What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
House Oversight Chairman Comer Probes FCC Decision to Revoke Starlink Funds
The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to reaffirm its revocation of an award authorizing Space Exploration Technologies Corporation’s Starlink to receive broadband deployment subsidies through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). The Committee seeks information from the FCC to ensure that the Commission followed established processes and is not improperly using the regulatory process for political purposes.
Andy Berke, Administrator of Rural Utilities Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will discuss how the Rural Utilities Service is implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which, among other priorities, includes a historic $65 billion investment in broadband infrastructure.
Tribal nations face unique challenges when seeking solutions to the digital equity gaps in their communities. This webinar will feature Tribal leaders discussing how they are using federal and other resources to create pathways to success for their residents.
New Mexico is a state rich in diversity with a unique blend of cultures and a deep history that embodies the American spirit. As a state made up of tribal nations, rural towns, and urban areas, residents and business owners are presented with both unique opportunities and complexities on the quest to ensure all can fully engage in the technological revolution.
The focus of the webinar will be showcasing the Office of Education Technology’s approach to digital equity. Topics covered in this webinar include:
- Using the National Education Technology Plan as a Digital Equity Framework
- State Digital Equity Plans & Grants
- Local Digital Equity Efforts
- Connecting Digital Equity and AI
Examples and resources will be highlighted across these four topics.
Advancing Community Broadband will highlight exemplary cases of what we call Community Broadband. The cases will
The District Court this past August found that Google’s agreements with Apple, Samsung, and other distribution channels constituted exclusionary conduct and violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act. In cases like this, however, finding a remedy that will improve consumer welfare is often the more difficult issue. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the benefits and costs of the range of structural and conduct remedy proposals that are under discussion.
The recent backlash against “Big Tech” has come from both sides of the aisle, with the conservative anti-tech sentiment showing up in state laws governing social media in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and more, as well as in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for the future of conservative policy.
AM Radio’s Day Has Passed
The Federal Communications Commission concluded in 2009 that AM radio was dying: Listeners under 35 were “almost non-existent.” Responding to lagging consumer interest, vehicle manufacturers began leaving AM tuners out of cars—especially in electric vehicles, where the tuners are subject to electromagnetic interference. So why, weeks ago, did the House Commerce Committee overwhelmingly pass a measure requiring manufacturers to include AM radios in all new vehicles?
A Better Way to Fund USF
There is a political consensus that the United States should continue its nearly century long commitment to assuring that the tools of modern communications are universally accessible and affordable. There is also a consensus that the primary program through which we keep that commitment—the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (USF)—is breaking down.