Regulators and members of the telecom industry are ratcheting up the pressure on Congress to renew an expiring internet subsidy program, which just downgraded its monthly subsidies from $30 to $14 as it enters its final month of operation.

The Affordable Connectivity Program, which has helped subsidize internet access for as many as 23 million households since 2021, will fully cease providing financial support at the end of May if lawmakers fail to imbue the program with new funds, Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a May 1 letter to House appropriators.

The program needs at least $6 billion to continue operating until the end of the year. Rosenworcel noted in her letter that “additional funding from Congress is the only near-term solution for keeping the ACP going.”

If nothing changes, more than three-quarters of participating households said they’ll have to change their internet plan or forgo service entirely, according to an FCC survey conducted in December. And new data from OpenSignal showed that the program has given low-income subscribers more market power, allowing them to compare the value of affordable plans among broadband providers—and switch plans accordingly.

So far, legislative attempts to extend the program have fallen flat.

Keep reading here.—KG

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Running AI might eat up massive amounts of energy, but can the technology also help the electrical grid run more smoothly?

That was one of the questions posed in a pair of Department of Energy reports last week that outlined ways AI might be used to bolster the country’s power infrastructure. Those include smarter distribution of electricity through better stress predictions, more thorough renewable energy forecasts, and the use of large language models to speed up permitting.

The reports were produced as part of a sweeping executive order President Biden signed around AI six months ago. Part of its mandate was to direct federal departments and agencies to survey the risks and potentials of the technology.

Impending stresses: Experts expect factors like erratic weather patterns, electrification pushes, and vast new data centers—many of which power AI itself—to significantly strain the US’s aging electrical grid in coming years.

But the reports said that more comprehensive data about usage and AI-powered analysis might also help better route and mete out all this power.

Keep reading here.—PK

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

First, I think it’s important to acknowledge that the definitions of technology and tech jobs are rapidly evolving. The classical tech and non-tech worlds are blurring at increasing speed and being driven by technology.

Fifteen years ago, I was inside the industry working with lean principles to create a more efficient and resilient supply chain, and today I do that same thing, but the impact and scale have completely changed. The ability to obtain, store, compute, and use data to drive decisions intelligently is now available and relevant to every business and every industry.

Fundamentally, my role as a leader in Deloitte’s Supply Chain and Operations practice is to help people who don’t have a classical tech background integrate the best technology into their day-to-day.

One of the ways I help companies build new solutions and strategies is by bringing them to Deloitte’s Smart Manufacturing experience center, The Smart Factory @ Wichita, where they can view these solutions firsthand to understand in real time how emerging technology can benefit their organization. Our overall goal is to help them engineer advantage by delivering immediate business outcomes while building long-term organizational capabilities.

What’s the most compelling tech project you’ve worked on, and why?

One of the most exciting projects I’ve recently tackled is at the intersection of technology, manufacturing, and sustainability. We’re working with a client to use next-generation energy technology solutions in conjunction with artificial intelligence to help them monitor emissions, reduce emissions, and create differentiated plant layouts to drive energy efficiency.

Keep reading here.

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