The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today approved S. 2418, the Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2018.

The Federal Communications Commission on Sept. 15 released the standards with which it will determine whether state broadband networks are interoperable with the National Public Safety Broadband Network. The FCC plans to assess states’ requests to opt out of FirstNet and use their own networks instead, through a two-pronged review system.

AT&T was awarded a $6.5 billion contract to build and operate the nationwide network FirstNet. However, the legislation that authorizes FirstNet also authorizes a state to develop its own alternative on the spectrum carved out for the network, as long as the alternative is interoperable with the FirstNet core.

Connected Nation, an organization committed to bringing affordable Internet to Americans, announced that Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa won the Connected Nation Broadband Visionary Award.

The Future of Privacy Forum said institutions must be established to govern the handling of individuals’ data in the era of smart cities.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced a $30 million grant for broadband technology research and development for first responders.