The Pai Federal Communications Commission took a victory lap when it announced the results of a $9.2-billion reverse auction that is supposed to bring broadband to over 5.2 million unserved homes and businesses.
I am honored to join you for this kickoff in recognition of Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council’s (MMTC) thirty-five years of serving as a leading voice for communities of color and other marginalized groups, and working to achieve equity and inclusion in the Tech, Media, and Telecom industries. As noted by the late Congressman John Lewis: “Access to the internet ... is the civil
The following items have been deleted from the list of items scheduled for consideration at the Dec 10, 2020 Federal Communications Commission Open Meeting. Items 6 and 8 have been released by the FCC. Items 7, 8 and 10 have been adopted.
6. Florida Community Radio, Inc., Construction Permit for Proposed NCE Station DWRBD (FM), Horseshoe Beach, Florida: The FCC will consider a licensing matter.
The Federal Trade Commission and 48 state attorneys general filed wide-ranging antitrust lawsuits against Facebook, setting the stage for a potential breakup of the social-networking giant over charges it engaged in illegal, anti-competitive tactics to buy, bully or kill its rivals. The twin lawsuits filed in federal district court chiefly challenge Facebook’s past acquisition of two companies: Instagram, a photo-sharing tool, and WhatsApp, a messaging service.
Across New Mexico, school districts and local governments are adapting to a new normal by supporting students and young adults preparing to enter the workforce. While officials have been working to close the digital divide for years, additional funding from the CARES Act and state resources are allowing Albuquerque officials to pursue innovative solutions that can close the divide with greater efficiency. These goals are not being achieved strictly through the government’s work.
The Mesa, Arizona community is taking major steps to bridge the digital divide for residents across their community. Although Arizona has begun to see a decline in their COVID-19 cases, the municipal government, school district, and community leaders continue to take decisive action to ensure that every household has access to technology and the internet for as long as stay at home orders remain in place. Mesa’s specific focus on their student population is a method adopted by many communities across the country.
The US Department of Agriculture should pursue full access to broadband service in rural America, said Mike Espy, Dan Glickman, and Ann Veneman, three former agriculture secretaries. “This whole issue of rural broadband, everybody talks about (it), but nothing seems to happen,” said Dan Glickman, who called for a project, similar to building the interstate highway system, to make high-speed internet service available nationwide as soon as possible. The pandemic, by shifting school and work online, amplified the need for service everywhere, he said.
The Trump appointee who runs the government's overseas broadcasters reassigned the head of the Voice of America as part of a broad effort to install supporters of the president before the Biden administration comes to power. US Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack is intending to name as VOA director Robert Reilly, an outspoken conservative ally who briefly served in the job under President George W. Bush nearly two decades ago. Pack informed acting director Elez Biberaj of his ouster at his routinely scheduled noon meeting.
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