Monday, December 7, 2020
Headlines Daily Digest
Today: The Future of Speech Online 2020
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The GOP's Tech Strategy Is About to Change
NCTA President Powell: Broadband May Need to Be Part of Social Safety Net
Transition
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Transition
Now that Democrats are taking over the executive branch, expect Congressional Republicans to shift gears on tech policy. Instead of trying to rewrite key internet legislation, the GOP will likely focus instead on stopping Democrats from doing anything at all. A prime example of this dynamic is the maneuvering around the Federal Communications Commission. A Senate committee voted Dec 2 to advance Trump’s nomination of Nathan Simington to the commission, a move that could deadlock the FCC between Democratic and Republican commissioners. Simington’s value as an FCC commissioner won’t be actually to do anything himself, but to keep other commissioners from doing things. Once FCC Chair Ajit Pai steps down in January, there will be four members left. And if the Senate doesn’t confirm Simington in the coming weeks, the Biden administration will start with a 2-1 majority on the five-member commission. That would leave the FCC free to pursue reinstating net neutrality, a Democratic priority that Republicans strongly oppose. The commission could also boost funding for low-income broadband programs as well as other initiatives that Republicans decry as wasteful. By deadlocking the commission at 2-2, the Republicans can effectively paralyze it until the Democrats get their own nominee seated. There’s no assurance that would happen quickly—or ever—if the GOP holds the Senate. Democrats won't get to implement a sweeping agenda. But they aren’t exactly out of options. They could respond to Republicans’ hardball with hardball of their own, for example, by refusing to carry out normal business if the Senate holds up their nominee to replace Chairman Pai.
NCTA-the Internet & Television Association President Michael Powell said that when it comes to universal broadband service, it is always hard when you get to the last portion of the population still on the other side of digital opportunity, so government needs to step up funding, including perhaps making broadband service part of the social safety net, like SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But he points out that there was the same issue with other infrastructure, whether electricity or indoor plumbing or roads. Powell said the Federal Communications Commission does a lot in terms of funding, but Congress needs to do more. "Is broadband going to be part of the social safety net?" he asked. "If we believe broadband is an essential service, we are going to find a way to include some sort of support for those who are down on their luck or out of work or are struggling with the expenses associated with the service." Powell agreed that access to technology is a civil rights issue.
In a joint letter to Congressional leaders, the nation’s leading broadband and internet trade associations called for immediate action to support and fund critical broadband infrastructure and services that help connect all Americans during this time of great need. The letter urges House and Senate leaders to support bipartisan legislation, before year-end, that provides funding for broadband service for families and students, that clarifies extension of the current CARES Act for network deployment through 2021, and that ensures that the Federal Communications Commission has funding to develop accurate broadband maps. The letter says Congressional action will support schools and businesses as they close again, offering a lifeline to health services, continuing education, and skilling and employment opportunities.
The letter was signed by twelve trade associations, including; INCOMPAS, USTelecom – The Broadband Association, the Fiber Broadband Association, U.S. Chamber Technology Engagement, Rural & Agriculture Council of America, Computer & Communications Industry Association, WISPA, TechNet, Connect Americans Now, WIA – the Wireless Infrastructure Association, Internet Association, and NCTA – The Internet & Television Association.
A new chapter in our ongoing COVID-response drama began this week when a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers unveiled a $908 billion emergency relief plan. For many vulnerable people in the U.S., the lack of affordable broadband connections continues to hinder online learning and remote work. Will Congress finally pass economic relief and target support to reduce the digital divide?
Small-scale internet projects are far from perfect. They can struggle for lack of money, technology problems, or failures to get residents involved. But some people who are pushing for better and more fair online access in the United States say that small-scale internet networks, in combination with savvier government funding and policies, are part of the solution to America’s digital divide. And we might be seeing more of these efforts: New York officials said in July that they planned to redirect taxpayer money from the Police Department to help fund more community internet networks, particularly for residents in public housing. Donnel Baird, BlocPower’s chief executive, said that he wants to help prove that it doesn’t necessarily cost a fortune for local officials, business executives and community groups to expand internet access in big cities. “There is no reason people in New York, Detroit and Chicago shouldn’t have internet access,” said Baird. “This is a totally solvable problem.”
Access to broadband is essential to boost telehealth, which has skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said. "Access to telemedicine and telehealth via affordable, reliable broadband is going to be extremely important to making sure that folks can safely manage their health from home," he added. "It's especially necessary, again, for our elderly members who may be on a fixed income, but also need to be able to stay safe instead of trying to get through public transportation or further risking themselves going to a physician's office." But according to Commissioner Starks, more than 77 million Americans lack adequate broadband in their home.
As the pandemic forces students out of school, broadband deployment programs aren't going to move fast enough to help families in immediate need of better internet access. But Democrats at the Federal Communications Commission say the incoming Biden administration could put a dent in that digital divide with one fast policy change. The FCC's E-rate program provides up to $4 billion for broadband at schools, but Republican FCC chairman Ajit Pai has resisted modifying the program during the pandemic to provide help connecting students at home. "We have an educational crisis in this country, a digital equity crisis," said FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. "And we need to use this program to fix the homework gap as fast as we can." Expect this to be a priority for the Biden FCC, especially if Commissioner Rosenworcel (who coined the term 'homework gap") leads it. Democrats may not have the majority at the start of the Biden administration as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has teed up a vote to confirm Trump nominee Nathan Simington soon. Simington's confirmation would deadlock the agency at 2-2 until the new administration's pick for another commissioner is confirmed. But a Democratic FCC head would still have leeway to make some changes to the program without a commission vote.
Tens of thousands of Colorado kids still lack internet access. State stimulus dollars will only offer a short-term fix.
Colorado state lawmakers passed a bill providing $20 million in grants for districts to broaden internet access to students at a time the internet has become the main mode of learning across much of the state and country. But the dollars, part of a state stimulus package at the center of a special legislative session this week, won’t ensure every young Coloradan has a reliable internet connection. The investment is widely viewed — by lawmakers, educators and education advocates — as a short-term fix. It’s nowhere near enough money to address the root of the access problem: a lack of adequate infrastructure to sustain a quality internet connection for every Colorado family. The $20 million will be added to the Connecting Colorado Students Grant Program, which was created earlier this year to distribute $2 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act money to help school districts make sure low-income families and school staff had broadband access. Grants will be distributed through an application process administered by the Colorado Department of Education. Soper said districts with a high percentage of kids who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch — a federal indicator of poverty — and whose communities have significant gaps in internet access will get priority. One main goal of the legislation: to fund internet connections robust enough for all the members of a household to be engaged in their coursework at the same time.
Telecom
FCC Seeks Comment on Petition For Reconsideration of the 2020 Inmate Calling Services Report And Order On Remand
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces that Global Tel*Link Corporation (GTL) has filed a petition for reconsideration1 of the 2020 ICS Report and Order on Remand.2 GTL requests reconsideration of a single sentence from the 2020 ICS Report and Order on Remand stating that “the jurisdictional nature of a call depends on the physical location of the endpoints of the call and not on whether the area code or NXX prefix of the telephone number associated with the account, are associated with a particular state.”
WC Docket No. 12-375. Oppositions to petition due January 11, 2021; replies due January 21, 2021
Despite having many fewer followers and much less engagement on social media than President Donald Trump, Joe Biden's campaign raised record amounts of money and ultimately neutralized Trump’s vaunted “Death Star” — the name his erstwhile campaign manager, Brad Parscale, gave to the campaign’s digital operation. Figuring out whether any particular online strategy decisively moved the needle for President-elect Biden is probably impossible. Offline factors, such as Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic and the economic devastation it has caused, undoubtedly played a major role. But since successful campaigns breed imitators, it’s worth looking under the hood of the Biden digital strategy to see what future campaigns might learn from it. 1) Lean On Influencers and Validators. 2) Tune Out Twitter, and Focus on ‘Facebook Moms.’ 3) Build a Facebook Brain Trust. 4) Promote ‘Small-Batch Creators,’ Not Just Slick Commercials. 5) Fight Misinformation, but Pick Your Battles.
The House Democratic Caucus unanimously elected Rep Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) Chairman of the House Commerce Committee for the 117th Congress. The committee is the oldest continuous standing committee in the House of Representatives. It was established in 1795 to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. The committee has the broadest jurisdiction of any authorizing committee in Congress. It legislates on health care; health insurance; biomedical research and development; food safety; clean air and climate change; safe drinking water; national energy policy; nuclear facilities; electronic communications and the internet; privacy, cybersecurity and data security; consumer protection and product safety; travel, tourism and sports; interstate and foreign commerce; and other areas.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org) and Robbie McBeath (rmcbeath AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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