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ACP subsidies slashed ahead of funding cliff.

May 06, 2024 PRESENTED BY It's Monday. Amid congressional deadlock, 23 million American households just saw their subsidies for broadband internet slashed in half, with the Affordable Connectivity Program set to run out of money by the end of the month. Tech Brew's Kelcee Griffis, who's extensively covered what's at stake if the program sunsets, reports on the latest moves to keep the program going. In today's edition: Internet assistance program cuts subsidy payments ahead of funding draught The DOE mulls how AI can help shore up power grids Coworking with Kelsey Carvell —Kelcee Griffis, Patrick Kulp, Annie Saunders CONNECTIVITY Grinding to a halt Douglas Rissing/Getty Images 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 PRESENTED BY AKAMAI What will you build next? If there's one thing modern applications need, it's scalability. Instant, automatic, and secure scalability. Today's centralized cloud isn't *quite* meeting these demands. That's where Akamai comes in. Their distributed cloud computing platform brings cloud and edge computing together seamlessly. Let's say you decide to build something related to heavy computation, like AI. With Akamai, you can move the decisions made by that engine allll the way to the edge—where your users are. Get the global scale, speed, performance, and flexibility you need to build engaging, resilient applications. You can reach more users in more places and optimize your cloud spend while you're at it, too. Get started with Akamai for free. AI It's electric Igor Borisenko/Getty Images 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 READER SPOTLIGHT Coworking with Kelsey Carvell Kelsey Carvell 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. TOGETHER WITH ADOBE Your creative sidekick. Create standout content on the go with the Adobe Express mobile app in your back pocket (literally). Work smarter with generative AI tools that empower creativity. Turn your descriptions into one-of-a-kind images or text effects and edit high-quality video and social content, all from your phone. Meet your new marketing bestie. BITS AND BYTES Stat: 17 million. That's how many EVs and hybrids are expected to be sold worldwide this year, according to International Energy Agency data reported by Canary Media. That compares with 13.7 million such vehicles sold in 2023. Quote: "AI tools belong in my workflow only to the extent that they help me achieve the overarching goals of human connection. This is the Amish approach to technology: first, clarify your values; then adopt only those innovations that serve your values."—Oliver Burkeman, writing in his newsletter, The Imperfectionist, on how he thinks about the role of generative AI in his work Read: Facebook is the 'zombie internet' (404 Media) Elevated apps: The cloud landscape as we know it is changing. Akamai makes it possible to build, secure, and scale your apps, and then deploy cloud capabilities at the edge. Try Akamai Connected Cloud for free.* *A message from our sponsor. SHARE THE BREW Share Tech Brew with your coworkers, acquire free Brew swag, and then make new friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag. We're saying we'll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link. Your referral count: 0 Click to Share Or copy & paste your referral link to others: emergingtechbrew.com/r/?kid=b3968dba Written by Kelcee Griffis, Patrick Kulp, and Annie Saunders Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.   Guide → What is AI?   Guide → What is 5G? Take The Brew to work Marketers: Marketing Brew Corporate: CFO Brew   HR Brew Tech: IT Brew   Retailers: Retail Brew Healthcare: Healthcare Brew Get smarter in just 5 minutes Business News: Morning Brew Money & Career: Money With Katie   Bossy Interested in podcasts? Check out ours here ADVERTISE // CAREERS // SHOP // FAQ Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here. View our privacy policy here. Copyright © 2024 Morning Brew. All rights reserved. 22 W 19th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011