Local journalists and news organizations are providing communities with accurate, life saving, local information in the age of coronavirus. Journalists are guiding residents in everything from where to go to get tested, to where to get food for their families, to what hours grocery stores and government offices are operating. If you believe communities must continue to receive this critical information, join the Knight Foundation for a conversation on supporting your local news organization. There is a key opportunity coming up next month on Giving Tuesday.
The Federal Communications Commission adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on the 5G Fund for Rural America. The auction process would be two-phase – and where the controversy comes in relates to which areas would be included in the first phase and when that auction would occur.
Companies that deploy fiber broadband networks are seeing increased demand for their services. The pandemic is highlighting the need for faster uplink speeds, according to Adtran's Gary Bolton. “Video conferences are symmetric, and on a cable network you are lucky to have a [megabit] of upstream,” he said. “The need for fiber infrastructure is greater than ever.” Bolton thinks the current situation will have a lasting impact on demand for broadband. “When we get back to 'normal' it is not going to be the world we once knew,” Bolton said. “More people realize they need broadband. ....
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai says the FCC is committed to holding ISPs to their Keep Americans Connected pledge to keep subscribers connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked how the FCC would enforce the pledge, Chairman Pai said he has been personally working with the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau to "make sure that providers are following through with the commitments that they made." But the pledge is voluntary, so it's not something the Enforcement Bureau can enforce.
The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to allow the entire 1200 MHz of the 6 GHz band to be shared with unlicensed Wi-Fi, the FCC's latest move in freeing up more spectrum for connecting 5G in-home devices — video streaming, video calls — and connecting IoT devices to the internet.
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