Some of the technology and innovation policy issues at top of mind as we start 2026:

  • Move Past the Broadband Access Gap:  2026 may be the year the United States closes the broadband access gap once and for all. With continued private investment, the growth of low-earth-orbit satellites, and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program money set to roll out, there should be no more deployment gaps in the United States and therefore no more need for subsidies to fill them. Meanwhile, leftover BEAD funds and Universal Service Fund reform should shift the focus to helping low-income Americans be able to afford broadband and develop digital skills.

  • Free Up More Spectrum: Modernize spectrum policy for productivity and global competitiveness: The United States needs to get more productive with wireless resources. That means making way for more commercial spectrum use by making outdated federal systems high-tech, and updating spectrum policy to account for a world of convergence that increasingly blurs the lines between terrestrial and satellite uses.

  • Accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) Adoption: Given massive investments in AI, the level of maturity of the technology, and promises from tech executives, it is win or bust for AI. Companies and countries that successfully go all-in on AI will have an enormous advantage over their more hesitant peers. The United States needs a national AI adoption plan where policymakers can work hand-in-hand with industry to accelerate AI adoption by measuring uptake, addressing barriers, and developing the skills and infrastructure needed to be a global leader in AI.

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