January 2025
FTC Releases Summary of Key Accomplishments
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan released a summary of the agency’s key accomplishments over the last four years that have improved Americans’ everyday lives and stopped illegal consolidation that raises prices and hampers innovation. These accomplishments include:
FCC Proposes Spectrum Rules to Support Advanced Flight Technologies (Federal Communications Commission)
Submitted by zwalker@benton.org on Fri, 01/17/2025 - 16:51
Investing in America Report: Today’s Investments, Tomorrow’s Future
President Biden made a commitment to connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet by 2030. We are on track to meet that goal. In the coming years, the work started by the Biden Administration is expected to deliver the following benefits and milestones:
FirstNet Authority Board Update
Former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms submitted her letter of resignation from the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) Board to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, effective on January 20, 2025. Mayor Bottoms was appointed to the FirstNet Authority Board and designated the Board Chair in October 2024. Until the incoming Secretary of Commerce appoints a new Board Chair, the FirstNet Authority Board Bylaws direct Vice Chair Renee Gordon to perform the duties of the Board Chair.
Witnesses
Michael Powell, President and CEO, NCTA – The Internet and Television Association
Brad Gillen, Executive Vice President, CTIA
The Exit Interview: NTIA Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson
In early 2022, the U.S. Senate confirmed Alan Davidson to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information—and to lead the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress charged the NTIA with administering $48.2 billion in federal investments to close the digital divide—including the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Four Years of Transformation at the Department of Commerce
Under the Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s leadership, the Department of Commerce took a new approach to economic policy to turn the agency into an engine of innovation and growth. With transformational investments to enhance U.S. competitiveness, Secretary Raimondo worked to unite the Department’s bureaus and economic tools to ensure the United States can meet the challenges of the 21st century and lead for decades to come. Some highlights from the Department of Commerce under Secretary Raimondo:
Biden-Harris Administration Recommends for Award More Than $369 Million to Invest in Digital Skills
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has recommended for award more than $369 million to 41 organizations to support digital skills and inclusion projects in communities across the country. These investments will empower individuals and communities across the nation with the essential skills they need to thrive in today’s connected world.