Press Release

I'm sharing with my fellow commissioners a draft order that would establish the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, a modern approach for connecting those hardest-to-serve corners of our country. At the FCC's January open meeting, we'll vote on this order—our biggest step yet to close the digital divide. The new Fund will provide up to $20.4 billion over the next decade to support the deployment of high-speed broadband networks in those parts of rural America that currently lack fixed broadband service that meets the Commission's baseline speed standards.

The US Department of Agriculture invested $23 million in two high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 2,643 rural households and 78 businesses in North Dakota. Polar Communications will use a $21.2 million loan and grant combination in ReConnect Program funding to construct a fiber-to-the-premises network encompassing 1,870 square miles.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced the appointment of D’wana Terry as acting director of the FCC’s Office of Workplace Diversity. The Office of Workplace Diversity ensures that the FCC provides employment opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks announced the appointment of Diane Holland as Legal Advisor covering media and consumer protection issues. Holland was most recently the Senior Advisor for Technology and Telecom at the Washington Bureau of the National Urban League, where she developed strategic advocacy and analysis in support of the organization’s goals to provide economic empowerment, educational opportunities, and the guarantee of civil rights to the underserved in urban communities.

This historic legislation will provide American consumers with even greater protection against annoying unsolicited robocalls. American families deserve control over their communications, and this legislation will update our laws and regulations to stiffen penalties, increase transparency, and enhance government collaboration to stop unwanted solicitation. President Donald J. Trump is proud to have worked with Congress to get this bipartisan legislation to his desk, and even prouder to sign it into law today.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved $12,689,849.72 in grant funding to build high-speed broadband Internet infrastructure and access to unserved Californians. The awards, under the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) broadband infrastructure grant program administered by the CPUC, will serve households in Lassen, Modoc, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, and include affordable subscription options. Collectively, the grants—primarily for fiberoptic infrastructure investments—will provide high-speed Internet service to 542 unserved households.

In August, Comcast announced the most sweeping eligibility change in Internet Essentials' eight-year history.  Comcast is now offering Internet connections to all low-income Americans, wherever Comcast offers service.  Since the program launched in 2011, more than eight million low-income Americans have connected to the Internet at home, roughly 90 percent of whom were not connected prior to joining Internet Essentials. Comcast has invested more than $650 million in digital skills training, benefiting nearly 9.5 million people. Internet Essentials has provided 100,000 heavily discounted and

The Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act unanimously passed the Senate. The bill would:

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced his appointment of Dr. Monisha Ghosh to serve as the agency’s Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Ghosh will advise Chairman Pai and the agency on technology and engineering issues, and will work closely with the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology. The FCC’s chief technology officer serves as the senior technology expert in the agency. Dr. Ghosh will be housed in the Office of Engineering and Technology. She replaces Dr. Eric Burger, who has been serving at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy since October.

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Bob Latta (R-OH) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai in response to the FCC’s recent announcement that the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF II) will be replaced with a new 5G Fund.