Press Release

AT&T to Offer Emergency Broadband Benefit to Customers

March 12, we are filing our application to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program so we can offer low-income customers additional options for discounted broadband services. We appreciate the Commission’s efforts to move swiftly to implement this program and we look forward to its official launch date. While the EBB will help address the immediate broadband connectivity needs of many low-income Americans, we will continue to work with Congress and others to identify permanent and sustainable funding solutions.

FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program USAC Service Provider Election Process Now Open

Beginning March 11, 2021, broadband service providers can submit election notices to Universal Service Administrative Company to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.

Reps Cicilline, Buck, DeSaulnier, and Sen Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Save Local News

House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI), Ranking Member Ken Buck (R-CO), Rep Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), and Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Journalism Competition and Preservation Act that will allow small news outlets to band together to negotiate with large online platforms like Google and Facebook. The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act will establish a temporary, 48-month safe harbor that allows small news publishers to negotiate collectively with online platforms to protect Americans’

Rep DelBene Introduces National Consumer Data Privacy Legislation

Rep Suzan DelBene (D-WA) introduced the Information Transparency and Personal Data Control Act, legislation that would create a national data privacy standard to protect our most personal information and bring our laws into the 21st Century. The bill protects personal information including data relating to financial, health, genetic, biometric, geolocation, sexual orientation, citizenship and immigration status, Social Security Numbers, and religious beliefs. It also keeps information about children under 13 years of age safe.

Rep. Welch Introduces $80 Billion Broadband Expansion Bill

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced legislation (H.R. 1672) to connect every household in America with high-speed broadband service capable of supporting remote schooling, online businesses, and remote work, telehealth appointments, and entertainment streaming.

A Bill to Expand Internet Access and Protect Local Communities’ Broadband Networks

Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Jared Golden (D-ME) and Sen Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Community Broadband Act (H.R.

Rep Bergman Introduces Rural Broadband Window of Opportunity Act

Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) introduced the Rural Broadband Window of Opportunity Act to level the playing field for broadband expansion in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Specifically, the bill would require the Federal Communications Commission to prioritize the processing of broadband expansion applications located in areas with shorter build seasons.

DISH to acquire Republic Wireless

DISH Network announced its plans to acquire Republic Wireless, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service operating on the T-Mobile network. Upon close, DISH will assume approximately 200,000 customer relationships, the Republic Wireless brand, and other supporting assets. Once acquired by DISH, Republic customers will not see any immediate changes to their experience or plans, and there is no need for customers to take action.

Representative Angie Craig Introduces Legislation to Ensure Transparency for Broadband Consumers

Rep Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced legislation to provide consumers with transparent information on broadband services available in the marketplace. The Broadband Consumer Transparency Act of 2021 would require sellers of broadband services to display information in a uniform and clear manner at the point of sale to allow consumers to easily compare plans and to understand what they are purchasing. Roughly 7 in 10 U.S.

New Satellite Internet Pilot Program to Connect Students in Two North Carolina Counties

Some students in Hyde and Swain counties will soon be able to access high-speed internet via satellite technology, thanks to a pilot program aimed at improving internet access to support remote learning.

Senators Introduce Bill to Promote Broadband and Connectivity Priorities

Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Broadband Reserve Fund Act. This legislation would require the net proceeds from the C-Band spectrum auction to be deposited into a reserve fund at the Department of Treasury to be used to expand broadband access and digital opportunity, modernize the nation’s communications infrastructure, and meet other connectivity priorities.

White House Announces Additional Domestic Policy Staff

President Biden and Vice President Harris announced the appointments of additional policy staff who will serve with the White House COVID Response Team, Domestic Climate Policy Office, Domestic Policy Council, and National Economic Council. A couple of note:

T-Mobile unveils T-Mobile WFX: home office internet is a separate cellular-based Wi-Fi network for enterprise customers

T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert announced T-Mobile WFX (work from anywhere), three solutions designed to help businesses and their employees meet the remarkable changes they face in tomorrow’s radically-transformed, post-pandemic, work-from-anywhere world.

Mayor de Blasio Announces Major Next Steps to Close the Digital Divide in NYC

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced next steps on the City’s efforts to achieve affordable and universal broadband. With a historic $157 million capital investment, the City is releasing a Request for Proposals that invites the telecommunications industry to create new affordable broadband service options through a first-ever coordinated system of access of up to 100,000 City assets, prioritizing areas identified by the Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity.

FCC Commissioner Carr Visits Mississippi to Promote 5G Jobs Agenda

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr is in Mississippi for events focused on his 5G jobs initiative, which centers on standing up community college and trade school programs so that Americans earn the skills needed to land good-paying jobs in the tower and telecommunication industries. Those programs have already been launched in SC, SD, NC, and OK. His visits will also focus on telehealth, infrastructure builds, and enhanced use of technology in K-12 classrooms.

2020 Network Report

As the world approaches the one-year anniversary of the widespread pandemic stay-at-home shift, 2020 traffic patterns reveal a sharp traffic surge in March and April, followed by a transition into a more typical – although still elevated – growth trend throughout the balance of the year. Traffic patterns remained highly asymmetrical, as downstream traffic volumes were 14x higher than upstream traffic volumes throughout 2020. Peak Internet traffic rose 32 percent over pre-pandemic levels, and over 50 percent in some markets in March. Peak downstream traffic in 2020 increased approximately 38

About 4,860,000 Added Broadband From Top Providers in 2020

The largest cable and wireline phone providers in the US – representing about 96% of the market – acquired about 4,860,000 net additional broadband Internet subscribers in 2020, compared to a pro forma gain of about 2,550,000 subscribers in 2019. These top broadband providers now account for 105.8 million subscribers, with top cable companies having 72.8 million broadband subscribers, and top wireline phone companies having 33 million subscribers. Overall, broadband additions in 2020 were 190% of those in 2019, and more than in any year since 2008. The top cable companies added about 4,820,

More Replicable Digital Navigators Tools Now Available

In the Fall of 2020, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance partnered with the Salt Lake City Public Library and Urban Libraries Council to bridge the Digital Divide in Salt Lake City through the launch of a Digital Navigators pilot project. To prepare for direct service in Dec 2020, program leadership at the City Library and NDIA worked collaboratively to develop several tools for Digital Navigators to use as they recorded and addressed the needs of community members in Salt Lake City.

NHMC’s 2021 Priorities

The National Hispanic Media Coalition eager to build on our last thirty-five years of advocacy to remedy harms done to our gente, and build a better, more equitable future. This includes eliminating hate, discrimination, and racism towards Latinx and marginalized communities, and safeguarding the democracy of the United States of America. 

  • Digital Rights are Civil & Human Rights
  • Broadband Access 
  • Net Neutrality 
  • Platform Accountability 

USDA Invests $42 Million in Distance Learning and Telemedicine Infrastructure to Improve Education and Health Outcomes

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $42.3 million to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities. Rural areas are seeing higher infection and death rates related to COVID-19 due to several factors, including a much higher percentage of underlying conditions, difficulty accessing medical care, and lack of health insurance.

I am proud to vote to approve this item

With today’s vote, the Federal Communications Commission Commission acts swiftly to implement a program that will help those most affected by the pandemic to stay connected to the those who mean the most to them. Yet while the Commission has acted quickly, today’s order creates thoughtful, fair, and sensible policies. I could not be prouder of, or more humbled by, the diligent work of the employees across the agency, particularly those in the Wireline Competition Bureau. I am further thankful to my dedicated staff for their contributions leading up to this vote.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit will reach more disconnected low-income households and people of color than any previous FCC effort to close the digital divide

In June of 2020, I co-authored an op-ed with leaders Reverend Al Sharpton, Vanita Gupta, Marc Morial, and Maurita Coley entitled, Broadband Access Is a Civil Right We Can’t Afford to Lose—But Many Can’t Afford to Have.1 The first line in that piece reads: “There is a broadband emergency in America.” I am deeply proud of today’s action that follows through with that fierce urgency of now.

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program: Approving in Part and Concurring in Part

I differ from my colleagues on a few of the issues we address today. But it is imperative that we come together, compromise, and find common ground so that we can stand up this program. For instance, while I would have preferred that we prioritize the needs of students, I remain pleased that the program we stand up today will benefit school kids. Indeed, we include several paths to participation for families with school-aged children, thus ensuring that we have stood up a program that will put dollars directly towards the monthly Internet bills of families with children.

Today the Federal Communications Commission makes history.

Adopting these rules today is just the first step. So what happens next? First, for this program to be a success, we need the assistance of local organizations, national organizations, schools, faith-based institutions, and others who are trusted voices in their communities, to help get the word out and encourage those in need to enroll. To make it easy for those who are interested in helping, we have a website dedicated to this program that includes a place for outreach partners to learn how they can get the word out.