<p>WASHINGTON, Feb 7, 2026 – A panel of industry experts representing nuclear power, transmission and data center infrastructure providers argued for community engagement, financial incentives, and AI implementation as some of the best ideas on resolving bottlenecks during a panel at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit on Thursday.</p><p>While panelists agreed that it would be good to tackle permitting reform from a practical perspective, they also argued that there were more substantive moves that needed to  be made in tandem. </p><p>“Candidly, [permitting reform] is not enough” said <a href="https://policysummit.incompas.org/speakers#Haro"><strong>Steve Haro</strong></a>, founder of consultant Haro Solutions.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/holistic-approach-is-needed-to-solve-energy-bottlenecks-panel-says/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2026 – Federal judges probed Wednesday whether Federal Communications Commission spectrum licenses create property rights for license holders.</p><p>Chief Judge <strong>Kimberly Moore</strong> of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said she didn't think all parts of the issue were adequately briefed and at multiple points contemplated sending the question back down for the lower court to consider again.</p><p>“Maybe the answer is I send this back to the Court of Federal Claims and I ask them to more thoroughly and thoughtfully consider this property interest question,” she said. “It’s a very hard question, I feel like this case is destined for the Supreme Court. And I’ll be honest, I don’t feel that I have all the information I need to feel confident that I’m deciding it as well as I’d like to.”</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/judges-weigh-whether-spectrum-licenses-create-property-rights/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>LONDON, Feb. 6, 2026 (AP) — The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc's digital rules with “addictive design” features that lead to compulsive use by children, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app's operating model.</p><p>EU regulators said their two-year <a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-union-tiktok-digital-regulation-3fd249bbc9ff78a4401827c4b84b71a7">investigation</a> found that TikTok hasn't done enough to assess how features such as autoplay and infinite scroll could harm the physical and mental health of users, including minors and “vulnerable adults.”</p><p>The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the “basic design” of its service. The commission is the EU’s executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-european-union-digital-services-act-4fc60b69253bcbbf9f46a84cbd93bdaf">Digital Services Act</a>, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines.</p> <p>TikTok denied the accusations.</p><p>“The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us,” the company said in a statement.</p><p>TikTok's features including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems "lead to the compulsive use of the app, especially for our kids, and this poses major risks to their mental health and wellbeing," Commission spokesman <strong>Thomas Regnier</strong> said at a press briefing in Brussels.</p><p>“The measures that TikTok has in place are simply not enough," he said.</p><p>The company now has a chance to defend itself and reply to the commission’s findings. Regnier said “if they don't do this properly,” Brussels could issue a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company’s total annual revenue. There was no deadline specified for the commission to make a final decision.</p><p>The preliminary findings are the latest example of pressure that TikTok and other social media platforms are facing over youth addiction.</p><p>Australia has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-under-16-children-8b992efa5138704bc02ee9fc974f6987">banned</a> social media for under-16s while governments in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/spain-social-media-ban-children-under-16s-77ac5a2e2078f175bd61dbfb5ad9deb7">Spain</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-social-media-ban-children-d3c4010741dd1a39f61c1f6d5bb3c85b">France</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">Britain,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/denmark-social-media-ban-children-7862d2a8cc590b4969c8931a01adc7f4">Denmark,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/malaysia-social-media-ban-under-16-1e9e20321c8c83c470ff7489139f10b8">Malaysia</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/egypt-parliament-social-media-children-elsissi-8ea06fec852f3a2addb13eb341527732">Egypt</a> want to introduce similar measures. In the U.S., TikTok last month settled a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-trial-kids-addiction-meta-tiktok-youtube-d3a6bf617f2d11521675412ffb275031">landmark social media addiction lawsuit</a> while two other companies named in the suit — Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube — still face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children.</p><p>TikTok has 170 million users in the European Union and “most of these are children," Regnier said. He added that 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spend four to five hours daily on TikTok, and it's “by far” the platform most used after midnight by children aged 13 to 18, citing unspecified data.</p><p>“These statistics are extremely alarming,” he said.</p><p>The commission said that TikTok fuels the urge to keep scrolling because it constantly rewards users with new content, leading to reduced self control.</p><p>It said TikTok ignores signs that someone is compulsively using the app, such as the amount of time that minors spend on it at night, and how often the app is opened.</p><p>The company has failed to put in place “reasonable, proportionate and effective” measures to offset the risks, it said.</p><p>The commission said TikTok's existing time management controls are easy to dismiss and “introduce limited friction," while parental tools need "additional time and skills" from parents.</p><p>Changes that the commission wants TikTok to make include disabling features like infinite scroll; putting in more effective breaks for screen time, including at night; and changing its “highly personalized” recommender system, which feeds users an endless stream of video shorts based on their preferences.</p><p>TikTok says it has numerous tools, such as custom screen time limits and sleep reminders, that let users make “intentional decisions” about how they spend their time on the app. The company also noted it has teen accounts that let parents impose time limits on use, and prompt teen users to switch off in the evenings.</p><p><em>This article was written by Kelvin Chan of the Associated Press.</em></p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2026 — Permitting delays represent the biggest barrier to expanding fiber broadband access across the United States, with railroad crossings and pole attachment issues creating months-long bottlenecks that threaten to derail deployment timelines, industry executives said during a livestream of <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-4-2026-live-from-incompas-policy-summit/"><u>Broadband Breakfast Live Online</u></a> at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit on Wednesday.</p><h3 id="highlights-reel"><em>Highlights Reel:</em></h3><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4DsFMwINx-I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Permitting Delays a Top Obstacle to Broadband"></iframe></figure><p>"Permitting is a significant challenge still today to get broadband to all unserved and underserved locations," said <strong>David Avery</strong> of Uniti, which provides fiber service to approximately 2 million locations in 18 states. "It's the biggest hurdle that we face in trying to deploy fiber broadband."</p><p>The panel discussion highlighted how antiquated railroad regulations dating to the 1800s and inconsistent municipal requirements create costly delays for companies racing to meet federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program deadlines.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-4-2026-live-from-incompas-policy-summit/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Broadband Breakfast on February 4, 2026 - Live From INCOMPAS Policy Summit</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Industry experts discuss how to overcome permitting bottlenecks that are stalling critical broadband infrastructure projects and keeping communities offline.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/icon/291902499_377772294340770_1913533388107842851_n-244.png" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Broadband Breakfast</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Ariane Schaffer</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-BBLO-0204--1--1-2.png" alt="" /></div></a></figure> <p>"Our current average is 12 to 15 months before we get a response," said <strong>Ben Sanborn</strong>, senior counsel at Conterra Networks, about railroad permits. "The permit costs can be in the tens of thousands of dollars."</p><p>Avery said Uniti recently received two railroad permit costs of $70,000 and $110,000, though the company is seeing some progress after personal visits with railroad officials.</p><p><strong>Rebecca Hussey, </strong>associate general counsel for Crown Castle, which operates 40,000 towers, 125,000 small cells and 80,000 route-miles of fiber, called for “deemed granted” provisions in permitting reform. "One thing that is really critical is the deemed granted or deemed approved," she said. "A municipality doesn't always just issue that permit even though it's deemed approved."</p><p>Pole attachment make-ready requirements create additional delays. <strong>Brendan West</strong>, CEO of FiberCom Engineering, explained the process requires existing attachers to move their equipment before new fiber can be installed. "They get 90 days to review it and then 90 days to go out and move it," West said. "Right there, if you look at that timeframe, it's just slowing everything down."</p><p>Panelists praised North Carolina's statute establishing a 30-day municipal permitting shot clock with deemed-approved provisions. "We have a five-year track record to show that it works," said Avery.</p><p><strong>Ariane Schaffer</strong>, head of public policy and government affairs for Google’s GFiber, highlighted municipal innovations, including Des Moines' self-service portal and Albuquerque's planning and logistics network, which significantly reduced permit review times. "Within a year they have seen so much success because they know who to hold accountable," Schaffer said.</p><p>The railroad crossing issue has equity implications, Schaffer noted. "If we don't solve these problems, the communities that have been faced with these issues for generations will continue to face the same issues for future generations," she said.</p><p>Panelists called for federal legislation, specifically the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1633"><u>RAIL Act</u></a> introduced by Rep. <strong>Bill Johnson</strong>, R-Ohio, to provide FCC oversight of railroad permitting costs and timelines.</p><p>The Federal Communications Commission has initiated four proceedings addressing permitting streamlining, on issues ranging from environmental to wireline to wireless facilities. "We have achieved so many improvements," Hussey said. "This is kind of the next wave."</p><p>Avery emphasized the urgency, noting data centers require fiber connections. "For these data centers that are being built, if you don't have fiber to them, it's just a refrigerator," he said.</p><h3 id="free-full-event-video-for-all"><em>FREE Full Event Video for all:</em></h3><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4rFZWtKnrwU?start=37&amp;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Live From INCOMPAS Policy Summit"></iframe></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><a href="https://broadband-breakfast.ghost.io/tag/broadbandlive/"><img src="https://broadband-breakfast.ghost.io/content/images/2024/01/home-page-bblo-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="563" /></a></figure>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb 6, 2025 – At her INCOMPAS Policy Summit appearance on Thursday, Rep. <strong>Julie Fedorchak</strong> R-N.D. said that she senses that there’s desire and urgency to pass permitting reform on both sides of the aisle in an effort to speed up the process of infrastructure development. </p><p>As a result, the House has <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/house-passes-bill-speeding-permitting-review-for-energy-and-infrastructure/"><u>passed several bills </u></a>such such as the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3898"><u>PERMIT Act</u></a>, which amends the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act"><u>Clean Water Act </u></a>by redefining navigable waters in an effort to speed up permitting timelines for infrastructure project. </p><p>And it's passed the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4776"><u>SPEED Act</u></a> which revises provisions in the <a href="https://ceq.doe.gov/"><u>National Environmental Policy Act</u></a> (NEPA) to limit the number of actions that would require an environmental review, often cited as main driver of delays for infrastructure projects. </p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/north-dakotas-fedorchak-wants-to-give-senate-a-menu-for-permitting-changes/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2026 – The Federal Communications Commission resolved a pole attachment dispute in Virginia Thursday, its first using a new accelerated docket system.</p><p>The agency found Appalachian Power Company couldn’t charge the cable giant the full replacement cost of poles that already weren’t up to code before Comcast sought to attach extra equipment. Instead, Comcast would have to cover the proportion of APCO’s replacement bill required solely because of its new gear.</p><p>The FCC stood up its Rapid Broadband Assessment Team in 2023 to mediate disputes between pole owners and attackers, an effort to avoid disagreements stalling broadband expansion projects. If that mediation doesn’t work, like in this case, the companies can have their dispute considered on a 60-day <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/fcc-expedites-comcast-pole-attachment-dispute-against-appalachian-power/"><u>accelerated docket</u></a>.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/comcast-wins-in-fccs-first-accelerated-pole-dispute-order/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2026 – Permitting Council Executive Director <strong>Emily Domenech </strong>said the federal agency is set to work with a California geothermal energy data center project through a new streamlined strategy. </p><p>Domenech said she’s been working on permitting efficiency through a new system that lists projects as one, instead of three discrete projects. That ensures that it doesn’t have to go through multiple reviews. Traditionally, she said, projects were permitted separately, with a power plant, transmission line and data center. </p><p>The Permitting Council’s new strategy works on a Gantt chart and timetable working in parallel. Domenech said this saved 25 percent of the time per project.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/federal-permitting-council-introduces-faster-data-center-permitting-process/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2026 – <strong>Sowmyanarayan Sampath</strong>, CEO of Verizon’s consumer group, is stepping down at the end of the first quarter of 2026, the company announced Thursday.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/verizon-consumer-group-ceo-to-step-down/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2026 – The Telecommunications Industry Association is creating a new “Data Center Excellence” quality standard, backed by hyperscalers including Google, focused on driving critical technology and infrastructure, TIA CEO <strong>David Stehlin</strong>, said here Thursday.  </p><p>TIA’s most recent work has been centered around setting minimum quality requirements for key data center components, especially with the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers, Stehlin said at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit. </p><p>“In my day, it was the Cold War. It was mutually assured destruction, if you remember that term, with thousands of nuclear weapons being built up around the world,” said INCOMPAS CEO <strong>Chip Pickering</strong>. </p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/new-data-center-excellence-standard-from-telecom-trade-group/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2026 – Broadband Breakfast announced Thursday that National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator <strong>Arielle Roth</strong> will keynote the BEAD Implementation Summit 2026 on March 18, 2026. </p><p>Roth, who is also Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, will address critical policy and implementation challenges facing the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program as states navigate federal requirements and begin infrastructure deployments.</p><p>As NTIA Administrator, Roth oversees the nation's largest broadband infrastructure program and serves as the Commerce Department's lead on telecommunications policy. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/bead-implementation-summit/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">BEAD Implementation Summit</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">A full-day conference on March 18, 2026</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/icon/291902499_377772294340770_1913533388107842851_n-243.png" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Broadband Breakfast</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Broadband Breakfast</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/thumbnail/bis_2026_graphic_with_date-1.png" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/thune-tees-up-senate-vote-for-arielle-roth/"><u>Confirmed</u></a> by the Senate in July 2025, she has prioritized expediting BEAD deployments while advocating for technological neutrality in infrastructure choices. Her leadership comes at a pivotal moment, as states' BEAD deployments are firmly in the implementation phase.</p><p>Roth brings nearly a decade of federal communications and broadband policy experience to the role. She <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/ted-cruz-staffer-named-to-head-ntia-cruz-tweets/"><u>previously served</u></a> as telecommunications policy director for Senate Commerce Committee Chairman <strong>Ted Cruz</strong>, where she led legislative and oversight efforts on communications policy. Before that appointment, she worked as Wireline Legal Advisor to former FCC Commissioner <strong>Michael O'Rielly</strong> and held senior roles at the FCC, including legislative counsel to Sen. <strong>Roy Blunt</strong>, R-Missouri, and counsel on detail to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.</p><p>At NTIA, Roth has emphasized <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/ntia-administrator-roth-on-strategy-for-federal-spectrum-reallocation/"><u>spectrum management</u></a> expertise alongside broadband expansion priorities. In recent months, she has led efforts to identify 500 megahertz of federal spectrum for commercial reallocation and initiated reviews of federal broadband spending on <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/ntia-to-review-federal-spending-on-broadband-tech-for-education/"><u>educational technology</u></a>. </p><h3 id="convening-power-at-bead-implementation-summit"><em>Convening power at BEAD Implementation Summit</em></h3><p>Her appearance at the summit will provide attendees with direct insights into federal policy direction as the BEAD program transitions from planning to deployment.</p><p>After convening national leaders at last year’s <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/speeding-bead-summit/"><u>Speeding BEAD Summit</u></a> and the inaugural <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/bead-implementation-summit-2023/"><u>BEAD Implementation Summit in 2023</u></a>, Broadband Breakfast will again bring together government, industry, and finance as the $42.5 billion BEAD program enters its most consequential phase: execution.</p><p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/bead-implementation-summit/"><u>BEAD Implementation 2026</u></a> will focus squarely on what happens after the awards: Deployment, capital, and technology choices that will determine whether BEAD-funded networks are delivered on time, on budget, and at scale.</p><p>With billions now moving into construction, states and providers are navigating a new phase focused on deployment realities, capital planning, and technology choices. This summit brings decision-makers together to share what’s working, examine emerging challenges, and align on priorities for the next phase of BEAD implementation.</p><h2 id="registration"><em>Registration</em></h2><p><strong><em>Broadband Breakfast is offering a $245 Early Bird rate.</em></strong></p><p><em>For media inquiries, sponsorship opportunities, or press passes, please contact Marketing Director <strong>Quinn Nghiem</strong> at quinn@breakfast.media</em></p><div class="kg-card kg-header-card kg-v2 kg-layout-split kg-width-full " style="background-color:#4883b7"> <div class="kg-header-card-content"> <picture><img class="kg-header-card-image" src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/bis_2026_graphic_v4.png" loading="lazy" alt="" /></picture> <div class="kg-header-card-text kg-align-center"> <h2 id="bead-implementation-2026" class="kg-header-card-heading" style="color:#FFFFFF"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">BEAD Implementation 2026</span></h2> <p id="a-fullday-conference-on-wednesday-march-18-2026" class="kg-header-card-subheading" style="color:#FFFFFF"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">A full-day conference on Wednesday, March 18, 2026</span></p> <a href="https://payments-na1.hubspot.com/payments/FjwNWz2Z?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com" class="kg-header-card-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000">$245 Early Bird Rate</a> </div> </div> </div><p></p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2026 – House lawmakers from both parties appeared supportive Wednesday of a draft bill to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority.</p><p><a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/H_R_First_Responder_Network_Authority_Reauthorization_Act_6f107660fb.pdf?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com"><u>The draft</u></a>, led by Reps. <strong>Neal Dunn</strong>, F-Fla., and <strong>Jennifer McClellan</strong>, D-Va., would reauthorize the FirstNet Authority through September 2037 and put the agency under more direct control from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.</p><p>The FirstNet Authority oversees FirstNet, the nationwide first responder network owned and operated by AT&amp;T under a contract with the Commerce Department. FirstNet Authority will sunset in February 2027 unless Congress reauthorizes it.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/house-lawmakers-appear-supportive-of-draft-firstnet-reauthorization-bill/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>In recent speeches at the <a href="https://www.ntia.gov/speech/testimony/2025/remarks-assistant-secretary-arielle-roth-hudson-institute">Hudson Institute</a> and the <a href="https://www.ntia.gov/speech/testimony/2025/remarks-assistant-secretary-arielle-roth-free-state-foundation-luncheon">Free State Foundation</a> luncheon, NTIA Administrator <strong>Arielle Roth</strong> hinted at a potentially game-changing policy shift that would allow states to deploy some of their non-deployment BEAD funds toward permitting reform. Though only a passing reference in a dense speech, this was more consequential than a bureaucratic tweak. </p><p>While NTIA’s <a href="https://broadbandusa.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/BEAD_GTCs_11_18_2025.pdf">BEAD terms and conditions</a> already place strong emphasis on streamlining permitting, enforcing FCC pole-attachment timelines and one-touch make-ready rules, minimizing permitting costs, and establishing state-led dispute-resolution mechanisms. Administrator Roth’s remarks suggest an opportunity to complement those requirements with targeted resources that help states translate policy expectations into operational reality. Without these improvements, BEAD will take longer and cost more, when it happens at all. </p><h3 id="what-could-state-use-of-non-deployment-funds-look-like"><em>What could state use of non-deployment funds look like?</em></h3><p>If NTIA greenlights this idea, states might use non-deployment BEAD dollars to:</p><ul><li>Build capacity at permitting agencies (hiring staff, training, or contractors)</li><li>Digitize and streamline permitting systems (online application portals, standard forms, transparent dashboards)</li><li>Standardize and monitor pole-attachment processes, including enforcing OTMR (one-touch make-ready) where possible</li><li>Establish dispute-resolution mechanisms, such as rapid-response teams within state public utility commissions (PUCs) or broadband offices</li></ul> <p>Reforms of these sorts would align with policy insights from organizations including <strong>The Pew Charitable Trusts</strong>, which in a <a href="https://www.pew.org/it/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2025/03/broadband-expansion-may-hinge-on-states-processes-for-attaching-lines-to-utility-poles">March 2025 brief</a> highlighted permitting challenges and persistent pole-attachment issues — including cost, delays, and opaque processes — that threaten BEAD deployment. Pew recommends digitizing permitting, increasing data collection, creating shared pole inventories, and standardizing policies across pole owners. </p><p>Of these insights, a new policy that would allow states to use BEAD non-deployment dollars to establish pole-attachment funds deserves particular attention. For decades, disputes between broadband providers and pole owners have slowed deployment. (See <a href="https://www.fcclawblog.com/2023/12/articles/fcc/fcc-to-vote-on-new-pole-attachments-rules-to-promote-broadband-expansion/">a 2023 article from SheppardMullin</a> for more on pole attachment disputes.) Subsidizing pole replacement or make-ready work could significantly reduce those frictions.</p><h3 id="states-are-already-leading-with-pole-attachment-funds"><em>States are already leading with pole-attachment funds</em></h3><p>Several states have established funding programs to address pole-attachment costs directly:</p><ul><li><strong>Kentucky</strong> offers grants up to $5,000 per pole (50% of cost) through its Rural Infrastructure Improvement Fund to reimburse providers for pole replacements. </li><li><strong>North Carolina</strong> launched a Broadband Pole Replacement Program to reimburse providers when poles lack space for additional attachments. </li><li><strong>Ohio</strong> created a $50 million Pole Replacement &amp; Undergrounding Program that reimburses up to 75% of certain pole-work costs, including mid-span pole installation. </li><li><strong>Texas</strong>, via its Broadband Infrastructure Fund, reimburses up to the lesser of 50% of costs or $5,000 per pole for eligible pole replacement work. </li></ul><p>These programs seem to be moving the needle. For example, in Texas, the <a href="https://comptroller.texas.gov/about/media-center/news/20241104-texas-comptroller-glenn-hegar-announces-first-round-of-awards-for-texas-pole-replacement-program-1730394782865">first round of awards</a> in November 2024 supported the replacement of more than 11,000 poles, worth approximately $18.5 million in reimbursements.  In Kentucky, the <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/AgencyReports/IJC/AR/OB/2025%2001%20Seminannual%20Report.pdf">state broadband office’s recent reporting</a> notes that a portion of replacement funds are specifically dedicated to minimizing “potential for disputes” between broadband providers and pole owners. </p><h3 id="why-this-matters-the-role-of-pole-attachment-funds-in-reducing-conflict"><em>Why this matters: The role of pole-attachment funds in reducing conflict</em></h3><ul><li>The early data suggests that these funding mechanisms are already performing a critical role beyond cost recovery: they’re helping to reduce tension and friction between broadband providers (“attachers”) and pole owners.In Kentucky, part of the funding is explicitly aimed at minimizing disputes over attachments by sharing replacement costs. </li><li>By reimbursing replacement costs, states can mitigate what is sometimes referred to as the “hold-up problem,” where pole owners can delay or impose unfavorable terms on attachers. A <a href="https://connectthefuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CTF-National-State-Compilation-Report-12.13.21.pdf">detailed state-level analysis</a> of several states including Kentucky estimated the economic cost of such hold-ups at millions of dollars per month. </li><li>These funds also create incentives for utilities to be more proactive and cooperative: if replacement costs are shared, utilities may be more willing to accept timely attachment agreements</li></ul><p>Though academic studies of Pole Attachment Funds are still limited, the policy evaluation by Pew and state reporting suggest meaningful early wins: less delay, more pole readiness, and fewer adversarial interactions.</p><h3 id="benefits-of-pole-attachment-funds"><em>Benefits of pole attachment funds:</em></h3><ol><li><strong>Accelerated deployment</strong> — Reforming permitting, along with shared-cost pole replacement, reduces delays, lowers risk, and helps providers deliver on BEAD’s tight timelines.</li><li><strong>Long-term savings</strong> — Digitized systems, inventory databases, and dispute-resolution mechanisms can continue to benefit new broadband projects long after BEAD funding.</li><li><strong>Conflict reduction</strong> — By subsidizing and streamlining pole work, states are helping to reduce the adversarial dynamics that historically slowed broadband expansion.</li><li><strong>Reduced default risk</strong> — With fewer delays and more predictable costs, BEAD-funded projects are more stable, reducing the likelihood of defaults.</li></ol><h3 id="designing-for-measurable-outcomes"><em>Designing for measurable outcomes</em></h3><p>A key advantage of using BEAD non-deployment funds for permitting reform and pole-attachment support is that these investments can be tied to clear, measurable outcomes. This helps states demonstrate that such expenditures directly benefit BEAD-funded deployments. </p><p>For example, states could track permit processing timelines, including reductions in average approval times and compliance with NTIA’s 90-day expectation; pole-attachment readiness, such as the number of poles replaced or made ready in advance of BEAD construction; and dispute-resolution metrics, including the number of attachment disputes resolved through permitting roundtables or avoided altogether.</p><h3 id="deploying-broadband-with-an-abundance-mindset"><em>Deploying broadband with an abundance mindset</em></h3><p>If NTIA allows states to use BEAD’s non-deployment funds for permitting reform and ideas like pole attachment funds, it could inject a deeper sense of <a href="https://www.inclusiveabundance.org/about-ia"><strong>abundance</strong></a> into the BEAD program. Rather than viewing non-deployment funds as leftovers or backstops, deploying them for systemic improvements focuses on a central challenge that BEAD was designed to address: the need for universal access to high quality broadband networks across the country</p><p>Moreover, a decision to permit states to use BEAD funds to address the broadband network deployment delays (permitting, pole attachments, etc.) present in their jurisdiction will also strengthen the partnership between the Federal government, state governments, local jurisdictions, and broadband providers. Ultimately, a strong partnership across key stakeholders will result in faster builds, fewer defaults, and more connected communities.</p><p>Connected Communities LLC encourages NTIA’s leadership to adopt the vision Administrator Roth hinted at last month and support states in implementing permitting reforms, including pole-attachment funds. With the right design, this policy could accelerate the pace of deployment and make more certain we are able to deliver on the promise of BEAD.</p><p><strong><em>Bill Maguire is the co-founder of ACE IoT Solutions, LLC and a Principal at Connected Communities, LLC. Before founding Connected Communities, Bill worked for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration from 2009 to 2012. This Expert Opinion is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.</em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to </em></strong><a href="mailto:commentary@breakfast.media"><strong><em>commentary@breakfast.media</em></strong></a><strong><em>. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.</em></strong></p>

<div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">💡</div><div class="kg-callout-text"><b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Former Biden Official Calls for Net Neutrality for AI</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Congress Needs to Overhaul Telecom Law, Free State President Says</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Rep. Hudson: Some House Republicans Wanted to Kill BEAD</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ NTIA COS: Saving BEAD Billions Wasn’t the Point</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Article III Project’s Mike Davis: 39% Cap Needs to Go</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Copper Theft Took Out Memphis Spanish AM Radio Station for Six Months</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Trump Won’t Get Involved in Netflix-WBD Merger Review</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ CBS: Trump to Name FTC’s Ferguson as Vice Chairman of Vance’s Anti-Fraud Task Force</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ AT&amp;T Announces Deal with Amazon Leo</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ AWS CEO Has His Doubts About Musk’s Space-Based Data Centers</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Sen. Luján Files Papers to Run for Re-Relection</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️ Joey Martin Joins NAB as SVP of Sales Strategy</strong></b></div></div><p><strong>Attack Ad:</strong> <strong>“Brendan Carr doesn’t care about your community.”</strong> That’s a key line in the body of <a href="https://x.com/TimJGraham/status/2018775016335147468?s=20">a nasty attack ad</a> taking swipes at <strong>FCC Chairman Carr, President Trump</strong>, and the <strong>$6.2 billion Nexstar-TEGNA</strong> merger. “This ad has been all over local NBC News shows from <strong>“Mi Familia Vota,”</strong> ripping FCC chairman Brendan Carr,” said <strong>Tim Graham, Executive Editor of NewsBusters and the Media Research Center’s Director of Media Analysis</strong>, <a href="https://x.com/TimJGraham/status/2018775016335147468?s=20">on his X feed</a> Wednesday. Here’s the full transcript of the 30-second ad: <em>“Donald Trump said he’d put America first, but he really just cares about THEM. While you wake up to go to work, he rubs elbows with billionaires, while his appointees do whatever they want. Brendan Carr doesn’t care about your community. He’s taking a hammer to local news and democracy and pushing for illegal mergers that will raise your TV bill. He’d rather help big companies get richer instead of protecting hard-working Americans. Trump, Carr and their band of D.C. Republicans don’t care about you. They care about THEM.”</em> <strong><em>(More after paywall.)</em></strong></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-8C5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff8f46049-fcf1-42db-b205-41b6f6de5a46_584x606.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="584" height="606" /><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Screenshot from the ad sponsored by Mi Familia Vota</span></figcaption></figure> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/nexstar-tegna-merger-foes-airing-attack-ad-smearing-trump-carr-and-the-tv-station-deal/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb 4, 2026 – AI will be the biggest thing to ever happen to humanity.</p><p>At least that’s what Sen. <strong>Dave McCormick</strong>, R-Penn., said he believes, speaking at at fireside chat at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit Wednesday.</p><p>And, to take it a step further, you can’t say AI without saying energy - lots and lots of it.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <p>While acknowledging the fears that many have around the potential disruption AI will have on jobs, McCormick suggested that the potential upsides vastly outweigh the risks, especially if the U.S. were to cede leadership to China. </p><p>“This is happening across the world, we don't have a choice of opting out,” McCormick said about AI. “So the question is how do we opt in in a way that demonstrates leadership, creates the right guardrails and creates the best chance of being a benefit to our communities.” </p><p>McCormick said that permitting reform will be the key to building the energy infrastructure necessary to power AI systems that will require energy generated by nuclear, renewable and fossil fuel sources.</p><p>This all-in approach to energy could yield bipartisan support for permitting reform. </p><p>While McCormick said he envisioned a future in which manufacturing is brought back to the United States, mostly operated by robots, he believed that there would be such high demand for welders, construction workers and other trade professionals that it may require a total rethinking of our education system.</p><p>That could boost sectors of the economy in areas where data centers and the energy systems to power them are placed. </p><p><em>Broadband Breakfast is be covering remarks by individual members of Congress in the </em><a href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/discussion/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com"><em><u>Broadband Community Discussion Forum</u></em></a><em> from at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit in the (</em><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/rep-richard-hudson-says-he-fought-for-bead-funding/#/portal/signup/free"><em><u>Free signup required</u></em></a><em>.)</em> </p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 – Permitting reform is a bipartisan issue and should no longer be stalled or slowed, Sen. <strong>Ben Ray Luján</strong>, D-N.M., because doing so is vital for expanding artificial intelligence and technology in the United States. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/incompas"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">INCOMPAS Policy Summit</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Broadband Breakfast coverage from the INCOMPAS Policy Summit</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/icon/291902499_377772294340770_1913533388107842851_n-242.png" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Broadband Breakfast</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Broadband Breakfast</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-BBLO-0204--1--1-1.png" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>Speaking at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit here on Wednesday, Luján expressed frustration over the lack of bipartisanship, in the past several months, on proposed permitting reforms. </p><p>As an example, he cited former Sen. <strong>Joe Manchin</strong>, D- W.V., who had drafted a bipartisan permitting reform bill including broadband infrastructure provisions. His bill collapsed after Republican lawmakers withdrew their support in retaliation for Manchin’s votes for other Democratic priorities.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <p>The bill had been developed with multiple senators, including Luján, and “just went down for partisan reasons,” Luján said. </p><p>“Common sense should be driving this conversation, not the partisanship,” Luján said. “We’ve got to get this done. Infrastructure should not be this challenging and it should not be this expensive.”</p><p>“Right now, the Europeans and others are the ones driving the bus here, and the United States needs to get back in front, or we’re going to be left behind,” Luján said. </p><p>Yet he voiced hope: “And so I’m optimistic. We got to get this stuff done on permitting reform. I believe it’s bipartisan.” </p><p>Luján shared that without universal broadband infrastructure, small businesses, telemedicine, AI and health care falters, putting the country further behind other nations. </p><h3 id="trump-transmission-corridors"><em>Trump transmission corridors?</em></h3><p>Luján also discussed the importance of transmission corridors and the need for the Trump administration to reverse the cancellation of these wind and solar energy projects. They are essential to power data centers, he said.  </p><p>“If we can get the White House to get some of these transmission projects back in play, I think it solves the dilemma,” Luján said. “It’s in his interest. He can take credit for this — we’ll name one after him, or two.” </p><p><em>Broadband Breakfast is covering remarks by other individual members of Congress and administration leaders in the </em><a href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/discussion/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>Broadband Community Discussion Forum</em></a><em> from at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit in the (</em><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/rep-richard-hudson-says-he-fought-for-bead-funding/#/portal/signup/free" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>Free signup required</em></a><em>.)</em></p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved final spending plans from at least three more states under its $42.45 billion broadband grant program. That brings the total to 42 states and three territories.</p><p>The newly approved states are New Mexico, whose approval was posted Jan. 27, and Oregon, and Tennessee, which said Wednesday they had been approved. NTIA’s BEAD approval tracker temporarily showed Oregon, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania as having been approved Wednesday – <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260204183204/https://www.ntia.gov/funding-programs/internet-all/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-bead-program/progress-dashboard"><u>an archive</u></a> of the page is here – before reverting back to its Jan. 27 state. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/discussion/donilon-defends-explains-ntia-s-work-on-bead-40e3694e-8dbe-4f52-a6ad-a1499a3acff4"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Donilon defends, explains NTIA’s work on BEAD | CHAT.BroadbandBreakfast.com</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">WASHINGTON, Feb 4, 2026 – While no decision has yet been made on the remaining $21 billion in non-distributed BEAD funds, Brooke Donilon, chief of staff for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, stood by the agency’s changes t…</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/icon/48ycxi154864jg9iv6kzrz8fnm5w-83" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">CHAT.BroadbandBreakfast.com</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/thumbnail/y5kwld11j55m74zboo1x59o4w8f8-1" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>Oregon and Tennessee’s broadband offices confirmed they had been notified of their approval by NTIA. Pennsylvania's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did NTIA. <em>Broadband Breakfast</em> will update this story with any agency response.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/several-more-state-bead-proposals-approved-and-where-the-funds-are-going/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb 4, 2026 – Three telecommunications companies cautioned against discontinuing copper telephone service without a coordinated effort between providers – and better incentive structures to ensure continued service. </p><p>Speaking at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit here on Wednesday, each member of the panel noted that most emergency calls still rely on copper technology to connect those in need with 911 dispatchers.  </p><p>“911 traffic still depends on local interconnection, so while not a high quality connection, you have to have it in order to successfully deliver 911 calls,” said <strong>Greg Rogers</strong>, head of global policy and regulatory affairs with telecom provider Bandwidth. “As much as people want to be as aggressive as possible to move into an all-IP environment, you can’t do it so fast that you forget everything that goes into delivering emergency calls.”</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="https://policysummit.incompas.org/speakers#Ruby"><strong>Josh Ruby</strong></a>, general counsel of Granite Telecommunications, added that there could be problems were the FCC to permit a retirement of copper technology without the full transition of 911 call centers to next generation 911 internet protocol (IP) systems in advance, calls won’t get through. </p><p>Ruby said that lobbying from concerned parties has raised the significance of this issue before the FCC. </p><h3 id="barriers-to-transition"><em>Barriers to transition</em></h3><p>Panelists noted that one of the largest barriers for next generation 911 is the lack of uniform NG911 standards. They argued that the FCC should take the lead in establishing consistent nationwide standards. </p><p>“We shouldn't have 50 standards for 50 states, we should have one standard for the United States,” said <strong>Sean Sullivan</strong>, the vice president of product management and regulatory affairs at MetTel, a telecom company.</p><p>Beyond setting a “sunset” deadline for copper, Sullivan said he believed it would take financial incentives to providers for an orderly transition to occur.</p><p><em>Broadband Breakfast will be covering remarks by individual members of Congress in the </em><a href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/discussion/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com"><em><u>Broadband Community Discussion Forum</u></em></a><em> from at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit in the (</em><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/rep-richard-hudson-says-he-fought-for-bead-funding/#/portal/signup/free"><em><u>Free signup required</u></em></a><em>.)</em> </p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 – House Natural Resources Committee Chairman <strong>Bruce Westerman</strong>, R-Ark., said federal permitting delays are inflating costs for broadband and infrastructure projects, warning that drawn-out approval timelines ultimately hit consumers’ pocketbooks and slow the deployment of new technologies.</p><p>Speaking at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit here, Westerman framed the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4776"><u>SPEED Act</u></a>, H.R. 4776, legislation <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/house-passes-bill-speeding-permitting-review-for-energy-and-infrastructure/"><u>passed by the House in December</u></a>, as a bipartisan effort to shorten the federal permitting process while maintaining environmental protections. </p><p>The bill aims to accelerate reviews under the <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/nepa/"><u>National Environmental Policy Act</u></a> by setting clearer timelines and limiting prolonged judicial challenges.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <p>“Permitting affects every American’s pocketbook,” Westerman said, arguing that projects delayed for years face rising labor and material costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers.</p><p>While the discussion focused broadly on infrastructure, Westerman pointed to broadband deployment as a clear example of how permitting delays can stall progress. He cited a case involving air traffic control modernization, where billions of dollars were appropriated to upgrade systems, but fiber optic installation to control towers was held up by permitting hurdles.</p><p>“That’s how ridiculous a lot of this has been,” Westerman said, describing how the inability to run fiber because of permitting delays slowed critical infrastructure upgrades.</p><p>Westerman said it takes an average of four to six years to secure permits for major projects, a timeline he described as incompatible with the pace of technological change in sectors such as communications, data, and artificial intelligence.</p><p>“We can have economic growth and environmental stewardship at the same time,” he said, emphasizing that the SPEED Act does not eliminate environmental laws but seeks to make NEPA reviews more predictable and efficient. “NEPA is a procedural statute. We just need the process to go faster.”</p><p>Moderator <strong>Chip Pickering</strong>, CEO of INCOMPAS, suggested his goal for linking a measure addressing broadband-specific permitting barriers, including delays related to rail crossings, to the SPEED Act. Westerman stressed that his priority was advancing a tech-neutral permitting framework capable of passing the Senate and becoming law.</p><p>“The perfect bill is the one the president signs,” he said, noting that the Senate will ultimately determine what additions are needed to secure passage. “If we can’t build and implement new technology here in the United States, we’re going to lose out economically and environmentally,” he said.</p><p>With the SPEED Act before the Senate, Westerman urged industry groups to continue pressing lawmakers to act, calling permitting reform one of the most consequential policy changes Congress can make.</p><p><em>Broadband Breakfast will be covering additional remarks by individual members of Congress in the </em><a href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/discussion/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>Broadband Community Discussion Forum</em></a><em>, from the INCOMPAS Policy Summit. (</em><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/rep-richard-hudson-says-he-fought-for-bead-funding/#/portal/signup/free" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>Free signup required</em></a><em>.)</em></p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 – Two fixed wireless companies are pleased with the Trump administration’s changes to the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, emphasizing the opportunities they now have to provide fixed wireless connectivity to underserved communities. </p><p>“There is a revolution going on, and it’s a revolution underscored by the NTIA June 6 document that returned to what we think is critical — have high standards, but don’t pick technology winners and losers,” said Tarana Wireless Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy <strong>Carl Guardino</strong>,<strong> </strong>at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit. </p><p>Guardino was joined by Nextlink Internet Chief Strategy Officer <strong>Claude Aiken</strong>, who explained that the technology neutral approach in BEAD, as opposed to a fiber focused approach, allowed funding to support fixed wireless and Americans in rural areas. </p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <p>Aiken said he was “grateful” to receive BEAD funding in Nextlink’s operations, which he navigated cautiously due to the complexity of the federal program. </p><p>Despite doubts of wireless broadband being slower and less reliable than fiber, both Aiken and Guardino pushed back on those claims. Wireless especially serves rural communities where fiber oftentimes doesn’t serve, which is why reliability and affordability are both essential to service. Guardino emphasized that Tarana boasts “99.9 percent reliability on every radio,” providing high-speed connectivity to millions, making a place for wireless as much as there is a place for fiber and satellite broadband. </p><p>“What’s the best tool in the toolkit for the job at hand? Whether that’s fiber, a great medium, next generation fixed wireless, or in those hyper remote areas of our country where there can be no terrestrial option, satellite technology,” Guardino said. “By linking those, we’re going to serve every unserved and underserved family and what we also call unhappily served families.” </p><p>The panel also discussed permitting as a hidden BEAD bottleneck, placing a substantial barrier between providers and families needing broadband. </p><p>Aiken said permitting places both a financial and opportunity cost for serving people, especially as Nextlink accounts for varying restrictions and requirements for different states. According to Aiken, some projects to install one radio on a tower has led to a non-refundable deposit of $8,500, 40-page application and six to nine month timeline, marking a harmful impact, especially in rural areas that have a limited subscriber base. </p><p>Aiken was encouraged by efforts in Congress and the Federal Communications Commission regarding permitting, with faster timelines for providers to serve communities. </p><p>“2026 is going to be exciting here for those of us that have long been committed to bridging the digital divide and the rollout of those funds can't happen sooner than that,” Guardino said. </p><p><em>Broadband Breakfast will also be covering remarks by individual members of Congress in the </em><a href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/discussion/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>Broadband Community Discussion Forum</em></a><em>, from the INCOMPAS Policy Summit. (</em><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/rep-richard-hudson-says-he-fought-for-bead-funding/#/portal/signup/free" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>Free signup required</em></a><em>.)</em></p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 – Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Chairman <strong>Richard Hudson </strong>R-N.C., said Wednesday that he fought to ensure federal broadband funds were spent despite pressure from other House Republicans, who wanted to cancel the program.</p><p>Hudson, who heads the subcommittee on communications and technology, was speaking at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit here. He said he believed strongly in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, and wanted to ensure that the funds were spent, and not returned to the federal Treasury. </p><p>He said he wrote the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1870"><u>SPEED for BEAD Act</u></a>, H.R. 1870, as a way to signal to President <strong>Donald Trump</strong>, and other Republicans, that BEAD should go forward and not be clawed back to the federal Treasury. The measure has not been scheduled for a hearing.</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <p>“It was for an audience of one,” Hudson said, adding that he never expected it to become law, but was designed to highlight the importance of spending BEAD funds quickly.</p><p>Hudson said he believes that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has been doing a good job getting BEAD funds deployed. </p><p>“I’m anxious: Let’s get some shovels going and get this broadband deployed,” he said.</p><p><em>Broadband Breakfast will be covering remarks by individual members of Congress in the </em><a href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/discussion/"><em><u>Broadband Community Discussion Forum</u></em></a><em> from at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit in the (</em><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/#/portal/signup/free" rel="noreferrer"><em>Free signup required</em></a><em>.)</em> </p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 – The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee wants a hearing with the CEOs of AT&amp;T and Verizon, claiming the companies stonewalled her efforts to get information on the Salt Typhoon cyberattacks.</p><p>“For months, I have sought specific documentation from AT&amp;T and Verizon that would purportedly corroborate their claims that their networks are now secure from this attack,” Sen. Maria Cantwell wrote in <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/DA339F69-7721-4625-86AF-4551C2A83402"><u>a Tuesday letter</u></a>. </p><p>“Unfortunately, both AT&amp;T and Verizon have chosen not to cooperate, which raises serious questions about the extent to which Americans who use these networks remain exposed to unacceptable risk.”</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/02/bblo-0211-0218-2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-11-2026-greenland-and-telecom-geopolitics/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/cantwell-says-at-t-verizon-blocked-salt-typhoon-inquiry/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">💡</div><div class="kg-callout-text"><b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️Trinity Broadcasting Thinks Ruddy’s Behind NRB’s Support for the 39% Cap</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️GOP Senators Hammer Netflix CEO over Woke, Trans Content</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️National Taxpayers Union: Consumer Welfare Standard Should Guide Netflix-WBD Review</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️Michigan Cable TV Subs Dip Below 1 Million</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️Group Trying to Yank Murdoch’s Fox 29 License Says Cruz ‘Misinformed’</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️Screenshot of the Day: Starlink Promotes ‘Affordable’ Broadband at $50/mo.</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️SpaceX Exec: D2C Usage Surging in National Parks, Emergencies</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️WisconsinEye Returns to Covering Madison Legislature</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️Sen. Canwell Wants CEOs of AT&amp;T, Verizon to Testify on Salt Typhoon</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️GCI in Alaska Announces Completion of AIRRAQ Network’s First Phase</strong></b> <b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">▪️EWTN Global Catholic Network Launches Ad-Free Streaming Platform</strong></b></div></div><p><strong>39% Cap: Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy</strong> finally got his cage match with th<strong>e National Association of Broadcasters</strong>, but the question is: Will it be enough to stop the <strong>$6.2 billion Nexstar-TEGNA merger</strong>? <strong>Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz</strong> (R-Texas) on Tuesday said he will convene a full Committee hearing on Feb. 10, to examine whether the FCC’s broadcast ownership rules – especially the national cap that limits a single TV station from reaching more than <strong>39% of U.S. TV households nationally</strong> – still make sense in a media market increasingly dominated by streaming services and social media. The hearing so far includes just two witnesses: Ruddy and <strong>NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt.</strong> (There’s been talk that failed Biden FCC nominee <strong>Gigi Sohn</strong> might join the fun.) “NAB appreciates Chairman Cruz extending the invitation to speak to the committee about the critical work of local broadcasters. The lifeline emergency information and trusted news that local stations provide [are] at risk unless the FCC updates decades-old rules that restrict local stations’ reach. Broadcasters are being held back by regulations written before the Internet existed that do not apply to their cable and streaming competitors. It’s time to level the playing field and let local stations compete,” an NAB spokesperson said. Ruddy has leaned on his friend <strong>President Trump</strong> for help in the battle. He flattered Trump by putting him in December 2025 and <strong>First Lady Melania Trump</strong> last month on the cover of <strong>Newsmax magazine</strong>. But Trump has not explicitly said that he is opposed to Nexstar-TEGNA, which would reach <strong>54.5% of TV households</strong> under FCC rules. Trump has said he’s concerned <strong>about NBC (Comcast)</strong> and <strong>ABC (Disney)</strong> growing more powerful. Cruz, who is reportedly tight with Ruddy and might seek his support in a 2028 presidential run, released a fairly neutral statement about the purpose of the hearing. <strong><em>(More after paywall.)</em></strong></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zE5E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F939ea261-4ced-4054-afba-e91075950fff_908x311.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="908" height="311" /><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">From left: NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt and Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy</span></figcaption></figure> <div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/newsmax-ceo-ruddy-gets-his-cage-match-with-nab-with-cruz-announcing-39-cap-hearing/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

<p>MADRID, Feb. 3, 2026 (AP) — Spain plans to ban social media access for children under 16, Prime Minister <strong>Pedro Sánchez</strong> said Tuesday, in a move designed to shield young people from the harms of online content.</p><p>Sánchez chided the world's biggest tech companies in a speech at a Dubai summit, saying they allow illegal content such as child sex abuse and nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images to proliferate on their platforms. He said that governments also needed to “stop turning a blind eye.”</p><p>“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone," Sánchez said. “We will no longer accept that.”</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-4-2026-live-from-incompas-policy-summit/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/BBLO-2026-0204-v2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-4-2026-live-from-incompas-policy-summit/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div><p>Spain joins a growing number of countries, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-under-16-children-8b992efa5138704bc02ee9fc974f6987">Australia</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-social-media-ban-children-d3c4010741dd1a39f61c1f6d5bb3c85b">France</a>, which have taken or are considering measures to restrict minors' access to social media.</p><p>In January, France approved a bill banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to take effect at the start of the next school year in September. The bill would also ban the use of mobile phones in high schools.</p><p>Australia <a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-2ae8c00402098db69797eb64c52e3d56">has started implementing</a> the world's first social media ban for under-16s, after its government passed a measure that holds platforms including TikTok, Twitch, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for failing to prevent children from having accounts.</p><p>Denmark <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denmark-social-media-ban-children-7862d2a8cc590b4969c8931a01adc7f4">has introduced similar legislation</a> to ban access to social media for users under 15, while the U.K. said last month it would <a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">consider banning young teenagers</a> from social media, as it tightens laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.</p><p>Sánchez said that Spain would require social media companies to enforce the ban with age verification systems, “not just check boxes, but real barriers that work."</p><p>Many social media apps require users to be at least 13, though enforcement varies. Users are often asked to declare their own age.</p><p>Spain's ban will be added to an already existing measure centered on digital protections for minors that is being debated by parliament, a government spokesperson said. Sánchez said that could happen as early as next week.</p><p>It’s unclear if Sánchez’s left-wing coalition will get the approval needed in Parliament, where his government lacks a majority. A spokesperson for the far-right Vox party said the Sánchez government's measure was aimed at "making sure that no one criticizes them,” while the main opposition party — the center-right Popular Party — said it had proposed similar restrictions last year, seemingly offering its support.</p><p>Social media companies Meta — which owns Facebook and Instagram — and X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p><p>But <strong>Elon Musk</strong>, X's billionaire owner and the world's richest man, wrote that “Sánchez is the true fascist totalitarian," in a post referencing the Spanish leader's speech at the World Governments Summit in the United Arab Emirates.</p><p>In his address, Sánchez also said that Spain had joined five other European countries in what the Spanish leader dubbed a “coalition of the digitally willing" to coordinate the regulation of social media platforms at a multinational level.</p><p>Additionally, Spain would make it a criminal offense to manipulate algorithms to amplify illegal content and would hold tech executives liable for failing to take down criminal content from their platforms, he said.</p><p>“No more pretending that technology is neutral," Sánchez said.</p><p>Both measures would require parliamentary approval to change Spanish law, a government spokesperson said.</p><p><em>This article was written by Suman Naishadham of the Associated Press.</em></p>

<h3 id="please-note-this-special-program-begins-at-10-am-et-two-hours-earlier-broadband-breakfast-live-onlines-normal-time"><em>Please note: This special program begins at 10 a.m. ET, two hours earlier Broadband Breakfast Live Online's normal time.</em></h3><p>Join Broadband Breakfast for a special livestream at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit on Wed., Feb. 4, 2026: A critical discussion on the permitting challenges that threaten to derail America's broadband deployment goals. As infrastructure projects race against the clock, delays at federal, state, and local levels risk keeping communities disconnected, with far-reaching consequences for economic competitiveness and digital equity. Industry leaders will share proven strategies for streamlining approval processes, implementing rational fee structures, and accelerating the infrastructure projects needed to bridge the connectivity gap across the nation. </p><p><strong><em>Free registration is available to all for this special Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. This livestream is part of the two-day INCOMPAS Policy Summit (Feb. 4-5), focusing on the most pressing issues shaping communications and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure landscape – including broadband deployment, robocalls, permitting reform, the future of Universal Service Fund, AI infrastructure, and energy innovation. </em></strong><a href="https://policysummit.incompas.org/" rel="noreferrer"><strong><em>Register for the full summit to access additional sessions</em></strong></a><strong><em> and hear from a great line-up of keynote speakers.</em></strong></p> <script></script> <div class="kg-card kg-signup-card kg-width-wide " style="background-color:#F0F0F0;display:none"> <div class="kg-signup-card-content"> <div class="kg-signup-card-text "> <h2 class="kg-signup-card-heading" style="color:#000000"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Sign up for FREE for 'Live from INCOMPAS Policy Summit'</span></h2> <p class="kg-signup-card-subheading" style="color:#000000"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Once you log in, </span><a href="https://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/c/broadbandlive-events/live-from-incompas-policy-summit" rel="noreferrer"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">click this link</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> to watch the BroadbandLive program</span></p> <input type="hidden" value="bblo_2026_02_04" /> <div class="kg-signup-card-fields"> <input class="kg-signup-card-input" id="email" type="email" required="true" placeholder="Your email" /> <button class="kg-signup-card-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#FFFFFF" type="submit"> <span class="kg-signup-card-button-default">Subscribe</span> <span class="kg-signup-card-button-loading"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" height="24" width="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24"> <circle cx="4" cy="12" r="3"></circle> <circle cx="12" cy="12" r="3"></circle> <circle cx="20" cy="12" r="3"></circle> </svg></span> </button> </div> <div class="kg-signup-card-success" style="color:#000000"> Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. </div> <div class="kg-signup-card-error" style="color:#000000"></div> <p class="kg-signup-card-disclaimer" style="color:#000000"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Better Broadband, Better Lives</span></p> </div> </div> </div><h3 id="panelists"><em>Panelists</em></h3><ul><li><strong>David Avery</strong>, Vice President of Government Affairs, Uniti</li><li><strong>Rebecca Hussey</strong>, Associate General Counsel, Government Relations, Crown Castle</li><li><strong>Ben Sanborn</strong>, Senior Counsel, Conterra Networks</li><li><strong>Ariane Schaffer</strong>, Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, GFiber</li><li><strong>Brendan West</strong>, CEO, FiberCom</li><li><strong>Drew Clark</strong> (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast</li></ul><figure class="kg-card kg-gallery-card kg-width-wide"><div class="kg-gallery-container"><div class="kg-gallery-row"><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/Avery_David_Uniti.png" width="500" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="" /></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/Hussey_Becky_Crown-Castle.png" width="500" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="" /></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/Sanborn_Ben_Conterra.png" width="500" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="" /></div></div><div class="kg-gallery-row"><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/Schaffer_Ariane_GFiber.png" width="500" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="" /></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/West_Brendan_FiberCom-Engineering.png" width="500" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="" /></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/Clark_Drew_Broadband-Breakfast.png" width="500" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="" /></div></div></div></figure><p><strong>David Avery</strong> is vice president of government affairs for Uniti, a premier insurgent fiber provider dedicated to enabling mission-critical connectivity across the United States. Avery oversees federal and state government affairs, including development of public policy and advocacy strategies and engagement coordination with legislators, regulators and government officials. Avery has worked in the telecommunications industry for approximately 30 years in government affairs and corporate communications roles. Uniti (NASDAQ: UNIT) is headquartered in Little Rock, Ark.</p><p><strong>Becky Hussey</strong> applies her leadership and proven industry expertise to help clients solve problems and scale roadblocks so they may efficiently and effectively deliver results.  She places emphasis on developing strong teams whose clear, actionable advice makes them essential business partners and company stewards. Her teams oversee various advocacy, regulatory, compliance, and other strategic functions within the organization. One of Becky’s key strengths is the ability to quickly identify critical issues and formulate strategies to drive solutions and capitalize on opportunities for improvement. She does this by listening closely to clients’ and customers’ concerns and asking questions to ensure full understanding of the issues they face. Becky’s clients liken her process to “cutting through the noise” and her approach allows her to help address immediate challenges while propelling long-term company value creation. Becky is very solutions oriented and feels most professionally enriched when meaningfully collaborating with colleagues to resolve complex issues. She approaches life and work with a sense of openness, curiosity, and good humor.</p><p><strong>Ben Sanborn</strong> is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz and Vermont Law School. Ben began working in the telecommunications industry in the late 1990s as an attorney with the Utilities Practice Group at the law office of PretiFlaherty in Maine. During his time with PretiFlaherty, Ben represented a number of individual telephone company clients, as well as the CLEC Coalition, before the Maine Public Utilities. In 2007, Ben was hired away from PretiFlaherty by the Telecommunications Association of Maine (TAM) to act as full time Executive Director and in-house counsel. In his role with TAM, Ben was engaged in regulatory and legislative work at the State and Federal level, including working closely with Senator Collins' office on broadband issues. In 2021, Ben was hired as Senior Counsel for Conterra Networks, a broadband company located in Charlotte, N.C. </p><p><strong>Ariane Schaffer</strong> is the Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs for GFiber, an Alphabet company that provides Google Fiber and Google Fiber Webpass internet services to homes and businesses across the United States. Ariane joined the company in 2018 and focuses on advancing public policy to increase broadband deployments and realize digital equity for communities across the nation. In this role, she represents GFiber on a wide variety of issues impacting the business, including competition, utility safety, permitting reform, and taxes. She also serves as the company’s liaison to trade associations, industry coalitions, third-party groups, and participates on expert panels and in events with other thought leaders. She is currently serving a six-year term as a board member for the Fiber Broadband Association and served as Chair of the Board for 2025. Prior to joining Google Fiber, Ariane was Executive Briefer to the Governor of New York. Ariane holds a Bachelor's degree from American University’s School of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., and graduated from the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program and University Honors Program. She interned in the White House in the Office of Public Engagement under President Obama as well served as Legislative Intern for the U.S. Rep. Cedric L. Richmond. A New Orleans native, and currently lives in New York City.</p><p><strong>Brendan West</strong> is the Co-Founder and CEO of FiberCom Engineering, SkyCom Engineering and SkyWare, a vertically integrated infrastructure platform serving the broadband, utility and construction sectors. With nearly two decades in the industry, Brendan brings a field-first perspective shaped by hands-on experience across underground and aerial fiber construction, field engineering, permitting and regulatory compliance. He has worked in and led every phase of the infrastructure lifecycle – from build execution to engineering validation – experience that directly informs how his companies design technology and workflows for real-world conditions. Under his leadership, FiberCom and its subsidiaries have completed over 7 million feet of field collection in under two years. Brendan is known for challenging “marketing technology” with execution-driven solutions focused on engineering-grade accuracy, constructability, and compliance – delivering datasets and processes that utilities, regulators, and construction teams can trust. He regularly speaks on bridging construction, engineering, and modern technology without sacrificing rigor, accountability or field reality.</p><p>Breakfast Media CEO <strong>Drew Clark</strong> has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><a href="https://broadband-breakfast.ghost.io/tag/broadbandlive/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com"><img src="https://broadband-breakfast.ghost.io/content/images/2024/01/home-page-bblo-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="563" /></a></figure>

<p>WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2026 – Senators are looking to meet with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to discuss SpaceX’s efforts to exempt itself from certain provisions of the agency’s $42.45 billion broadband grant program.</p><p>Sen. <strong>Jacky Rosen</strong>, D-Nev., said at a Tuesday markup that she was willing to withdraw her proposed amendment to a satellite licensing bill if as Sen. <strong>Ted Cruz</strong>, R-Texas, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, would “commit to having NTIA engage with members of this committee, either a briefing or a meeting, on the Starlink rider and how they plan to uphold the integrity of the BEAD program.”</p><p>Cruz responded, “And we’re happy to arrange that discussion.”</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-none kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-no-dividers kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-4-2026-live-from-incompas-policy-summit/"><img src="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/content/images/2026/01/BBLO-2026-0204-v2-1.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/tag/broadbandlive/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><i><b><strong class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more about Broadband Breakfast Live Online</strong></b></i></a></p> </div> <a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/broadband-breakfast-on-february-4-2026-live-from-incompas-policy-summit/" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#000000"> Signup on CHAT for BroadbandLive </a> </div> </div> </div><div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/senators-looking-for-briefing-from-ntia-on-spacex-rider/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>