February 2020

Not connected and no Netflix: ‘It’s frankly embarrassing’ in these Kansas towns

The internet service was so bad at Citizens State Bank in Cottonwood Falls that its computers could hardly handle a routine update from Microsoft. So not too long ago, bank vice president Matt Lindamood loaded up the PCs and drove them over to Emporia, 30 minutes away. There, he connected the desktop computers to a fiber internet connection. “What we couldn’t get done here happened in a matter of minutes there,” he said. Such is life for a small-town Kansas bank — and most everyone else, for that matter — as politicians talk about the need to improve rural broadband year after year.

The 3.5 GHz Auction Is Finally a Go!

At the February 2020 open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote on procedures for the 3.5 GHz Priority Access License, or PAL, auction. Having taken the lead on the issue, I'll admit that it has been a long road to get here, but this important step represents one of the last actions the FCC needs to take to make these critical mid-band licenses available for 5G and other next-generation wireless services.

Chairman Pai's Response to Members of Congress Regarding the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

In the last few weeks of January 2020, several lawmakers from New York wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai over concerns about a recent decision to "make all of New York State ineligible for Phase I Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) awards." On Jan 30, 2020, Chairman Pai responded by stating that the draft report and order, particularly the RDOF's Phase I awards, "contained some overly broadband language on that issue.

Pai's C-Band Proposal: A Public Auction, and Soon!

On Feb 6, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that he has circulated draft rules that would reform the use of the C-band, make a large amount of spectrum available for 5G, and generate significant revenue for the U.S. Treasury through a public auction. It seeks to strike a compromise with the many stakeholders at the table — with billions of dollars at stake. And it gets it all done quickly, to help the U.S. "win the race to 5G." The FCC is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its open meeting on February 28. 

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for February 2020 Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the February Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Friday, February 28, 2020: