1. Monthly archive
  2. May 2020

May 2020

AARP Says Title II Should Return

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) says the Federal Communications Commission should restore net neutrality rules and that ISPs are glossing over the issues the deregulatory ruling raises.  It was filing reply comments in the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom order. AARP signaled it was not surprised the ISPs were "glossing over" specific issues in their comments, though it was surprised Comcast suggested that there had not been any problems with the FCC's Title I classification in the past, saying that was unsupported by the evidentiary record, a nice way of saying that was

USTelecom: Benefits of Title 1 Outweigh Purported Costs

USTelecom -- The Broadband Association told the Federal Communications Commission it supports a free and open Internet, just one defined as "unencumbered by unnecessary regulations." It was filing reply comments in a court remand of portions of the FCC's 2018 Restoring Internet Freedom order, most of which the court upheld. USTelecom said the RIF order benefitted public safety and did not undermine either the pole attachment regulatory framework or the Lifeline broadband subsidy.  As have other ISP commenters, USTelecom pointed to the increased investment prompted by the deregulation as ben

In $16 Billion Push to Expand Broadband, America Is Flying Through a Fog

The Federal Communications Commission is pushing to spend billions of dollars to close gaps in America's high-speed internet network, but government officials say they don't have a clear picture of where service gaps exist, meaning parts of the country will be left out when it is time to distribute the funds. Citing concerns about the data, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wants to delay plans to auction $16 billion to internet-service providers this Oct to upgrade broadband infrastructure in rural areas. “You don’t manage problems you cannot measure,” Commissioner Rosenworcel said.

Ending the digital divide

The issue of high-speed broadband access has been a concern in Lawrence County (OH) and rural parts of the nation for some time and, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for connectivity has only become more apparent.

Sinclair Pays $48 Million and Settles All Pending Investigations

In this Order, we adopt the attached Consent Decree entered into between the Federal Communications Commission and Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Sinclair).

Democratic FCC Commissioners Blast Sinclair Settlement as ‘Abdication of Responsibility’

Democratic commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks have blasted the Federal Communications Commission’s Republican majority for approving a record $48 million fine against Sinclair Broadcast Group that opponents say allows the broadcast giant to avoid tougher scrutiny of its actions. On May 6, the FCC disclosed an agreement with Sinclair that settles three ongoing investigations into its actions and calls for the company to abide by the terms of a 17-page consent decree that was released May 22.

Chairman Response Regarding Connectivity on Tribal Lands

On April 27, 2020, a group of representatives, led by Congressional Native American Caucus Co-Chairs Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Tom Cole (R-OK), wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging the FCC to "grant Tribal Nations and their eligible tribal entities an emergency Special Temporary Authority (STA) to employ the use, on a secondary non-interference basis, of 2.5 GHz spectrum and other efficient, available, and cost effective spectrum on all tribal lands to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its current and future effects in Indian Country."

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