1. Monthly archive
  2. February 2017

February 2017

Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission
September 26, 2017
10:30 -- 12:30
https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/04/april-2017-open-commissio...

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the September Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 26, 2017:

Amendment of Parts 74, 76 and 78 of the Commission’s Rules Regarding Maintenance of Copies of FCC Rules – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to eliminate rules requiring certain broadcast and cable entities to maintain paper copies of FCC rules. (MB Docket Nos. 17-105; 17-231)

Cable Television Technical and Operational Standards – The Commission will consider a Report and Order that modernizes its cable television technical rules to reflect the cable industry’s use of digital transmission systems. (MB Docket No. 12-217)

Revitalization of the AM Radio Service – The Commission will consider a Third Report and Order that will relax or eliminate certain rules pertaining to AM broadcasters employing and maintaining directional antenna arrays. (MB Docket No. 13-249)

Updating Rules for Non-Geostationary Satellites in the Fixed-Satellite Service – The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that recommends updating and streamlining the Commission’s rules to facilitate the licensing of the next generation of non-geostationary, fixed-satellite service systems. (IB Docket No. 16-408)

Revisions to Reporting Requirements Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile Handsets – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on revisions to the wireless hearing aid compatibility annual reporting requirement to provide relief to non-nationwide service providers. (WT Docket No. 17-228)

Toll Free Assignment Modernization – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to amend the Commission’s rules to allow for use of auctions to assign certain toll free numbers and considers other means by which to modernize the administration and assignment of toll free numbers. (WC Docket No. 17-192; CC Docket No 95-155)

911 Access, Routing, and Location in Enterprise Communications Systems – The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry that seeks comment on the provision of 911 by enterprise communications systems that serve businesses, hotels, educational institutions, and government entities. The NOI seeks comment on the capabilities of these systems to support direct calling to 911, routing to the appropriate 911 call center, and transmission of the caller’s location information, as well as to ensure that the 911 capabilities of these systems keep pace with technological developments and public expectations. (PS Docket No. 17-239)

20th Mobile Wireless Competition Report – The Commission will consider a Report analyzing the state of competition in the mobile wireless industry. (WT Docket No. 17-69)


Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission
August 3, 2017
10:30 -- 12:30
https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/04/april-2017-open-commissio...

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the August Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 3, 2017:

  1. Connect America Fund Phase II Auction (Auction 903) – The Commission will consider a Public Notice to initiate the pre-auction process for the Connect America Fund Phase II auction which will award up to $198 million annually for 10 years to service providers that commit to offer voice and broadband services to fixed locations in unserved high-cost areas. (AU Docket No. 17-182)
  2. Mobility Fund Phase II Challenge Process – The Commission will consider an Order on Reconsideration and Second Report and Order that lays out a robust challenge process that will enable the Commission to direct Mobility Fund Phase II support to primarily rural areas that lack unsubsidized 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) service. (WC Docket No. 10-90; WT Docket No.10-208)
  3. Form 477 - The Commission will consider a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that takes a focused look at the Commission’s Form 477 to improve the value of the data we continue to collect. (WC Docket No. 11-10)
  4. Expanding Flexible Use in Mid-Band Spectrum Between 3.7 GHz and 24 GHz – The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry that explores opportunities for next generation services – particularly for wireless broadband – in the 3.7 GHz to 24 GHz spectrum range and asks about how we can increase efficient and effective use of this spectrum for the benefit of all services and users. (GN Docket No. 17-183)
  5. Wireless License Renewal and Service Continuity Reform – The Commission will consider a Second Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would adopt unified construction, renewal, and service continuity rules for the Wireless Radio Services, while seeking comment on a range of additional possible actions to increase the number of Americans with access to wireless communications services. (WTB Docket No. 10-112)
  6. Hearing Designation Order – The Commission will consider a Hearing Designation Order.
  7. Enforcement Bureau Action – The Commission will consider an enforcement action.

Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission
July 13, 2017
10:30 -- 12:30
https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/04/april-2017-open-commissio...

Coverage from Benton's Headlines

   FCC Seeks Comment on Combating Rural Call Completion Problems - press release
   FCC Takes Action to Alleviate Robocalls to Reassigned Phone Numbers - press release [links to Benton summary]
   FCC Seeks Reliable Call Authentication System [links to Federal Communications Commission]
   FCC Fines Robocalling Platform Almost $3 Million for Illegal Calls [links to Federal Communications Commission]
   FCC Proposes Rules to Protect Consumers from Slamming & Cramming [links to Federal Communications Commission]
   FCC Rules on Game Show Network v. Cablevision - press release
   FCC Revises and Clarifies Certain Wireless Microphone Rules [links to Federal Communications Commission]
   FCC Unlocks New Airwaves for Vehicular Radar Use [links to Federal Communications Commission]
   FCC Updates Rules on Authorization of Radiofrequency Devices - press release


RURAL CALL COMPLETION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
Continuing its work to improve communications services in rural America, the Federal Communications Commission took additional steps to combat the problem of long-distance calls failing to reach rural communities. The FCC is seeking comment on rules that would hold phone companies more accountable for ensuring that long-distance calls to rural America get through to a called party. Certain telephone companies that hand off calls to intermediate providers would be required to monitor the performance of these intermediaries and hold them accountable if calls don’t go through. By making long-distance providers accountable for the rural call completion performance of their intermediate providers, this new proposal would more directly and quickly tackle rural call completion problems than the FCC’s current regulations. This solution represents an effective means of improving rural call completion while not unnecessarily burdening providers because it follows industry best practices. The Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on this proposal as well as on proposals to either modify or eliminate the FCC’s current rural call completion data collection and reporting rules.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-seeks-comment-combating-rural-call-completion-problems | Federal Communications Commission
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


AUTHORIZATION OF RADIOFREQUENCY DEVICES
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The Federal Communications Commission streamlined and modernized the authorization requirements for most radiofrequency devices, such as cell phones or TV receivers, that are imported, marketed, or operated within the United States. This decision continues the FCC’s ongoing efforts to provide greater flexibility and reduce the burdens associated with certain equipment authorization rules. The FCC’s action allows required labeling information to be provided to the consumer via the device’s electronic display. This provides an alternative to the requirement for etching or permanent labels on the exterior of devices, and manufacturers expect the use of electronic labelling rather than permanent physical labels to result in a measurable reduction in costs. This action is consistent with the objectives of the Enhance Labeling, Accessing, and Branding of Electronic Licenses Act of 2014 or the E-LABEL Act. The FCC also eliminates the requirement to file with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the FCC Form 740 – the FCC’s unique import declaration for RF devices brought into the United States.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-updates-rules-authorization-radiofrequency-devices | Federal Communications Commission
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


GAME SHOW NETWORK BS CABLEVISION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The Federal Communications Commission responded to Cablevision’s appeal of a decision by the FCC’s Administrative Law Judge which granted Game Show Network’s (GSN) program carriage complaint against Cablevision. The Memorandum Opinion and Order adopted today reverses the Initial Decision and denies GSN’s complaint.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-rules-game-show-network-v-cablevision | Federal Communications Commission
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the July Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 13, 2017:

  1. Call Authentication Trust Anchor – The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry that seeks comment on methods to authenticate telephone calls to further secure our telephone networks against illegal robocallers. The Notice seeks comment on implementing authentication standards for telephone calls, as well as the Commission’s role in this process and other public policy considerations. (WC Docket No. 17-97)
  2. Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls – The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry that explores methods by which reassigned telephone number data could be made available to callers to avoid making unwanted calls to consumers. (CG Docket No. 17-59)
  3. Protecting Consumers from Unauthorized Carrier Changes and Related Unauthorized Charges – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking outlining steps to further curtail slamming and cramming. (CG Docket No. 17-169)
  4. Rural Call Completion - The Commission will consider a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes rule changes to better address ongoing problems in the completion of long-distance telephone calls to rural areas. The Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to (1) adopt new rural call completion requirements for covered providers, and (2) eliminate the Commission’s existing rural call completion recording, retention, and reporting rules. (WC Docket No. 13-39)
  5. Video Description – The Commission will consider a Report and Order which increases the required hours of video described programming that covered broadcast stations and MVPDs must provide to consumers. (MB Docket No. 11-43)
  6. Updating the Part 2 Equipment Authorization Program – The Commission will consider a First Report and Order that would update and amend its equipment authorization program by replacing two certification procedures with a new Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity process, codifying procedures for the electronic labeling of devices, modernizing the requirements related to the importation of electronic equipment, and incorporating up-to-date methods for equipment compliance measurements into the rules. (ET Docket No. 15-170)
  7. Radar Services in the 76-81 GHz Band – The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would address use of the 76-81 GHz band under the Part 95 rules to support a broad range of vehicular radar uses, such as collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control systems, as well as to expand the types of fixed and mobile radar operations permitted within airport environments. (ET Docket No. 15-26)
  8. Wireless Microphone Operations – The Commission will consider an Order on Reconsideration and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would address licensed and unlicensed wireless microphone operations in the TV bands and various other frequency bands. (GN Docket No. 14-166; ET Docket No. 14-165)

Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission

June 22, 2017

10:30 -- 12:30

https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/04/april-2017-open-commissio...

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the June Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 2017:

  1. New Emergency Alert System Event Code For Blue Alerts – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would amend the Commission’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules to add a dedicated event code, “BLU,” for Blue Alerts, so that EAS alerts can deliver actionable information to the public when a law enforcement officer is killed, seriously injured, missing in connection with his or her official duties, or if there is an imminent and credible threat to a law enforcement officer. (PS Docket No. 15-94)
  2. First Responder Network Authority – The Commission will consider a Report and Order that establishes the procedures and standards the Commission will use to review alternative plans submitted by states seeking to "opt-out" of the FirstNet network and to build their own Radio Access Networks that are interoperable with FirstNet. (PS Docket No. 16-269)
  3. Exemption to Calling Number Identification Service – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would amend the Caller ID rules to allow disclosure of blocked Caller ID information to aid law enforcement in investigating threatening calls and continue the waiver of those rules that is currently in effect for Jewish Community Centers. (CG Docket No. 91-281)
  4. OneWeb Market Access Request – The Commission will consider an Order and Declaratory Ruling that recommends granting OneWeb’s request to be permitted to access the U.S. market using its proposed global non-geostationary satellite constellation for the provision of broadband communications services in the United States. (IBFS SAT-LOI-20160428-0041)
  5. Improving Competitive Broadband Access to Multiple Tenant Environments – The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry that seeks comment on ways to facilitate greater consumer choice and enhance broadband deployment in multiple tenant environments such as apartment buildings, condominium buildings, shopping malls, or cooperatives. The Notice of Inquiry further seeks comment on the current state of broadband competition in such locations and whether additional Commission action in this area is warranted to eliminate or reduce barriers faced by broadband providers that seek to serve the occupants of multiple tenant environments. (GN Docket No. 17-142) 
  6. Electronic Annual Notice Declaratory Ruling – The Commission will consider a Declaratory Ruling which would clarify that the “written information” that cable operators must provide to their subscribers via annual notices pursuant to Section 76.1602(b) of the Commission’s rules may be provided via e-mail. (MB Docket No. 16-126) 
  7. Modernization of Payphone Compensation Rules – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order that (1) proposes to eliminate the requirement that carriers that complete payphone calls conduct an annual audit of their payphone call tracking systems and file an associated annual audit report with the Commission, and (2) waives the annual audit and associated reporting requirement for 2017. (WC Docket Nos. 17- 141 and 16-132; CC Docket No. 96-128).
  8. Enforcement Bureau Action - The Commission will consider an enforcement action.

Note: Item #6 has been adopted by the Commission, and deleted from the list of items scheduled for consideration


Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission
May 18, 2017
10:30 -- 12:30
https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/04/april-2017-open-commissio...

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 18, 2017:

Satellite Earth Stations in Motion – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would both facilitate the deployment of and reduce regulatory burdens on the three types of Fixed-Satellite Service earth stations authorized to transmit while in motion: Earth Stations on Vessels, Vehicle-Mounted Earth Stations, and Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft. (IB Docket No. 17-95)

Part 95 Reform – The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would amend provisions of the Personal Radio Services located in Part 95 of the Commission’s rules in order to address two Petitions for Rulemaking, update and modernize various rules to reflect current uses and technologies, remove outdated regulatory requirements, and reorganize the rules to make them easier to read and understand. (WT Docket No. 10-119, RM-10762, RM-10844)

Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative – The Commission will consider a Public Notice that would launch a review of the Commission’s rules applicable to media entities and seek comment on what rules should be modified or repealed. (MB Docket No. 17-105)

Proposed Elimination of Main Studio Rule – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose to eliminate the Commission’s main studio rule, based on a tentative finding that the rule is now outdated and unnecessarily burdensome for broadcast stations. (MB Docket No. 17-106)

Restoring Internet Freedom – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose to restore the Internet to a light-touch regulatory framework by classifying broadband Internet access service as an information service and by seeking comment on the existing rules governing Internet service providers’ practices. (WC Docket No. 17-108)

Connect America Fund – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to eliminate a rule requiring rural telecommunications service providers receiving USF support to impose higher minimum monthly rates on their customers than the rates paid by some of their urban counterparts, or otherwise lose some USF support. The Commission will also consider a related Order that would freeze the current rate. (WC Docket No. 10-90)


Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission
April 20, 2017
10:30 -- 12:30
https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/04/april-2017-open-commissio...

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the April Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 20, 2017:

Connect America Fund: The Commission will consider an Order on Reconsideration that would amend the construction project limitation within section 54.303 of the Commission’s rules to permit carriers to report, for universal service purposes, capital expenses per location up to the established per-location per-project limit, rather than disallowing all capital expenses associated with construction projects in excess of the limit. (WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 14-58; CC Docket No. 01-92)

Wireline Infrastructure Deployment: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Notice of Inquiry, and Request for Comment that would propose to remove regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment, suggest changes to speed the transition from copper networks and legacy services to next-generation networks and services dependent on fiber, and propose to reform Commission regulations that are raising costs and slowing, rather than facilitating, broadband deployment. (WC Docket No. 17-84)

Wireless Infrastructure Deployment: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry that commences an examination of the regulatory impediments to wireless network infrastructure investment and deployment, and how the Commission may remove or reduce such impediments consistent with the law and the public interest. (WT Docket 17-79; WT Docket 15-180)

Business Data Services: The Commission will consider a Report and Order that recognizes the strong competition present in the business data services market and modernizes the Commission’s regulatory structure accordingly to bring ever new and exciting technologies, products, and services to businesses and consumers. (WC Docket Nos. 16-143, 15-247, 05-25; GN Docket No. 13-5; RM-10593)

Reinstating the UHF Discount: The Commission will consider an Order on Reconsideration to reinstate the UHF discount used to calculate compliance with the national television audience reach cap. (MB Docket No. 13-236)

Noncommercial Educational Station Third-Party Fundraising: The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would adopt rules permitting NCE stations not funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to alter or suspend regular programming in order to conduct fundraising for third-party non-profit organizations so long as such stations do not spend more than one percent of their total annual airtime on such activities. (MB Docket No. 12-106)

Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services: The Commission will consider an Order on Reconsideration that would allow noncommercial broadcasters greater flexibility to use a Special Use FRN for ownership reporting purposes and avoid the need to submit personal information to the Commission. (MB Docket No. 07-294; MD Docket No. 10-
234)


Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission
March 23, 2017
10:30 -- 12:30
https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/03/march-2017-open-commissio...

Agenda

  1. Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry that would enable voice service providers to better protect subscribers from illegal and fraudulent robocalls. (CG Docket No. 17-59)
  2. Promoting Technological Solutions to Combat Contraband Wireless Device Use in Correctional Facilities – The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would adopt rules to facilitate the deployment of technologies used to combat contraband wireless devices in correctional facilities, while seeking comment on additional proposals and solutions. (GN Docket No. 13-111)
  3. Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Video Relay Service – The Commission will consider a Report and Order, Notice of Inquiry, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order that would enhance service quality and propose a new provider compensation plan for video relay services. (CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123)
  4. Cellular Service Reform – The Commission will consider a Second Report and Order, Report and Order, and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would facilitate mobile broadband deployment, including LTE, promote greater spectrum efficiency, and reduce regulatory burdens and costs. (WT Docket Nos. 12-40, 10-112, 16-138)
  5. Part 43 Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Services – The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to (1) eliminate the Traffic and Revenue Reports and (2) streamline the Circuit Capacity Reports. (IB Docket Nos. 17-55 and 16-131)
  6. Channel Sharing by Stations Outside the Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Context – The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would authorize channel sharing outside the context of the incentive auction and thus permit stations with auction-related channel sharing agreements to continue to operate if their auction-related agreements expire or otherwise terminate. (GN Docket No. 12-268; MB Docket No. 03-185; MB Docket No. 15-137).

Federal Communications Commission
March 15, 2017
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-02-23/pdf/2017-03509.pdf

The meeting on March 15, 2017, will be the eighth and last meeting of the CSRIC under the current charter.

The Commission will provide audio and/or video coverage of the meeting over the Internet from the FCC’s Web page at http://www.fcc.gov/live


February 23, 2017 (Digital Inclusion Groups Urge FCC to Support Lifeline for Low-Income Families)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2107

Today's Events


INTERNET/BROADBAND
   First Lifeline, Now Broadband Program for Schools and Libraries in the FCC’s Crosshairs -- Gigi Sohn
   Dozens of Digital Inclusion Groups Urge FCC to Support Internet ‘Lifeline’ for Low-Income Families
   FCC's Pai: DC Should Not Micromanage Dynamic Industry
   Give Chairman Pai a Chance to Break the Net Neutrality Logjam - Morning Consult op-ed [links to Benton summary]
   Christopher Mitchell: TN needs better broadband, not subsidies - Knoxville News Sentinel op-ed
   Sen. Schatz: No Big Infrastructure Bill Coming [links to Light Reading]
   Google Fiber makes expansion plans for $60 wireless gigabit service [links to Benton summary]
   Google fights online trolls with new tool [links to Washington Post]

COMMUNICATIONS & DEMOCRACY
   Donald Trump is losing his war with the media
   The Washington Post: 'Democracy dies in darkness' [links to Benton summary]
   Conway sidelined after going 'off message' [links to Benton summary]
   How to build a Donald Trump media bubble [links to Washington Post]
   Why Trump loves to hate the media - WaPo commentary [links to Benton summary]
   Five ways President Trump can become media literate - Margaret Sullivan [links to Benton summary]
   The conservative media flap that explains Facebook’s funding of CPAC [links to Washington Post]
   Silicon Valley's impossible balancing act with Trump [links to CNN]
   Oscars Poll: 66 Percent of Trump Voters Turn Off Awards Shows When Speeches Get Political [links to Hollywood Reporter]

JOURNALISM
   We Avoid News We Don't Like. Some Trump-Era Evidence.
   What Facebook Owes to Journalism - NYT op-ed
   How Mark Zuckerberg could really fix journalism - CJR [links to Benton summary]
   Donors Sponsor Over 200,000 Digital Student Subscriptions To 'NYT' [links to MediaPost]

FCC REFORM
   A Modified Delegated Authority Proposal - Michael O'Rielly blog

SECURITY/PRIVACY
   What to expect from the Trump administration on cybersecurity
   How Peter Thiel's Palantir Helped the NSA Spy on the Whole World
   FTC Chair Says Privacy Shield Is Safe, Despite Immigration Order [links to Benton summary]
   This creepy tool reveals how Facebook’s AI tracks and studies your activity [links to Next Web, The]
   Don't post violent threats on "anonymous" messaging apps [links to Ars Technica]
   Your Biggest Online Security Risk Is You [links to Wall Street Journal]
   Vivek Wadhwa: How regulators can make smart devices more secure against hackers [links to Washington Post]

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
   FCC Approves LTE-U Devices
   Your next smartphone might run on something called LTE-U. Here’s what that means. [links to Washington Post]
   T-Mobile promises big LTE boost from 5GHz Wi-Fi frequencies [links to Ars Technica]
   Verizon to deliver 5G service to pilot customers in 11 markets across U.S. by Mid 2017 [links to Verge, The]
   Nokia, AT&T Test 5G Streaming of DirecTV Now [links to Multichannel News]
   Project Loon’s latest breakthrough to reduce costs for telcos [links to Benton summary]
   Smartphones Have an Unexpected New Rival [links to Benton summary]

TELECOM
   FCC Defends Prison Call Shift

ADVERTISING
   Democratic Reps Seek FCC Political Disclosure Closure [links to Benton summary]

BROADCASTING
   FCC Receives 106 Complaints on Madonna’s Speech at Women’s March [links to Benton summary]
   FCC Lets Class A Low Powers Kick Tires on ATSC 3.0 [links to Benton summary]

GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
   18F Wants to Change the Rules, Not Break Them [links to Benton summary]
   What is the “Cost per Regulator” on GDP and Private Sector Job Creation? - Phoenix Center analysis [links to Benton summary]

LABOR
   Sorry techies, the majority of U.S. workplaces still use ‘old-school’ tech like email and phone calls to communicate [links to Vox]
   The Video Game Industry Is Afraid of Unions [links to Vice]

DIVERSITY
   Journalism and Race: ‘Everyone genuinely seems to care. Collectively, not much changes.’ - op-ed [links to Benton summary]
   4 steps newsrooms are taking to boost diversity [links to Benton summary]

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
   FirstNet Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2016 Marked Significant Achievements in Making Network a Reality for Public Safety [links to FirstNet]

POLICYMAKERS
   Decoding the Doublespeak of FCC Chairman Pai - Timothy Karr op-ed
   Former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani Joins National Hispanic Media Coalition as Special Policy Advisor - press release
   Chief digital officer steps down from White House job over background check [links to Benton summary]

back to top

INTERNET/BROADBAND

FIRST LIFELINE, NOW BROADBAND FOR SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES IN FCC CROSSHAIRS
[SOURCE: Benton Foundation, AUTHOR: Gigi Sohn]
First the new Federal Communications Commission majority revoked the approval of nine companies to become Lifeline providers, a move that will weaken the Lifeline program and widen the digital divide. Now it appears that the E-Rate program, which makes broadband services more affordable for America’s schools and libraries, is in the FCC majority’s crosshairs. And much like in the case of Lifeline, the majority is using procedural steps and administrative tools to weaken the E-Rate program.
benton.org/headlines/first-lifeline-now-broadband-program-schools-and-libraries-fccs-crosshairs | Benton Foundation
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


LIFELINE LETTER
[SOURCE: Free Press, AUTHOR: ]
Nearly 40 civil rights, social justice, labor and digital inclusion groups sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the agency to reverse its decision that undermined the Lifeline Program. Under previous FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the agency expanded and modernized Lifeline to help make high-speed internet access more affordable to people in low-income communities around the country. New FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stymied program implementation in one of a number of decisions his FCC bureaus released on Feb. 3. Under Chairman Pai, the FCC revoked Lifeline broadband-provider status previously granted to nine internet service providers. The decision made it more difficult — if not impossible — for tens of thousands of low-income families and students to get online. He took away the connections of 17,500 customers that one of these providers was already serving, and stalled imminent service from other eight. “Lifeline … is the only federal program poised to bring broadband to poor families across the U.S. so that they can connect to jobs, complete their homework, and communicate with healthcare providers and emergency services,” reads the groups’ letter to the FCC. “[W]e respectfully request that the Commission reject any further efforts to undermine Lifeline, swiftly implement the March 2016 Lifeline modernization order, and overturn the Wireline Competition Bureau’s Order on Reconsideration that rescinded Lifeline Broadband Provider designations for nine carriers prepared to offer Lifeline broadband services.” Groups signing the letter include the AFL-CIO, the American Library Association, the Benton Foundation, the Center for Media Justice, the Center for Rural Strategies, Color Of Change, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, Free Press, Generation Justice, Media Mobilizing Project, the NAACP, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Native Public Media, New America's Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, and the United Church of Christ, Office of Communication Inc., among others.
benton.org/headlines/dozens-digital-inclusion-groups-urge-fcc-support-internet-lifeline-low-income-families | Free Press
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


PAI: DC SHOULD NOT MICROMANAGE DYNAMIC INDUSTRY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai says DC bureaucrats should not micromanage dynamic industries and that he supports Congress making broadband part of an infrastructure legislative package. He also suggests the government should not be trying to divine journalists' editorial judgments. When asked for a timetable for rolling back the FCC's Title II reclassification of Internet service providers, Chairman Pai said he could not provide one. He did say the ultimate goal was to preserve an internet he argues had been open for two decades before the FCC decided to reclassify ISPs as common carriers. He said the takeaway from those two decades was that light-touch regulation was best and signaled that was what he was aiming to restore. Chairman Pai put in a plug for making broadband part of an infrastructure package in Congress. "I think what Americans really want is better, faster, cheaper internet access," he said, "and for the Congress to give the private sector more tools to promote broadband development."
benton.org/headlines/fccs-pai-dc-should-not-micromanage-dynamic-industry | Broadcasting&Cable
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL: TN NEEDS BETTER BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Knoxville News Sentinel, AUTHOR:]
[Commentary] If you were tasked with improving the internet access across Tennessee, a good first start would be to examine what is working and what’s not. But when the General Assembly debates broadband, it frequently focuses on what AT&T and Comcast want rather than what is working. Broadband expansion has turned into a perennial fight between Tennessee’s municipal broadband networks and advocates of better connectivity on one side and AT&T and Comcast on the other. On one side is a taxpayer-subsidized model, while the other depends solely on the revenues of those who choose to subscribe. But which is which? AT&T has received billions of taxpayer dollars to build its networks, whereas Chattanooga, Tullahoma and Morristown, for example, financed their fiber-optic networks by selling revenue bonds to private investors and repaying them with revenues from their services. The big telephone companies are massively subsidized, whereas municipal networks have generally not used taxpayer dollars.
[Christopher Mitchell is the director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis.]
benton.org/headlines/christopher-mitchell-tn-needs-better-broadband-not-subsidies | Knoxville News Sentinel
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

COMMUNICATIONS & DEMOCRACY

TRUMP LOSING HIS WAR WITH MEDIA
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Aaron Blake]
A new poll from Quinnipiac University suggests that while people may be broadly unhappy with the mainstream media, they still think it's more credible than President Donald Trump. The president regularly accuses the press of “fake news,” but people see more “fake news” coming out of his own mouth. The poll asked who registered voters “trust more to tell you the truth about important issues.” A majority — 52 percent — picked the media. Just 37 percent picked Trump. The poll did find that registered voters by a narrow margin think the media has treated Trump unfairly, with 50 percent saying they disapproved of the coverage of Trump and 45 percent approving. But voters are even more critical of Trump's treatment of the media, with 61 percent disapproving and 35 percent approving. Even 23 percent of Republicans say Trump is mistreating the media, and independents disapprove 59-35.
benton.org/headlines/donald-trump-losing-his-war-media | Washington Post | WaPo
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

JOURNALISM

WE AVOID NEWS WE DON'T LIKE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Kevin Quealy]
The United States is so polarized that it can seem that Republicans and Democrats choose to exist in two entirely different versions of the day, depending on their media diet. But a new analysis of the web traffic of 148 news organizations shows something subtler: Publications across the political spectrum broadly cover the news events of the day, but their readers appear to gloss over the stories they don’t want to see. That analysis comes from Chartbeat, a web analytics company used by hundreds of online media publishers, including The New York Times. Chartbeat’s real-time dashboards display the articles that are being read most at any given moment, along with where those readers came from and how long they stayed.
benton.org/headlines/we-avoid-news-we-dont-some-trump-era-evidence | New York Times
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


WHAT FACEBOOK OWES TO JOURNALISM
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Steven Wadlman]
[Commentary] Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s manifesto about community, released last week on Facebook, wisely analyzed the state of journalism: He decried sensationalism, and declared that “a strong news industry is also critical to building an informed community.” Giving people a voice, he said, “is not enough without having people dedicated to uncovering new information and analyzing it.” He even noted that “reading local news is directly correlated with local civic engagement.” Unfortunately, his memo ignored two major points — the role that Facebook and other technology platforms are playing in inadvertently damaging local news media, and the one way they could actually save journalism: with a massive philanthropic commitment.
[Steven Waldman, the founder of LifePosts.com, was the prime author of the Federal Communications Report “Information Needs of Communities: The Changing Media Landscape in a Broadband Age.”]
benton.org/headlines/what-facebook-owes-journalism | New York Times
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

FCC REFORM

A MODIFIED DELEGATED AUTHORITY PROPOSAL
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly]
I have made the case previously that the Commission delegates way too many substantive decisions to Bureau staff, usurping the role and obligations of duly appointed and confirmed Commissioners. Consider that in 2016 I only voted on 167 items, but almost nine times as many were decided on delegated authority. The heart of my revised delegated authority proposal is an attempt to achieve balance between the need to allow Commissioners to have greater say in the workings of the Commission and preventing process abuses and unnecessary delays. Here are its main components:
Advanced Warning: Consistent with my previous recommendation, except for the most routine matters, Commissioners should be provided no less than 48 hours to review an item that is to be decided by Bureau staff under delegated authority.
Request by Two or More Commissioners: On any given matter, it is possible that any one Commissioner could be troubled by the substance or process of an item.
Time Constraint: A concern was raised that having two Commissioners as the proper threshold may not necessarily provide a sufficient barrier to excessive or needless delays.
Automatic Approval if Delayed: Under my proposal, in those instances (if ever) when a requesting office does not vote by the deadline, the item would be – at the Chairman’s prerogative – either released as approved by the full Commission (assuming the other offices voted to approve) or sent back to the Bureau for immediate issuance on delegated authority.
benton.org/headlines/modified-delegated-authority-proposal | Federal Communications Commission
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

SECURITY/PRIVACY

TRUMP AND CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: IDG News Service, AUTHOR: Grant Gross]
Look for President Donald Trump's administration to push for increased cybersecurity spending in government, but also for increased digital surveillance and encryption workarounds. That's the view of some cybersecurity policy experts, who said they expect Trump to focus on improving cybersecurity at federal agencies while shying away from new cybersecurity regulations for businesses. Trump is likely to look for ways for the National Security Agency and other agencies to assist the government and companies in defending against cyberattacks, said Jeffrey Eisenach, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a tech adviser during Trump's presidential transition. "Cyber has to be top of mind for any view of the United States' global strategy," Eisenach said. "If you're not thinking of cyber first, I don't know what you should be thinking about."
benton.org/headlines/what-expect-trump-administration-cybersecurity | IDG News Service
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


PETER THIEL AND NSA
[SOURCE: The Intercept, AUTHOR: Sam Biddle]
Donald Trump has inherited the most powerful machine for spying ever devised. How this petty, vengeful man might wield and expand the sprawling American spy apparatus, already vulnerable to abuse, is disturbing enough on its own. But the outlook is even worse considering Trump’s vast preference for private sector expertise and new strategic friendship with Silicon Valley billionaire investor Peter Thiel, whose controversial (and opaque) company Palantir has long sought to sell governments an unmatched power to sift and exploit information of any kind. Thiel represents a perfect nexus of government clout with the kind of corporate swagger Trump loves. The Intercept can now reveal that Palantir has worked for years to boost the global dragnet of the NSA and its international partners, and was in fact co-created with American spies.
benton.org/headlines/how-peter-thiels-palantir-helped-nsa-spy-whole-world | Intercept, The
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

FCC APPROVES LTE-U DEVICES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission is opening up the 5 GHz spectrum band to unlicensed LTE use as a way to boost spectrum sharing and wireless broadband. “This is a significant advance in wireless innovation and a big win for wireless consumers," said FCC chairman Ajit Pai. “LTE-U allows wireless providers to deliver mobile data traffic using unlicensed spectrum while sharing the road, so to speak, with Wi-Fi. The excellent staff of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology has certified that the LTE-U devices being approved today are in compliance with FCC rules. And voluntary industry testing has demonstrated that both these devices and Wi-Fi operations can co-exist in the 5 GHz band. This heralds a technical breakthrough in the many shared uses of this spectrum." The FCC certified LTE-U equipment from Ericsson and Nokia, T-Mobile said, which means the carrier can start deploying the technology in its network, which it will start doing this spring. T-Mobile says tapping into 20 MHz of 5 GHz spectrum—the "U" in LTE-U stands for unlicensed—will help it deliver gigabit LTE to more areas of the country.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-approves-lte-u-devices | Broadcasting&Cable | Pai Statement | The Hill
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

TELECOM

FCC DEFENDS PRISON CALL SHIFT
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Margaret Harding McGill, Tony Romm]
Although Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai believes there’s market failure in the prison phone call industry, the FCC’s “well-intentioned efforts have not been fully consistent with the law,” the agency’s acting general counsel told lawmakers in a letter Feb 21. Citing the reality that the commission’s current Republican leadership disagreed with parts of the FCC’s 2015 reforms, agency attorneys abandoned defense of rate regulation of in-state phone calls in a lawsuit brought by major prison phone providers. Acting general counsel Brendan Carr pointed out that the FCC still moved forward with oral arguments, and defended the agency’s authority to cap interstate rates and efforts to curb fees. “If the court ultimately agrees with the positions the FCC defended at oral argument, the result could go a long way in helping to reduce the rates and fees associated with inmate calling services,” Carr wrote in response to a letter from Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and other Democrats.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-defends-prison-call-shift | Politico | The Hill
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

POLICYMAKERS

PAI DOUBLESPEAK
[SOURCE: American Prospect, AUTHOR: Timothy Karr]
[Commentary] The Washington Post noted that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai likes to talk the talk of bridging the digital divide—during his first speech as FCC chairman, he said it would be a top agency priority. But when the FCC released his anti-Lifeline action days later, “he opened another gap,” wrote the Post, “this time between his words and his actions.” It’s the sort of head fake that’s familiar to those who’ve followed Pai’s career as a lead apologist for the phone companies he once worked for—and still serves. This list of Pai’s miscues on key policy issues makes amply clear the many harmful directions the new FCC chairman will lead the agency through the Trump years.
Commissioner Pai on the 2015 Net Neutrality Proceeding: “[The ruling is] President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet. ... Was this proceeding ‘one of the most open and transparent in Commission history’? Not in the least.”
Commissioner Pai on the Threat to an Open Internet: “[Net neutrality] regulation was a solution that wouldn’t work for a problem that didn’t exist.”
Commissioner Pai on the Impact the Net Neutrality Rules Have Had on Investment: “Growth in broadband investment has ... flatlined.” “We need to fire up the weed whacker and remove those rules that are holding back investment, innovation, and job creation ... [net neutrality’s] days are numbered.”
Commissioner Pai on the FCC Effort to Protect Broadband-User Data from Prying ISPs: “Instead of respecting ... common sense ... the FCC tilts the regulatory playing field by proposing to impose more burdensome regulation on internet service providers, or ISPs, than the FTC imposes on so-called ‘edge providers.’”
Commissioner Pai on Offering Affordable Broadband to Those in Need: “If we are going to refocus Lifeline on broadband, our goal should be increasing broadband adoption—that is, helping Americans without internet access across the digital divide, not supporting those who have already made the leap.”
benton.org/headlines/decoding-doublespeak-fcc-chairman-pai | American Prospect
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top


GLORIA TRISTANI JOINS NHMC
[SOURCE: National Hispanic Media Coalition, AUTHOR: Press release]
The National Hispanic Media Coalition announced that former Commissioner Gloria Tristani of the Federal Communications Commission will be joining NHMC as the new Special Policy Advisor. In this role, Tristani will further NHMC’s work to bridge the digital divide and advocate for responsible media that is inclusive of Latino voices. Tristani comes to NHMC from Spiegel & McDiarmid LLP, where she represented the interests of clients including noncommercial radio stations, public, educational and governmental access channels, local and municipal governments, rural electric cooperatives and non-profit groups. She also served as president of the Benton Foundation, where she educated policy-makers, academics and public interest advocates on communications policy. As an FCC Commissioner from 1997 to 2001, Tristani sought to accelerate broadband deployment to rural and other underserved areas; was an advocate for the “E-Rate” program, which provides discounted Internet access to schools and libraries; and supported the FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) rules and policies to enhance minority and women ownership in the communications industry.
benton.org/headlines/former-fcc-commissioner-gloria-tristani-joins-national-hispanic-media-coalition-special | National Hispanic Media Coalition
Share: Twitter | Facebook
back to top

© 1994-2026 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.