple-majority vote. It comes after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, altered the language of the House's version in hopes of complying with the Byrd Rule, which prohibits 'extraneous matters' from being included in reconciliation packages. Under their proposal, states would be prohibited from regulating AI if they want access to federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The House's version called for a blanket 10-year moratorium on state laws regulating AI models and systems, regardless of funding. Still, some GOP members remained skeptical it would pass the Byrd Rule. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said last week it was 'doubtful' the provision survives. The provision has further divided Republicans, while Democrats are largely against it. While many Republicans are concerned with overbearing regulation of the emerging tech, a few GOP members argue it goes against the party's traditional support of states' rights. Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) told The Hill they are against the provision, while Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said he is willing to introduce an amendment to eliminate the provision during the Senate's marathon vota-a-rama if it is not taken out earlier. The provision received pushback from some Republicans in the House as well. A group of hard-line conservatives argued in a letter earlier this month to Senate Republicans that Congress is still 'actively investigating' AI and 'does not fully understand the implications' of the technology. This was shortly after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) confirmed she would be a 'no' on the bill if it comes back to the House with the provision included. 'I am 100 percent opposed, and I will not vote for any bill that destroys federalism and takes away states' rights, ability to regulate and make laws when it regards humans and AI,' the Georgia Republican told reporters. Several Republican state leaders and lawmakers are also pushing back.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Broadband is the bridge to a better future. Why are West Virginians still waiting?
Around 25% of West Virginians live without access to high-speed internet. (Trumzz | Getty Images) In the heart of West Virginia's rural landscape, the promise of new job opportunities through online training is overshadowed by a glaring problem: a lack of reliable broadband access. For residents like Dee and Bobby, this digital divide isn't just an inconvenience; it's a barrier to building better lives and a more prosperous future. Dee, in Wyoming County, is trying to restart her life after battling addiction and losing custody of her children. Last month, she enrolled in an online training program that promised to prepare her for a remote customer service job. Such jobs could be a lifeline in rural counties like hers, where traditional employment is scarce. But Dee immediately hit a roadblock. Her home internet failed to meet the minimum speed requirements for a remote interview, let alone sustained remote work. Her hopes faded because of infrastructure deficiencies outside her control. Despite her resolve, her ability to secure a sustainable livelihood and rebuild her family remains on hold. Bobby, a resident of a remote holler in Putnam County, has a similar story. He enrolled in an Adult Collegiate Education program to become an HVAC technician, aiming to increase his earning potential. But when winter weather made it unsafe to drive out of the holler, he lacked the internet access needed to keep up with coursework. Like many in rural communities without broadband, Bobby isn't being held back by a lack of ambition or ability, but by the absence of a basic prerequisite most Americans take for granted. These stories aren't isolated. They represent the daily struggles of the 25% of West Virginians who live without access to high-speed internet. Nationwide, the digital divide still affects more than 14 million people, mostly in rural and low-income areas. But the gap is particularly stubborn in West Virginia, where rugged terrain and sparse populations make traditional broadband expansion more expensive, and where broadband buildouts have too often stalled due to bureaucratic delays. The situation is worsening. Communities can no longer count on promised funding from federal initiatives like the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to materialize on time or to support the most effective technologies. Meanwhile, deployment delays continue as providers and utilities argue over who will pay to replace aging poles. These fights have little to do with the lives at stake. But this doesn't have to be the end of the story. In McKee, Kentucky, a town tucked into the Appalachian Mountains like many in West Virginia, a nonprofit called the People's Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) has shown what's possible. With support from federal funds, local investment, and a clear community mandate, PRTC has built and maintained a fiber broadband network that now offers above-average speeds. The project connected residents not just to the internet, but to jobs. More than 600 work-from-home positions have been created in partnership with job-training nonprofits, and the region has seen its unemployment rate drop by an astonishing five percentage points. This model works because it is rooted in local ownership and accountability. It treats broadband not as a speculative venture for private profit but as public infrastructure, no less vital than roads or electricity. It also aligns broadband access with workforce development from the start, ensuring people are trained for the very jobs that connectivity unlocks. West Virginia can replicate this success. Local organizations must be empowered and funded to close broadband gaps, while aligning closely with job-training providers to meet community needs. Strategic investment in community-based broadband cooperatives, especially those leveraging fiber, can create jobs in installation, maintenance, and the digital economy. Broadband access is not a luxury. It is the foundation for economic mobility in the 21st century. Without it, education, career advancement, health care and entrepreneurship are out of reach. And without those, rural residents remain locked in cycles of poverty and dependence, no matter how hard they work. If we're serious about creating real economic opportunity in West Virginia, we must stop waiting for ideal conditions and start investing in real solutions. That means prioritizing broadband expansion as a matter of economic justice. Until people like Dee and Bobby have a fair shot at success, none of us should be satisfied. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump halts US effort to attain 'digital equity'
By Carey L Biron WASHINGTON: The public library in Bethel, Alaska is the only place for miles around that provides free internet and computer use, and it was planning to lead the community into a new era of online access. The staff of four had been offering popular one-on-one online assistance and was on the cusp of adding more employees to reach more residents. But after President Donald Trump axed a key federal program in early May, those plans seem doomed. The library was part of a tranche of projects approved in January, and the funding would have allowed additional digital experts and the means to stay open evenings and weekends. "We were beyond excited," said Theresa Quiner, director of Bethel's Kuskokwim Consortium Library. Internet access is limited and very expensive, and there are very low rates of digital literacy, she said. "This is a very important and in-demand service, especially for elderly people and people with visual disabilities," Quiner said. In a May 8 social media post, Trump criticized the law that would have funded the expansion - the Digital Equity Act , an unprecedented $2.75 billion law passed under former President Joe Biden - as an unconstitutional "racist ... giveaway." "No more woke handouts based on race!" he wrote. The move comes amid a broad effort by the Trump administration to stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the government. The following day, notices went out saying funding was immediately terminated. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration did not respond to a request for comment. "If you take away the Digital Equity Act funding, far fewer people will be online," said Gigi Sohn , executive director of the American Association for Public Broadband, which represents community-owned networks. "You do your banking online, pay your speeding tickets online, go to school online. So if you don't have robust, affordable access, you're a second-class citizen." EXPANDING CONNECTIONS About 12% of U.S. residents people lived in households without an internet connection in 2023, according to the NTIA, a slight improvement from the previous year. Lower-income households and people of color are considerably more likely to lack connections, the agency said. The Digital Equity Act and the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to connect all Americans to high-quality broadband service became law in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The efforts were spurred in part by images of children doing schoolwork at home on computers, said Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance , which represents more than 2,000 local groups helping people use the internet. "That was the 'aha moment,'" she said. "The number of organizations and local communities doing this work just exploded." BEAD focused on the physical infrastructure needed for connectivity, and the Digital Equity Act targeted softer barriers of digital skills and knowledge. "Every state now has a digital equity plan, which is amazing. Now that's all a waste - the implementation funds are what got stopped," Siefer said. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance had a grant of more than $25 million canceled, part of which had been aimed at planning how to do its type of work without federal funding. BEAD was paused in March for a review and another effort, the Affordable Connectivity Program that subsidized internet service for 23 million people, ended last year when lawmakers failed to extend it. VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES When Sara Nichols worked in county government a decade ago in western North Carolina, she and colleagues estimated as many as 70% of residents lacked internet connections. That finding spurred efforts to overcome technological and affordability constraints, and she has worked since 2018 to help connect more than 17,000 households as an economic development manager with the Land of Sky Regional Council. The Council is an umbrella group of local governments that see broadband as a key economic development driver. In September, the region was devastated by Hurricane Helene, which tore up the broadband infrastructure, and she handed out some 1,200 computers to stricken residents. "We had to work to get them back online," she said. "If you lost your house or job or business, there's a good chance you lost your computer, too." With resources depleted, the Council's partners were thankful to learn in January that they were approved for a $7.7 million Digital Equity Act grant to help veterans, rural households and seniors. Among the plans was retrofitting a bus into a "computer lab on wheels" to travel the rural area, she said. Now such plans are on hold, and Nichols warns neither local governments nor philanthropy can fill the gap. "We feel really vulnerable right now," she said. "Local organizations have lost a lot, and this would have been an opportunity to feel like we could get back on the right track."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska worries raised about funding for rural broadband expansion
Wider rural broadband deployment remains a long-term goal in Nebraska. (Getty Images) LINCOLN — Nerves are fraying among those seeking to expand broadband service across Nebraska due to funding uncertainty caused by recent actions by the Trump Administration and the Legislature. However, a state official said he isn't worried that the largest program, the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, enacted by the Biden Administration to bring high-speed 'internet for all,' would be impacted. Patrick Haggerty, director of the Nebraska Broadband Office, said Wednesday that his office continues to take applications for the first-round of BEAD grants while it awaits 'new guidance' on the distribution of those funds. Despite the cancellation Friday of a $1.25 billion 'digital equity' training program by the Trump Administration, Haggerty said he has seen 'no indication' that the $405 million in BEAD deployment funds sent to Nebraska is going away. 'Getting universal broadband across Nebraska is not at risk in any way,' he told the Examiner. On Friday, states were informed that the $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program was being cancelled after President Trump labeled the program 'racist and illegal' and unconstitutional. 'No more woke handouts based on race!' Trump posted on his Truth Social account. States were told that the program used 'impermissible and unconstitutional racial preferences,' according to the news site Broadband Breakfast, which reported that at least one state, Vermont, was weighing whether to legally challenge the cancellation. In a statement last week, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called it 'absolutely insane' that Trump had cancelled a program because it included the word 'equity.' She said she had drafted the equity program to 'close the digital divide' by helping seniors access the internet and providing laptops for 'middle schoolers in rural districts.' The Trump edict eliminates $6.5 million in grants for Nebraska that were intended for nonprofit groups to train and educate people on how to better utilize high-speed internet services and even how to repair computers. The program targeted eight 'covered populations,' including veterans, the elderly, those living in rural areas and members of racial or ethnic minorities. But additional worries have been spawned by the Nebraska Legislature's efforts to close a state budget shortfall. On Tuesday, the Nebraska Public Service Commission ordered that the $20 million-a-year Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act be 'held in abeyance' due to the expectation that the funds, which provide incentives for companies to expand high-speed internet into remote areas, will be diverted by the Legislature to help close the state budget gap. However, BEAD remains the bigger worry among some involved in broadband deployment, that it might be cut back or eliminated as part of Trump Administration efforts to reduce 'fraud, waste and abuse.' There's been speculation online and by the Wall Street Journal that the BEAD program could undergo dramatic changes by shifting up to $20 billion of the grant funds to the StarLink satellite internet service tied to the world's richest man, Elon Musk. Haggerty, the Nebraska broadband czar, said despite the funding uncertainty, 'we're not going to let that slow us down.' The deadline for the first round of grants is Friday. He declined to speculate on when the first grants would be distributed. He added that the state's BEAD funding should be enough to provide broadband to the state's unserved and underserved areas despite the suspension of the Broadband Bridge program. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
