Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission committed $37.7 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, which provides digital tools and services to support students in communities across the country. This funding commitment supports applications from the third application window, benefitting approximately 100,000 students nationwide, including students in Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington.

1. Broadband is essential: A lot has changed since the previous Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality. A devastating pandemic reaffirmed the essential nature of broadband access to protect the health and economic security of all Americans.
2. Abdicated oversight: The 2017 FCC approach was not “light touch.” It was a complete abdication of authority.
3. Targeted approach: Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s approach is targeted, not heavy-handed.

The Federal Communications Commission will begin implementing President Biden’s plan for increasing government control of the Internet. There will be lots of talk about “net neutrality” and virtually none about the core issue before the agency: namely, whether the FCC should claim for itself the freewheeling power to micromanage nearly every aspect of how the Internet functions—from the services that consumers can access to the prices that can be charged. The entire debate over whether Title II regulations are necessary or justified was settled years ago.

The Federal Communications Commission announced an extension of the term of the current Native Nations Communications Task Force until the end of 2023. The current term—which was set to expire on October 24, 2023—will now expire on December 31, 2023. The FCC is also seeking applications for membership to serve on a renewed Task Force to start at the beginning of 2024. Applications should be submitted in accordance with the procedures outlined here.

On October 10, 2023, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel provided Congress with an update on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on Thursday, October 19, 2023. The FCC will consider:

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr released a fact sheet discussing the reclassification of broadband as a Title II telecommunications service. "Following President Biden’s call for the FCC to apply utility-style controls to the Internet under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, the Federal Communications Commission announced it will begin implementing that plan at its October 19 Open Commission Meeting," said the memo.