While You Were Watching the Big, Beautiful Bill...

Most of us were watching the "Big, Beautiful Bill" get passed this week, which for the broadband world means the renewal of the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority. But while that bill saw months of turmoil (and headlines), the FCC issued a waiver delaying changes to incarcerated peoples' communications services (IPCS) that have been decades in the making. The Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 (Martha Wright-Reed Act) is the catalyst for these changes. The law enabled the FCC to establish rate caps on both interstate and intrastate services––meaning fewer fees and more affordable phone and video calls for incarcerated individuals. On June 30, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced a waiver of certain compliance deadlines for the Martha Wright-Reed Act, which will delay implementation of the law for years to come.