1. Monthly archive
  2. August 2019

August 2019

FCC Announces New Member To The Intergovernmental Advisory Committee

By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission announces that Gov Doug Ducey (R-AZ), Chair of the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC), has named Ben Blink, Policy Advisor, Transportation and Technology Innovation, as his new designee to the IAC, replacing Kirk Adams, prior designee. The IAC provides guidance, expertise, and recommendations to specific requests from the FCC on a range of issues affecting local, state, and Tribal governments that are within the jurisdiction of the FCC.
 

T-Mobile/Sprint merger changes prompt calls for public comment period

The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) is adding its voice to those calling on the Federal Communications Commission to open a public comment period since new developments were made related to the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. WISPA, which previously called for a public comment period, notes the series of agreements that T-Mobile and Sprint entered into with the Department of Justice in July. Those conditions include the divestiture of certain spectrum assets to Dish Network.

A Dig Once Law Could Have Save the US $126 Billion in Broadband Deployment Costs

Telecom experts have long pushed for a “dig once” law that would mandate the installation of fiber conduit during roadway construction and upgrades. A new study by BroadbandNow states that passing “dig once” legislation could have saved the US $126 billion in broadband deployment costs. Dig once legislation has been routinely proposed since 1996 by a rotating crop of lawmakers, but the legislation rarely goes anywhere.

2020 Candidates Offer Plans to Extend the Reach of Broadband

Two 2020 presidential candidates released plans for investing in rural America this week. And broadband plays a key role in both. Senator Elizabeth Warren's (D-MA) plan to invest in rural America includes a "public option for broadband" and a proposal to create an Office of Broadband Access that will manage an $85 billion federal grant program to expand broadband access across the country. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-NY) plan includes having the White House be a funding partner for communites and a call for a $60 billion investment to connect all Americans.

Dig Once: The Digital Divide Solution Congress Squandered And Policy That Could Save $126 Billion On Broadband Deployment

Installing high-speed fiber-optic infrastructure is incredibly expensive. By some accounts, it can cost up to $8,000 per home to have the cabling put in place. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, a Federal Highway Administration report detailed that up to 90 percent of this cost was tied up in the process of actually digging up roadways, not the fiber lines themselves. As a result, some cities and states champion the idea of future-proofing PROW’s (public rights-of-ways) during road construction projects.

Closing the rural broadband gap is an urgent national crisis

It’s time to recognize that inequal access to broadband translates into inequality of opportunity. People in rural areas that lack broadband face higher unemployment rates, see fewer job and economic opportunities and place children from these communities behind their suburban and peers in school. Of course, this is not just a rural issue – broadband deserts exist within very urban areas as well, where costs can be unaffordable and availability non-existent.

Senator Wyden to AT&T and T-Mobile: You Don’t Need to Store So Much Customer Data

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to major US telecommunications companies AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon urging them to lower the amount of sensitive data they store on customers. Those large pools of data present a significant hacking risk, Sen Wyden argued. "Your companies collectively hold deeply-sensitive information about hundreds of millions of Americans. It should come as no surprise that this data is a juicy target for foreign spies," he said.

 

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