September 2020

Experts say Joe Biden's FCC would restore net neutrality, avoid price regulation

If Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden gets elected, policy experts expect him to choose a new Federal Communications Commission. The term of the current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai does not end until Jan 2023, but FCC chairmen typically exit the commission before a new president takes office.

The Federal Government Promised Native American Students Computers and Internet. Many Are Still Waiting.

Computer shortages have raised nationwide concerns about educational inequities, which are amplified in tribal communities that resisted the Bureau of Indian Education’s (BIE) desire for in-person instruction in an effort to control rising cases of COVID-19. At least five BIE-operated schools in Arizona and five in other states were not prepared to start online because the bureau’s late disbursement of federal relief funding delayed purchases for needed laptops and internet hot spots in communities where fewer than half of rural households have access to broadband internet. BIE schools lagg

Verizon, AT&T to pay $127M for allegedly overcharging government agencies

Verizon and AT&T have agreed to pay a combined $127 million to settle lawsuits alleging that they overcharged California and Nevada government entities for wireless service. The lawsuit was filed in 2012 and resulted in a settlement approved on Sept 24. "Verizon will pay $76 million and AT&T $51 million to settle claims that, for more than a decade, they knowingly ignored cost-saving requirements included in multibillion-dollar contracts offering wireless services to state and local government users in California, Nevada, and other states," the announcement said.

Rural Broadband Valuation Remain High as Investors Move Down Market for New Opportunities

This report looks at the current state of the broadband mergers and acquisitions market including valuations, target companies, market catalysts, risks, and the impact COVID-19 could have on new sources of government funding. Key findings: