Daily Digest 5/8/2019 (Pew: Digital Divide Persists)

Benton Foundation

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Headlines Daily Digest

Antitrust, Privacy, White Spaces on Today's Agenda


Don't Miss:

Digital Divide Persists

O'Rielly's Objections to a Government 5G Wholesale Network

State K-12 Broadband Leadership 2019

Table of Contents

Letters, Letters, Letters

Chairman Response Regarding High Speed Broadband in Rural Communities  |  Read below  |  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission
Chairman Response Regarding Broadband Mapping  |  Read below  |  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission
Chairman Response Regarding C-Band  |  Read below  |  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission

Broadband

Digital divide persists even as lower-income Americans make gains in tech adoption  |  Read below  |  Monica Anderson, Madhumitha Kumar  |  Research  |  Pew Research Center
Charter stops prorating final bills to grab more cash from Internet users  |  Ars Technica
Henry Waxman: Congress should act now to ensure a free and open internet  |  Los Angeles Times

Wireless

Substantive Objections to a Government 5G Wholesale Network  |  Read below  |  FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly  |  Press Release  |  Federal Communications Commission
T-Mobile, Sprint promise to create thousands of jobs if merger is approved  |  Fierce
This new Android app aims to tackle cyber insecurity in the developing world  |  Washington Post
Sprint Reports Steepest Decline of Cellphone Customers in Years  |  Wall Street Journal

Satellites 

Remarks at the SIA Leadership Dinner  |  Read below  |  NTIA Administrator David Redl  |  Speech  |  National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Content

One Year After the Release of the Santa Clara Principles, OTI Continues to Push Tech Companies for Transparency, Accountability  |  New America
Op-ed: The Claremont Institute criticized the orthodoxies of multiculturalism. The company banned our ads.  |  Wall Street Journal

Education

State K-12 Broadband Leadership 2019: Driving Connectivity, Access and Student Success  |  Read below  |  Christine Fox, Rachel Jones  |  Research  |  State Educational Technology Directors Association

Advertising

Joshua Gans: A tax on targeted ads?  |  Digitopoly

Television

NCTA, NAB, MPAA Reboot TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board  |  Broadcasting&Cable
Cord-Cutting Got 75% Worse in Q1, Most Terrible Quarter Ever for Pay TV  |  Multichannel News

Privacy

Google’s Sundar Pichai op-ed: Privacy Should Not Be a Luxury Good  |  New York Times
Google announced a new way to limit how much advertisers can track you online  |  Vox
Google vows greater user privacy, after decades of data collection  |  Washington Post
In wake of Equifax, Democrats propose severe fines for credit bureau breaches  |  Axios

Surveillance

Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats ask NSA for Public Update on its Mass Phone Data Collection Program  |  Hill, The

FCC Budget

Chairman Pai Testimony Before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee  |  Read below  |  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission

Elections

US Cyber Command probes foreign networks to hunt election security threats  |  Washington Post
FBI says it's working with Silicon Valley to stop election meddling  |  CNN
Americans mimic Russian disinformation tactics ahead of 2020  |  Hill, The

Government & Communications

Congressional and federal agency staff are drowning in news, data and persuasive arguments. Who do they believe?  |  Public Affairs Council
Kara Swisher: The First Amendment doesn’t say you can tweet whatever you want  |  New York Times

Company News

Activists turn to Facebook shareholders in long-shot bid to oust Zuckerberg  |  Washington Post
Today's Top Stories

Letters, Letters, Letters

Chairman Response Regarding High Speed Broadband in Rural Communities

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission

On March 13, 2019, Sens Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) wrote to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai requesting an investigation into the business practices of Frontier Communications Corporation, and its subsidiary Citizens Telecommunications Company of Minnesota, LLC. In 2018, hundreds of consumer complaints across the state prompted the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to request the Minnesota Department of Commerce (Department) to open an investigation into Frontier's quality of internet and telephone service, billing practices, and customer service.

On April 26, Chairman Pai replied saying that the FCC authorized Frontier to receive Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II model-based support for nearly 47,000 locations in Minnesota. Before the FCC issued this authorization, Frontier provided a written commitment stating that it would satisfy the service obligations associated with this funding and acknowledging that failure to do so could result in penalties andlor enforcement actions. Since that authorization, Frontier has reported to the FCC that it has met or exceeded each of its deployment milestones in CAP-eligible areas in Minnesota and annually submitted the required reports and certifications. Moreover, the Minnesota Public Utility Commission has annually certified to the Commission that Frontier used the high-cost funds appropriately. Nevertheless, the FCC will remain vigilant to ensure that our rules are observed and taxpayer funds respected.

Chairman Response Regarding Broadband Mapping

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission

On February 14, 2019, 11 US senators wrote to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai with concerns about broadband mapping problems. They asked the following questions:

  • Do you see validity in using a continuous public feedback mechanism to help improve broadband coverage maps and data?
  • Do you think it is feasible for the FCC to implement a public feedback mechanism to help validate Form 477 data?
    • If so, what would that process look like?
    • If not, what specifically can the FCC use to help supplement Form 477 data in determining where there is broadband coverage in the United States?

On April 26, Chairman Pai replied saying:

In your letter, you ask whether a continuous public feedback mechanism will improve the Commission’s broadband coverage maps and its Form 477 data. I believe it could. Indeed, as you may know, the Commission’s Speed Test App is one-way consumers can currently participate in collecting data about broadband deployment, and it has proven to be a useful tool for assessing service availability. I’ve asked Commission staff to look into other ways to collect and use accurate data from many sources—including consumers themselves—to assemble a more reliable map. We are interested in developing methods for the submission of reliable, consumer-driven data in order to better inform the Commission’s decision making in this area. We would be happy to receive any input you or your staff might have on how to establish and implement such methods.

Chairman Response Regarding C-Band

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission

On March 14, 2019, Sen John Kennedy (R-LA) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai with concerns about a proposal made by a consortium of foreign-owned satellite providers known as the C-Band Alliance (CBA). On April 25, Chairman Pai wrote Sen Kennedy saying, "In the C-band proceeding, we are aiming to balance a number of interests. One of those interests is American leadership in 50, the next generation of wireless connectivity. C-band spectrum could provide significant benefits as we enter the world of 5G. It offers both geographic coverage and the capacity to transmit large amounts of data-a combination that is appealing to entrepreneurs and wireless consumers alike. Another interest involves the appropriate treatment of those entities that currently rely on C-band-delivered services. In particular, we recognize that broadcasters and cable operators rely on this spectrum for the delivery of services that consumers rely upon."

Broadband/Internet

Digital divide persists even as lower-income Americans make gains in tech adoption

Monica Anderson, Madhumitha Kumar  |  Research  |  Pew Research Center

Even as many aspects of the digital divide have narrowed over time, the digital lives of lower- and higher-income Americans remain markedly different. 

Roughly three-in-ten adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year (29%) don’t own a smartphone. More than four-in-ten don’t have home broadband services (44%) or a traditional computer (46%). And a majority of lower-income Americans are not tablet owners. By comparison, each of these technologies are nearly ubiquitous among adults in households earning $100,000 or more a year. Higher-income Americans are also more likely to have multiple devices that enable them to go online. Roughly two-thirds of adults living in high-earning households (64%) have home broadband services, a smartphone, a desktop or laptop computer and a tablet, compared with 18% of those living in lower-income households. 

With fewer options for online access at their disposal, many lower-income Americans are relying more on smartphones. As of early 2019, 26% of adults living in households earning less than $30,000 a year are “smartphone-dependent” internet users – meaning they own a smartphone but do not have broadband internet at home. This represents a substantial increase from 12% in 2013. In contrast, only 5% of those living in households earning $100,000 or more fall into this category in 2019. This reliance on smartphones also means that the less affluent are more likely to use them for tasks traditionally reserved for larger screens.

Wireless

Substantive Objections to a Government 5G Wholesale Network

FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly  |  Press Release  |  Federal Communications Commission

Over the last few months, various ideas have been floated about the offering of 5G wireless services via a government-sponsored network.  This entire effort seems convoluted and borders on the preposterous.  Just the notion of the U.S. moving away from the highly-successful, private-sector led approach that is responsible for our country’s premier position globally would be a serious misstep.  In essence, it would throw a monkey wrench into one of the greatest success stories in the history of technology.  At the same time, it has been nearly impossible to nail down with any granularity what exactly is being contemplated by this new “network.”  To call this effort a trial balloon is insulting to balloons, as all the ideas mentioned have far less consistency than balloons, and more closely resemble a child’s bubbles.  Based on what we do know, however, the entire effort is jam-packed with insurmountable problems. Accordingly, I’ve attempted to expose a few of the issues that someone trying to create a government-sponsored 5G network would face – no matter how it was structured – and explain why it doesn’t make logical sense.  Perhaps all the rhetoric and lobbying in favor of this scheme will end once people examine some straight facts and salient arguments. 

Satellites 

Remarks at the SIA Leadership Dinner

NTIA Administrator David Redl  |  Speech  |  National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Two areas that I see as evolving and critical to the continued success of the satellite industry – spectrum access and public advocacy. The spectrum challenges we face are not limited to the satellite sector, and we have to think bigger in our interconnected spectrum economy. That’s why in October, President Trump directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA, to develop and implement a comprehensive, balanced and forward-looking National Spectrum Strategy. We anticipate delivering the national strategy [in the summer of 2019], the bottom line that we all need to figure out is how we settle on more efficient allocations, more efficient use of the spectrum, and better ways to define, collaborate, and coordinate our realistic, forward-looking spectrum needs.

Education

State K-12 Broadband Leadership 2019: Driving Connectivity, Access and Student Success

Christine Fox, Rachel Jones  |  Research  |  State Educational Technology Directors Association

This report highlights the importance of state leadership and the various ways states strive to support districts and schools to achieve equitable digital learning opportunities for all students both on campus and outside of school. States demonstrate leadership through legislation, initiatives, partnerships, statewide broadband networks, regional networks, and/or statewide purchasing consortia to facilitate reliable, cost-effective internet access for districts. No one state has the same policies or practices, yet all are providing leadership

FCC Budget

Chairman Pai Testimony Before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai  |  Federal Communications Commission

In written testimomny before the Senate Committee On Appropriations' Subcommittee On Financial Services And General Government, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai outlined the commission's priorities for the next year:

  1. Secure US leadership in 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity: The FCC's 5G FAST plan has three key components: (1) pushing more spectrum into the marketplace; (2) promoting the deployment of wireless infrastructure; and (3) modernizing outdated regulations. 
  2. Close the digital divide: The FCC will launch a proceeding to establish a $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.
  3. Protect public safety: The FCC will follow through with its proposal to ban the use of money from the FCC’s Universal Service Fund from being used by recipients to procure equipment or services from companies that pose a national security threat to our communications networks or the communications supply chain. 

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