Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded to House Republicans' letter regarding state and federal net neutrality laws. The GOP letter—dated April 16, 2021 and led by Reps Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Bob Latta (R-OH) as well as 24 others—addressed the Justice Department's withdrawal of its 2018 lawsuit against California for passing its own net neutrality regulations and Rosenworcel's support of the decision. "It is essential that we work to make sure that affordable high-speed internet connections are available to everyone, everywhere in this country," said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. "It has also become clear that there is little in our modern commercial, social, and civic lives that remains untouched by the influence of the Internet or unmoved by its power." The chairwoman also referenced the federal net neutrality law repealed in 2015, stating, "It is unfortunate that individual states have had to fill the void left behind after the misguided roll back of the Commission’s net neutrality policies. I stand ready to work with Congress on this topic, as necessary. However, I continue to support net neutrality and believe that the Commission has the authority to adopt net neutrality rules."

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel reflected on the accomplishments of the agency in 2021. The chairwoman highlighted a number of programs, funding opportunities, auctions and new initiatives enacted by the FCC, including:

• The new Emergency Broadband Benefit program was set up in record time and provides eligible households with discounts to pay for monthly broadband service, in addition to a one-time discount off a computer or a tablet.
• The new Emergency Connectivity Fund reimburses schools and libraries for the purchase of laptop and tablet computers and Wi-Fi hotspots, as well as broadband connections for students, school staff, and library patrons.
• The FCC has announced more than $208 million to health care providers in each state, territory, and the District of Columbia through what is known as Round 2 of our COVID-19 Telehealth Program.
• The FCC has put serious effort into remedying the problem of unrepresentative broadband maps and improving the data used for decision-making, consistent with the requirements of the Broadband DATA Act.
• The FCC launched a successful auction of 100 megahertz of prime, mid-band spectrum in the 3.45 GHz band.
• The FCC launched a new window for low-Earth orbit broadband satellite applications, proposed updates to our rules for processing these applications, and for the first time ever, dedicated specific spectrum for the growing amount of commercial space activity.

Read Chairwoman Rosenworcel's full reflections here.

New research shows high-level broadband data for each US state, offering a visual representation of average maximum broadband download speeds available in each county in the state, along with state-wide changes in availability, adoption, and speed time. By compiling snapshots from all fifty states into one booklet, the report serves as a starting point for anyone seeking a broader understanding of connectivity around the country.  The report is best used in conjunction with these interactive state maps that harness the power of cloud-based computing, allowing them to combine multiple datasets and yield insights that would have been exceptionally difficult to manage from a single source. Currently, the interactive maps support eight different datasets and can provide comprehensive broadband metrics tailored to specific regions within the state. Users can gain an extensive understanding of coverage in counties, state legislative districts, federal Congressional districts, and even individual census blocks. To access TPI’s interactive state-level maps, visit tpibroadband.com/state.