Press Release

FCC Improves Broadband Data and Maps to Bridge the Digital Divide

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules for the improved collection and mapping of broadband availability data through the Digital Opportunity Data Collection that will better identify connectivity gaps across the country and help advance the FCC’s ongoing efforts to close the digital divide. The FCC is also seeking comment on proposals to ensure the accuracy of the new broadband coverage maps by creating multiple paths for consumers, along with state, local, and Tribal governments and other entities, to provide feedback on the maps directly to the FCC.

FCC Implements the Secure Networks Act

The Federal Communications Commission took further steps to protect the nation’s communications networks from security risks. Specifically, the FCC began integrating portions of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (Secure Networks Act), which was enacted in March 2020, into its existing supply chain rulemaking proceeding.

i2Coalition and The Domain Name Association Merge to Create North America’s Largest Internet Infrastructure Advocacy Group

The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (“i2Coalition”), the leading voice for web hosting companies, data centers, domain registrars and registries, cloud infrastructure providers, managed services providers and related tech, and The Domain Name Association (“DNA”), a nonprofit global business association that represents the interests of the domain name industry, have announced their intent to merge, forming the largest Internet infrastructure advocacy group in North America.

House Committee Advances 7 Communications Bills

The House Commerce Committee advanced seven communications bills and one House resolution to the full House of Representatives.

Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Services and General Government Funding Bill

The House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2021 Financial Services and General Government bill on a vote of 30 to 22. The legislation provides annual funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Judiciary, the Executive Office of the President, and other independent agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission. The bill includes $376.1 million for the FCC, an increase of $37.1 million above the FY 2020 enacted level. This includes funding to implement new broadband mapping legislation.

The Need For Speed

When it comes our August meeting’s main attraction, repurposing C-band spectrum for 5G, we feel the need — the need for speed. I circulated final draft procedures for a C-band auction to be held on Dec 8, 2020, and we will vote on them at our August meeting. They spell out the many details of the auction — competitive bidding procedures, application requirements, and deadlines governing participation in Auction 107. To spur the deployment of ultra-fast, world-leading 5G networks, we need to make C-band spectrum (among other spectrum bands) available as quickly as possible.

Facebook Fiber Robot Would Enable Installation on Electric Infrastructure

Facebook Connectivity, in collaboration with a number of partners, has spent the last few years developing an aerial fiber deployment solution that uses a robot designed to safely deploy a specialized fiber-optic cable on medium-voltage (MV) power lines. This system combines innovations in the fields of robotics and fiber-optic cable design to dramatically lower the cost of deploying fiber by utilizing electrical infrastructure.

USDA Invests More Than $16 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Mississippi

The Trump Administration announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $16 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Mississippi. This investment is part of the $100 million in grant funding made available for the ReConnect Pilot Program through the CARES Act.

New Grants to Support Research on Internet Governance

On June 29, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced new investments to support research on the rules, norms and governance of the internet and digital platforms. The $1.7 million in 20 new grants will focus on research to inform the national conversation on technology policy issues, including free expression online and the scale and power of digital platforms. These grants, to researchers representing a range of backgrounds and perspectives come amid growing debate over technology’s role in our democracy. The new research investments include:

Chairman Pai Welcomes First Completed Buildout of CAF-II Broadband

I congratulate Bloosurf for being the first company to satisfy its buildout requirements with funds from our recent Connect America Fund Phase II auction, making fixed broadband available to more than 5,000 rural homes and businesses in Maryland and Delaware. I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that the funds provided through the Connect America Fund Phase II auction are having across the nation—including in Delaware itself, where I visited with Bloosurf in rural Seaford in early 2019.

Post-Incentive Auction Transition Successfully Meets 39-Month Deadline

The Federal Communications Commission announced that the post-incentive auction transition has successfully reached the July 13, 2020 deadline established for television stations to move off their pre-auction channel assignments. This milestone signals that all of the valuable low-band airwaves sold in the ground-breaking broadcast incentive auction are now available for wireless mobile broadband services. This newly licensed 600 MHz band spectrum is already benefiting millions of US consumers, as it is being used to provide wireless service, including 5G, across the country.

Verizon extends low-income internet offer through 2020

Verizon remains committed to ensuring customers stay connected now and moving forward, and announced plans to continue to help low-income consumers do just that through Verizon’s low-income Fios Internet program. New Fios customers who qualify for the low-income Lifeline discount program will receive a $20 per month discount on their home Internet service for as long as they remain eligible for the program, bringing the cost to as low as $19.99 per month for 200/200 Mbps internet with no data caps. New registrations will be accepted for the remainder of 2020.

National Broadband Availability Map Reaches 20-State Milestone

NTIA’s National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) reached a 20 state milestone with the addition of Wyoming and Washington State. The NBAM is a geographic information system platform which allows for the visualization and analysis of federal, state, and commercially available data sets. This includes data from the Federal Communications Commission, US Census Bureau, Universal Service Administrative Company, US Department of Agriculture, Ookla, Measurement Lab, and the state governments.

Digital Transformation In A COVID World – The More Things Change…

The mad spring rush for capacity is behind us, and now companies are assessing how the pandemic impacted their businesses. While we are starting to see some clients return to normal with their data and application transport requests, entire segments, such as hospitality or small and medium businesses, remain cautious. It’s a good time to take pause and figure out what’s next. A lot of what we think is new is really just stuff that was already in place before the crisis hit.

Rep. Eshoo Introduces Legislation to Update National Broadband Plan

Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced the National Broadband Plan for the Future Act, legislation that instructs the Federal Communications Commission to update the National Broadband Plan to expand internet access across the US and study how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the online lives of Americans. “Universal access to reliable, affordable, and high-quality internet is essential in today’s world, and it’s especially needed as we conduct more of our personal and professional lives online during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rep. Anna G. Eshoo.

Feds Fail At Funding Parity for Telehealth for Urban People

Nearly 12 million urban household have no access to telehealth, but Federal agencies earmark billions for broadband and telehealth grants targeted to 3.8 million disconnected rural households. Urban communities demand parity with rural community for these grants that their tax dollars and telephone bills support. COVID-19’s disproportionate killing of Black people has thrown into stark relief the many health issues afflicting this population, afflictions that telehealth can mitigate.

Land O'Lakes, Inc. and nearly 50 partners launch a growing coalition to close America’s digital divide

49 organizations spanning multiple industries announced they have joined forces as part of a new coalition dedicated to helping close America’s digital divide.

House Commerce Committee Democratic Reps Request Monthly Reports from Facebook, Google and Twitter On COVID-19 Misinformation

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Oversight Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO), Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) sent letters to Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey, the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter, to request information on their companies’ response to disinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York City Announces Accelerated Internet Master Plan to Support Communities Hardest-Hit by COVID-19

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city leaders announced that NYC will accelerate broadband deployment in all five boroughs, prioritizing public housing communities, which have suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic. NYC will make a historic $157 million investment in ending digital redlining and providing high-speed internet, including $87 million redirected from the NYPD budget. This investment will extend new internet service options to 600,000 underserved New Yorkers, including 200,000 NYCHA residents over the next 18 months.

FCC Approves Final Set of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Applications

The Federal Communications Commission approved an additional 25 funding applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program.  Health care providers in both urban and rural areas of the country will use this $10.73 million in funding to provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic. The agency has now approved 539 funding applications in 47 states plus Washington, D.C. and Guam for a total of $200 million in funding—the amount of money provided by Congress in the CARES Act.  Below is a list of health care providers that were approved for funding:

Rep O'Halleran Introduces the Broadband Adoption and Opportunity Act, to Connect Students and Families with Computers

Rep Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) introduced the Broadband Adoption and Opportunity Act: bipartisan legislation to leverage public-private partnerships to refurbish internet-capable devices for students and underserved families through donation, lending, or low-cost purchasing programs. The bill is cosponsored by Rep Bill Johnson (R-OH).

Is Your City Allowed to Close the Digital Divide During the Pandemic?

As the pandemic drags on, local governments across the country are looking for ways to connect their residents, who need better Internet access for everything from online education to annual taxes to telehealth appointments.

Chairman Pai Names Ashley Boizelle Acting FCC General Counsel

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that Ashley Boizelle will serve as Acting General Counsel for the FCC. Boizelle joined the FCC in 2017 as Deputy General Counsel for Administrative Law and has served as Deputy General Counsel for Litigation since 2019. Boizelle will serve as Acting General Counsel from July 13 to September 4, 2020, while General Counsel Thomas M. Johnson, Jr., is on paternity leave. Boizelle joined the FCC from the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Rural Broadband Acceleration Act

Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mike Braun (R-IN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Doug Jones (D-AL) introduced the Rural Broadband Acceleration Act, bipartisan legislation that will bolster efforts to expand access to rural broadband nationwide and speed up the distribution of the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). The RDOF will allocate $20.4 billion to building rural broadband in two phases and this legislation will ensure that some of that money is distributed to communities much faster than the original deadline.