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  2. November 2016

November 2016

High-Speed Rail and CENIC Join Forces to Create California Broadband Communities

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) and the Corporation for Education Networking Initiatives in California (CENIC) announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that will foster initiatives to expand the availability and accessibility of high-capacity broadband to communities and institutions throughout California.

As a part of the high-speed rail system corridor, the Authority and CENIC will create an ultra-fast broadband network, connecting into CENIC’s statewide research and education network, as well as to other public and private sector broadband networks. According to a recent Field Research Corporation Poll, conducted for the California Emerging Technology Fund, the lowest income, least educated, and most rural Californians are living without this reliable Internet access. This investment in broadband connectivity will allow these communities access the educational, employment, healthcare, and civic engagement opportunities that lead to greater economic opportunities and to a better quality of life.

Transition Memo to President-Elect Trump: How to Spur Innovation, Productivity, and Competitiveness

Now that the election is over, it is time for the prose of governing. In this memo, we revisit the themes of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness, and we offer a set of actionable proposals that the new administration can accomplish in its first year through executive authority or by working with Congress on discrete legislative measures that would be comparatively easy to accomplish. Cutting across all of our recommendations is a basic recognition and a core conviction: America’s economic future will depend on successfully driving innovation, productivity growth, and competitiveness, and to do that, the federal government will need to adopt new and more creative approaches to public policy.

Chairman Walden: Let’s Do a Network Neutrality Bill

House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman (and potential full Commerce Committee Chairman) Greg Walden (R-OR) is still on board with enshrining network neutrality principles into law. Back during the dustup over the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet order, Chairman Walden, along with Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), had pushed a bill to mandate no blocking and no throttling of web traffic — without reclassifying broadband providers as common carriers. But it went nowhere.

“There were things we could find common ground on, and should have been able to,” Chairman Walden said. “Blocking, throttling, the abusive things people were concerned about, we should put in statute. I’d be fine with that.” Many Democrats at the time refused to come to the table on legislation, since they had the votes to pass the network neutrality rules at the FCC. But with the Trump win and Republicans set to take over agency — and likely intent on reversing the Open Internet order — Democrats may be more willing to play ball on the Hill.

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