State and Local

Congress has allocated more than $42 billion to bridge the “digital divide,” but that effort risks failing because the federal BEAD program encourages states to overspend on high-end fiberoptic infrastructure.

Congress has allocated $42.5 billion to bridge America’s digital divide through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. To achieve that goal, states and territories must carefully craft plans to use their shares of the funds to the greatest possible benefit.

This visualization tool applies letter grades to states' plans to utilize the $42.5 billion allocated by Congress to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

While ITIF applauds the Commission for its efforts to evaluate the adequacy of California’s competition laws and consider possible changes, this comment highlights concerns with both the single-firm and concentration reports, and specifically regarding their respective legal and economic findings.

A recent analysis shows that California’s share of all tech sector jobs has declined from around 19 percent in early 2020 to about 16 percent now.

Given that more than 19 states are in the process of implementing digital IDs, Oklahoma serves as a cautionary tale on the importance of building accessibility into the system from the beginning.

In areas ranging from data privacy to content moderation, states are creating patchworks of regulation that confuse consumers, complicate compliance, and undermine the digital economy. It’s time for Congress to step in and establish a consistent national approach to digital policy.

Virginia’s new Executive Order 30 is a blueprint for AI implementation in state government that focuses on accelerating the deployment of the technology, not just managing risks. Other states should take note.

Advancements in AI are creating many opportunities to use the technology for beneficial purposes across virtually every sector, and people will undoubtedly find many useful applications for AI in elections and government agencies in the years ahead.

The New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI mischaracterizes the nuanced dynamics of AI development and the principles of fair use for news articles available online.