Some students in Hyde and Swain counties will soon be able to access high-speed internet via satellite technology, thanks to a pilot program aimed at improving internet access to support remote learning.
Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Broadband Reserve Fund Act. This legislation would require the net proceeds from the C-Band spectrum auction to be deposited into a reserve fund at the Department of Treasury to be used to expand broadband access and digital opportunity, modernize the nation’s communications infrastructure, and meet other connectivity priorities.
Witnesses
Director Of Public Policy
The Committee for Justice
Washington, D.C.
Senior Policy Counsel
Consumers Union
Washington, D.C.
Executive Director
Open Markets Institute
Washington, D.C.
Counsel
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Washington, D.C.
Charles P. Kindleberger Professor Of Applied Economics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
Underscored by the pandemic, lack of broadband access is a significant contributor to systemic inequality. In a remote-everything world, broadband is critical to ensuring that all Americans can telework, participate in remote learning, benefit from telehealth, and much more. The digital divide has been closing in recent years, but digital inequality remains due to lack of broadband infrastructure where geographic barriers have made build-out uneconomical, as well as the issue of broadband affordability, which is a problem that’s three times larger than broadband availability.
Senate Democrats aren’t setting aside quite as much money as their House counterparts for Federal Communications Commission online learning efforts, according to the latest legislative text for the $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package. Although House Democrats had wanted $7.6 billion in FCC funding, the Senate version includes just $7.17 billion. Senators are gearing up for final votes on the bill soon.
President Biden and Vice President Harris announced the appointments of additional policy staff who will serve with the White House COVID Response Team, Domestic Climate Policy Office, Domestic Policy Council, and National Economic Council. A couple of note:
Op-ed: US should endow a private Digital Futures Foundation
On March 4, we got a tad bit more information about the timeline of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program—at least for the companies that are interested in providing the discounted broadband services. Broadband internet access service providers that have previously participated in federal assistance programs (these companies are known in wonkspeak as eligible telecommunications carriers or ETCs), can begin to let USAC know if they will participate in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Progr
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