Monday, September 16, 2019
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FCC Commissioner Starks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
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Broadband
What if you held a Congressional hearing and consensus broke out? As strange as that proposition may appear to be in Washington these days, there does seem to be general consensus that the Federal Communications Commission isn't doing a good enough job collecting data on where broadband internet access service is available -- and where it ain't. On September 11, the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened to discuss legislative solutions to our broadband data challenges. Although we see consensus that there's a problem with broadband data collection, it's only a start. We have a ways to go to a solution. Back in July, the Senate Commerce Committee passed its version of a broadband data solution, the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act. That bill now is co-sponsored by nearly half of the Senate, but it awaits a floor vote. The legislation considered this week requires a subcommittee and full committee mark-up, floor time, and consideration from the Senate. All that's a lot of hurdles as we hurtle towards a presidential election year.
Wireless
Remarks of FCC Commissioner Starks to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference
[The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference] is a time to highlight our policy priorities and develop collaborative solutions so that when we return to our communities, whether Brooklyn (NY), Southeast DC, or Jackson (MS) we’re better equipped to “bend the arc of the moral universe” toward a greater measure of justice through our work.
The benefits of a 5G world need to do just that – benefit all of us in the real world. For starters, those building out the next generation network need to look like America. The entire range of Americans’ interests must be present in the process. But there is an even bigger picture here. We need to be ready for the changing future of work – that includes making sure that we re-train and up-skill our most senior workers who will be displaced; making sure all of our children have the best STEM education so that they can drive innovation, and every population in between. Over the coming days, I hope to join with all of you in this space to bring together educators, community leaders, policy-makers and technology companies. We need smart cities to also be 21st Century Innovation Hubs that build the economic transition model for a future of prosperity for all Americans. The technology doesn’t lead us, we lead the technology. So let’s get started.
Platforms
House Antitrust Subcommittee Committee asks Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google to turn over trove of records in antitrust probe
The House Antitrust Subcommittee investigation into Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google entered a new phase Sept 13, after lawmakers called on each of the tech giants to turn over a trove of sensitive documents, including top executives’ private communications. The requests sent by Democratic and Republican Reps ask the companies to share detailed information about their internal operations, including financial data about their products and services, private discussions about potential merger targets and records related to “any prior investigation” they have faced on competition grounds. The documents could shed light on whether the companies’ dominance of search, advertising, e-commerce and other digital markets is rooted in anti-competitive practices, such as gobbling up or squashing rivals, and the extent to which their leaders participated in, or had been personally aware of, any wrongdoing. The lawmakers’ letters are not official legal demands, though the panel does have key powers to compel the four tech giants to turn over records or appear at hearings if necessary. “The open Internet has delivered enormous benefits to Americans, including a surge of economic opportunity, massive investment, and new pathways for education online,” said Full House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY). “But there is growing evidence that a handful of corporations have come to capture an outsized share of online commerce and communications."
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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