When Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it sought to foster innovation and competition in telecommunications markets, expand the definition of universal service, and modernize regulatory structures for the digital age. Three decades later, architects of the ‘96 Act say it achieved many of those goals, but numerous legal challenges following its passage reshaped how key provisions were implemented.

“Litigation shaped so much of what the Act eventually became,” said Mignon Clyburn, a former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, speaking Thursday among a panel of former FCC regulators, legal counsel, and policy advisors who helped shape and defend the landmark telecom law.

Gathered for an event organized by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society marking the law’s 30th anniversary, the event reflected on both the spirit and letter of the landmark legislation which has shaped much of the modern Internet in the United States. The first major overhaul of telecommunications law in more than 60 years, the ‘96 Act required the FCC to conduct more than 80 separate rulemakings addressing everything from appropriate pricing, to interconnection rules and the unbundling of incumbent telephone networks.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law new legislation that aims to provide tens of thousands of low-income households in “The Land of Enchantment” an Internet lifeline similar to the now-expired federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

It makes the state the first to step up in the absence of federal action to support households that just can’t afford to pay for monthly service. Senate Bill 152 will update the state’s Rural Telecommunications Act and empower the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) to offer up to $30/month for qualified households to pay for Internet service.

ILSR's Community Broadband Networks program director Christopher Mitchell talks to State Scoop’s Priorities podcast about the significance of the New Mexico law and how can states can take a leadership role in the absence of federal action.

Watch and listen to the podcast below. And you can read our story about the New Mexico law here.

Vermont’s Communications Union Districts (CUDs), which were the subject of a 2024 ILSR report, continue to make steady inroads in delivering high-quality broadband access to long-neglected rural Vermont residents. 

That includes the Chittenden County Communication Union District (CCCUD), which recently announced the completion of a planned fiber extension into the heavily rural communities of Essex Town, Essex Junction, Jericho, Shelburne, Westford, and Williston.

The deployment was completed in partnership with Fidium Fiber, which says the expansion brought fiber optic connectivity to more than 1,900 homes and businesses across the six towns for the first time ever.

Users in these markets have the option of three tiers of service: a symmetrical 100 megabit per second (Mbps) tier for a promotional rate of $30 a month; a symmetrical 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) tier for a promotional rate of $50 per month; and a symmetrical 2 Gbps option for a promotional rate of $60 per month. Those prices jump to $70, $110, and $125 per month when the promo period ends.

*The following story by Broadband Breakfast Reporter Sergio Romero was originally published here.

lllinois State Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, has introduced legislation directing regulators to set broadband price protections for low-income residents, though the bill text leaves key details to be determined later.

The measure joins those in other states, including Connecticut, Maryland, and Minnesota, that have introduced measures aimed at capping broadband prices for qualifying households.

Ventura said Senate Bill 3612 would require providers to offer broadband at “a minimum broadband download speed of 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) for no more than $15 per month and $20 per month for high-speed service of at least 200 Mbps per second, including all recurring taxes and equipment fees,” she said in a Feb. 9 press release.

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But the bill itself does not reference specific price points or speed tiers. Instead, it directs the Illinois Commerce Commission to establish rules requiring broadband providers to offer “affordable rates” for low-income customers beginning Jan. 1, 2027. 

The commission would be tasked with setting minimum service speeds and a maximum low-income rate through rulemaking.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law today new legislation that aims to provide tens of thousands of low-income households in “The Land of Enchantment” an Internet lifeline similar to the now-expired federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

It makes the state the first to step up in the absence of federal action to support households that just can’t afford to pay for monthly service, and will directly support 173,000 households.

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Senate Bill 152 – first filed on January 26 of this year by State Sen. Michael Padilla, (D) Majority Whip – will update the state’s Rural Telecommunications Act and empower the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) to offer up to $30/month for qualified households to pay for Internet service.

The broadband bill, known as the Low-Income Telecommunications Assistance Program (LITAP), passed through the formal legislative session in high-speed fashion. It was first introduced at the end of January, passed by the House, and then the Senate by a 38-0 margin last Thursday (Feb. 12), making its way to the governor’s desk to be signed into law today. That’s a 25-day marathon from legislative start-to-finish.

Lehi, Utah and its partner Strata Networks say they’ve completed construction of Lehi Fiber, the city-owned, open access fiber network that’s dramatically reshaped broadband affordability and competition in the city of 80,000.

When last we checked in with the folks in Lehi back in 2022, they had just broken ground on the new network after a feasibility study by Magellan found widespread local frustration with the lack of affordable local next-generation broadband access.

Three years later, the city says they’ve completed construction of the network, which is owned by the city but managed by Strata.

Lehi Fiber Administrative Services Manager Shaye Ruitenbeek tells ILSR that they’re pleased by the community response so far.

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Residents Now Have Choice of Five ISPs

“The Lehi Fiber Network has now passed approximately 23,000 locations, and we will continue expanding as the city grows,” Ruitenbeek said. “Currently, the network supports about 6,400 subscriptions, which represents an approximate 28 percent take rate.”

California’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently signed off on Verizon’s $20 billion merger with telecom giant Frontier with some notable conditions. As part of Verizon’s settlement with the CPUC, they’re being required to offer affordable broadband, improve network resilience, and expand fiber and cellular access into long-neglected portions of the Golden State.

According to the CPUC approval announcement, the agency voted 5-0 to approve the merger after months of deliberation and negotiation with Verizon.

One cornerstone of the CPUC’s agreement is that Verizon will be required to offer significant support for its "Verizon Forward" service, which offers home Internet access for as low as $20 a month (either 300 megabit per second (Mbps) symmetrical fiber or 100/20 Mbps wireless) to California homes that qualify for existing low-income assistance programs.
 
Under that part of the arrangement, Verizon pledges to maintain that $20 per month price point for the next decade.

Verizon’s Frontier Deal Comes With Strings Attached

This comes on the heels of a recent CPUC study that found “the average monthly price for a plan at or above 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload – the Federal Communications Commission’s benchmark for broadband speeds – is $116.68” – “far above what many households can afford.” The study further indicates that in large swaths of the state “low-income households spend more than 15% of their discretionary income on broadband service.”

Despite a memo issued by the NTIA last summer that sought to discourage states from passing affordable broadband legislation similar to New York State’s Affordable Broadband Act, two dozen state lawmakers in Maryland have signed on to the Broadband Opportunity and Fairness Act, state legislation that seeks to address the single biggest barrier to Internet access anywhere: affordability.

HB-382, if passed, would require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Maryland to offer low-cost Internet service plans to eligible low-income households.

Introduced by Delegate Kris Fair (D-3A, Frederick Co.), the bill now has 25 co-sponsors and is slated for a Feb. 12 legislative hearing before the House Economic Matters Committee. Companion legislation has yet to be filed in the Senate, though Delegate Fair’s office says they are in discussions with state Senators about advancing a bill through that chamber as well.

Stepping Up and 'Doing Something'

Kitsap Public Utility District (KPUD) continues to expand its popular open access fiber network, bringing affordable next-generation broadband access to island locals long trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide.

“Kitsap PUD is accelerating its community-owned, open-access fiber build, with new distribution nodes coming online by early 2026, expanding capacity and reaching more underserved addresses,” the organization states in a recent update.

KPUD provides water, wastewater, and Internet service on Bainbridge Island and the neighboring peninsula in the Puget Sound in Washington state.

In 2016, officials long-frustrated by substandard regional broadband access decided to finally build an open access network that continues to expand, and now brings affordable gigabit fiber to locals via a half-dozen different competing broadband ISPs.

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An updated KPUD case study indicates that the existing network is currently comprised of more than 900 miles of fiber, with 21 new distribution nodes coming online early 2026. That node expansion is being heavily aided by $6.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. According to officials, each node is capable of serving between 1,920 and 7,680 addresses.

Construction of the expansion is underway now, and is expected to be completed sometime in 2026.

The city of Williston, Florida is joining the ranks of municipalities across the nation that are building their own fiber broadband networks with an eye on ubiquitous, affordable access. City leaders say they’re preparing to launch a city-owned $4.6 million fiber optic ISP to break the local telecom monopoly logjam and finally provide fast, affordable access to the local populace.

Earlier this year the Williston city council voted unanimously on a $4.6 million loan to help fund a Williston Fiber network that will reach all 3,433 local residents. Last December, the city held a city council meeting to finalize the arrangement, construction of which had technically started last summer.

“They’re excited,” Williston Mayor Charles Goodman tells local ABC affiliate WCJB. “People are just chomping at the bit, ready for it. I deal with phone calls every day. ‘When is it ready? When is it going to be here? They’re putting it in front of my house, can I hook it up now?’, you know these kinds of things.”

“What I tell them is we’re just building the project,” he added. “It’s still under construction. We’re hoping to have everything done by the end of the year.”

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Goodman has publicly expressed concern about the cost of the project, but local supporters, and all of the city council members, say the network is a necessary remedy to the lack of affordable, fast, and reliable broadband access, increasingly essential for online educational, health, employment, and other opportunities.