Hosted in Chattanooga, Tennessee | Presented by AAPB – The Nation’s Voice for Local Choice Impact in Action flips the script on traditional broadband events. Instead of dwelling on barriers, this conference celebrates solutions, the co-ops, utilities, cities, and partners that are building successful public broadband networks across the Southeast. Attendees will experience two days of collaborative learning, peer-to-peer insight, and interactive storytelling, surrounded by a

As more cities and towns build or expand locally owned broadband networks, they’re often met with a complex, and sometimes confusing, legal environment. To help local leaders cut through the noise, we once again partnered with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) to kick off 2026 with a new installment in our webinar series: “Navigating the Legal Landscape of Community Broadband,” where we were joined by Sean Stokes and Casey Lide, attorneys with Keller & Heckman, who

A Note from AAPB Membership Director Marlena Pfeiffer: Membership-based broadband organizations have proven to be an essential force behind the industry’s momentum. Through them, we’ve been able to network with one another, build relationships, and create an ecosystem that is strong and resilient. AAPB recognizes this, and we also recognize that membership organizations must stay flexible if they want to meet their members’ needs in a rapidly changing environment. As the land

When the history books are written, 2026 may be known as the turning point for community-owned broadband. For the preceding two years, many communities had faith that the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity Act funding programs would close the digital divide, once and for all. Unfortunately, thanks to an overly deliberate previous Administration and a current Administration that has changed the rules numerous times in just 11 months, these program

A Democratic state lawmaker in Wisconsin wants his state to retain control over its full allocation under the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, including the $363 million not tapped for expanding infrastructure.

The following article appeared on Broadband Breakfast: WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2025 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is telling states that participants in the agency’s $42.45 billion broadband grant program will have to be exempt from certain state broadband regulations, the agency’s top official said Tuesday. NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth said Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program participants would be exempt from state laws mandati

The following article appeared on Broadband Breakfast: WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2025 – Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., would prefer her state funded more fiber under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, she said Thursday. The Trump administration handed down new rules for the $42.45 billion broadband expansion program in June, ending an explicit preference for fiber and requiring another bidding round with an emphasis on lowering deployment costs. It made it easier fo

The following article appeared on Light Reading : At a Glance Sohn's perspective on how the BEAD program is unfolding under the Trump administration's NTIA (03:23) What's happening with BEAD non-deployment funds and why Republicans need to speak up to help retain them (16:10) How communities that are being left behind by BEAD can secure their own broadband futures with public networks (24:24) In this episode, we speak with Gigi Sohn, executive director of the American Associ

When Alabama’s Huntsville Utilities  set out to build its own fiber transport network, the goal was bigger than faster internet; it was...

The following article appeared on Broadband Breakfast: WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2025 – Joshua Edmonds, who led one of the country’s fastest...

American Association for Public Broadband Welcomes  DigitalC’s Joshua Edmonds to Board New Appointment Strengthens AAPB’s Mission Amid...

The following article appeared on Broadband Breakfast: WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2025 — After years of broken promises from Washington, Gigi...

AAPB Executive Director Gigi Sohn delivered this speech at the " What's Next for Broadband in Minnesota, " presented by the Minnesota...

The following viewpoint appeared on Broadband Communities : In the media, a little “spin” is expected. But sometimes spin becomes...

As Chief Executive Officer of DigitalC , Cleveland’s nonprofit internet provider and hub for digital skills training and coworking,...

The following article appeared on Ars Technica : Starlink operator SpaceX isn't getting the broadband money it demanded from state...

The following article appeared on Fierce Network : SpaceX has beef with how Louisiana and Virginia classified “priority broadband...

The following article appeared on Light Reading : West Virginia on Tuesday  released its final BEAD proposal , which will award 99% of...

The following article appeared on Light Reading : Well that didn't take long. Just days after Virginia presented a revised and relatively...

The following article appeared on Broadband Breakfast : WASHINGTON, August 13, 2025 – If states were counting on leftover BEAD funds for...