Friday, May 3, 2019
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On April 30, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled A Case for Rural Broadband: Insights on Rural Broadband Infrastructure and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies.This latest chapter in the Trump Administration’s American Broadband Initiative finds that the deployment of broadband networks and adoption of new agricultural technologies could result in approximately $47–$65 billion annually in additional gross benefit for the US economy. Until now, the interdependency between broadband and next-generation precision agriculture technologies has not been evaluated. The report “explores this symbiotic relationship and quantifies the potential economic benefit of broadband buildout and the complementary adoption of connected agriculture technologies.”
FCC Taking Further Steps to Modernize and Increase Accountability in Its Universal Service Support Program for Rural Broadband
The Federal Communications Commission took steps that could result in over 1 million rural homes getting faster broadband service. Specifically, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau extended offers of broadband subsidies to 516 rural “rate-of-return” companies in 46 states through a predictable cost model, rather than the current legacy system, which dates to the era of voice-only service. In return, these carriers would be required to deploy broadband on a defined schedule over the next decade at speeds of at least 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload to homes and businesses fully funded by the model. If all carriers opt in to the offer, they will be required to deploy 25/3 Mbps broadband to at least 1,126,082 homes and businesses -- by 2029.
The obligation to deploy high-speed broadband will increase even for those carriers that do not accept the offer of model-based support. Under prior rules, legacy carriers were only required to deploy 10/1 Mbps broadband to 115,441 locations; they were not required to deploy 25/3 Mbps broadband to any locations. The FCC has increased those obligations so that legacy carriers will be required to deploy 25/3 Mbps broadband to at least 600,535 locations.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the “Broadband Interagency Coordination Act of 2019.” The legislation would direct the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to enter into a memorandum of understanding to coordinate the distribution of federal funds for broadband deployment. Such an agreement would reduce overbuilding and ensure funds are targeted to unserved and underserved areas.
Sen Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) has doubled-down on her unwillingness to support the Save the Internet Act and overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net neutrality. In a letter to constituents, the senator brushes off concerns from citizens asking her to restore net neutrality by parroting cynical, oft-refuted talking points pushed out by broadband internet access service providers' lobbyists, astroturf nonprofits, and Big Telecom-funded lawmakers. Senator Sinema writes that “reclassifying broadband providers under laws designed in the 1930s for utilities may have serious unintended consequences,” which bears an eerie resemblance to things said by the country’s most aggressive telecom shills.
At least 100,000 San Francisco residents lack adequate Internet access and miss out on economic and educational benefits. A new model -- developed by Monkeybrains, a local Internet service provider (ISP), and the city of San Francisco -- successfully bridges this digital divide for public housing residents. Thanks to low start-up and maintenance costs, the solution will be financially self-sustaining for years to come. If you want to get a program like this going in your city, here are key points:
- Find a local champion—someone who either understands this technology or is excited to dive into it and immerse themselves in best practices.
- Find good partners with the right incentives. Some ISPs will be enthusiastic about projects like these, while others (from small to large) may pass. Understand what motivates your potential partner.
- Research funding options: Plenty of states have created programs to subsidize Internet access but few are available for urban residents. Consider reaching out to foundations and explain that smart one-time expenditures can create ongoing self-sustaining high-quality Internet access.
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order directing the creation of programs to grow and strengthen the US cybersecurity workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The Executive Order will promote cybersecurity work within the Government, including through a new President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition. The Administration will develop a rotational program where Federal employees can expand their cybersecurity expertise through temporary reassignments to other agencies. The Executive Order encourages widespread adoption of the cybersecurity workforce framework created by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE). The Executive Order aims to close cybersecurity skills gaps for the cyber-physical systems that our defense and critical infrastructure rely on. Federal agencies will identify cybersecurity aptitude assessments that they can use to reskill employees with potential in the cybersecurity field. The Administration will establish the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Awards, recognizing excellent elementary and secondary school educators teaching cybersecurity-related content.
Expect to hear official announcement on May 3 of Sinclair Broadcast Group's deal to acquire 21 regional sports networks from Walt Disney for $10 billion. The price tag for the regional sports networks is less than some industry observers initially anticipated. When Disney began preparing to sell the networks, the price tag likely bidders and industry analysts forecast was between $16 billion and $20 billion. Sinclair’s deal is for 21 of the 22 Fox sports networks. The crown jewel, YES, which is home to New York Yankees broadcasts, reportedly is being purchased by Sinclair and Amazon.com for $3.5 billion.
Sinclair sees value in local sports programming as it seeks to increase its content holdings. The company already owns the Tennis Channel and is launching its own regional sports channel in Chicago in partnership with the Chicago Cubs. Disney acquired the sports channels in March as part of its $71-billion takeover of much of 21st Century Fox. But Disney wasn’t allowed to keep them. In 2018, the US Justice Department demanded that Disney sell the regional sports networks as a condition of its takeover of Fox. Antitrust regulators were concerned that Disney, which already owns ESPN, would have too much sway in the TV sports market. The government gave Disney 90 days to unload the channels after it acquired them. The clock started ticking at the close of the Disney-Fox transaction.
Readers of this space may recall that I worked for many years (15) for U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) when I first came to Washington, way back in 1970. Fritz passed away on April 6 at age 97. He was a formative influence on my life and career throughout the almost 50 years I knew him. For me, he was also a model of what a public servant should be. He was proud of public service, believed in the public interest, achieved much, and had a feel for policy and politics the likes of which I have never since encountered. That “feel” was in his brain and in his gut. I loved the man—the most impressive I ever met. He lives on in me and all those who worked with him with a presence that his passing cannot extinguish. I know I will be seeing him and getting advice and inspiration from him for the rest of my life. It was the country’s good fortune to have such a statesman in its service. It was my good fortune to have such a good and inspiring friend.
[Michael Copps served as a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission from May 2001 to December 2011 and was the FCC's Acting Chairman from January to June 2009. In 2012, former Commissioner Copps joined Common Cause to lead its Media and Democracy Reform Initiative.]
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law new measures that would enable the creation of a national network, able to operate separately from the rest of the world. (For now, the network remains largely theoretical.) The law calls for the creation of a monitoring and a management center supervised by Roskomnadzor, Russia's telecoms agency. The state agency will be charged with ensuring the availability of communication services in Russia in extraordinary situations. During such situations, it would also be empowered to cut off external traffic exchange, creating a purely Russian web. In addition, information from state entities and state-owned enterprises on the Internet will be protected via encryption.
What is the internet? And who is an internet user? The questions may seem straightforward, but more than a decade of research in the United States and abroad suggests that some people who use the internet may not be aware that they’re doing so. Results from recent Pew Research Center surveys in the US and 11 emerging economies show that confusion about what the internet stems from two different – but related – sources. First, many people who use smartphones are unaware that the apps and browsers on their devices involve using the internet. In the Center’s survey of emerging economies, as many as 38% of those who say they do not use the internet also indicate that they have a phone that connects to the internet. Due to differences in internet use across these countries, this group represents as much as 14% of the total adult population in South Africa or as little as 3% in Venezuela. Second, apart from a lack of awareness that smartphones and feature phones connect to the internet, many people who use social media and messaging apps appear unaware that the platforms themselves are part of the broader internet.
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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