Broadband Expansion Efforts Progress in Rural Mississippi, Michigan, Pennsylvania

The Trump administration has altered key rules in a $42.5 billion federal broadband program, shifting states' evaluation criteria to prioritize the lowest-cost proposals, which favors wireless and satellite internet providers like Starlink over fiber optic projects. This change has raised concerns among critics who argue that prioritizing short-term savings risks delivering inadequate, less reliable internet infrastructure to rural areas, potentially hindering long-term efforts to close the digital divide. In Pennsylvania, officials are scrambling to adapt to the accelerated timeline and new rules, which may result in fewer rural residents gaining access to high-speed fiber connections. Similar efforts to expand rural broadband access are underway in states like Michigan and Mississippi, where local leaders and providers are working to improve connectivity with a focus on fiber deployment, though challenges remain. Michigan officials have also faced transparency issues with changes in funding evaluation, prompting calls for clearer communication to ensure rural communities benefit from broadband programs. Meanwhile, Canada's experience shows significant improvements in rural internet speeds over the past decades, but latency issues persist in remote regions, underscoring the ongoing need for investment and innovation to bridge digital divides worldwide.