Agenda

Reps Mullin, Kelly, and Crapo Author Bill to Lower Broadband Costs and Boost Connectivity

Sens Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2023 to direct the FCC to require proper contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF) from edge providers and broadband providers. Requiring edge providers to cover associated costs for rural fiber networks will reduce the financial burden on consumers and rural providers while strengthening broadband connectivity throughout rural America. Specifically, the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act would:

Three Challenges for 2024

State policymakers face a big test—how to best spend the almost $272 million the Commerce Department allocated from its Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program as well as the funding the state receives under the Digital Equity Act. Today I want to look ahead to 2024 and talk about three challenges that all states, including Maine, will face. I also want to suggest how states can meet these challenges to ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime funding secures fast, affordable and reliable broadband Internet access for every US household. 

Sen. Lee Reintroduces the SCREEN Act to Protect Children Online

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act, a step toward safeguarding minors from the pervasive threat of online pornographic content. Despite Congress's ongoing efforts over the past three decades to shield children from online pornography, prior legislative measures have been challenged and overturned by the Supreme Court on the grounds of not meeting the least restrictive means test. Nonetheless, the Court acknowledged the government's compelling interest to protect children.

Sens Thune (R-SD) and Klobuchar (D-MN) Lead Commerce Committee Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan AI Bill to Boost Innovation and Strengthen Accountability

Sens John Thune (R-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Hickenlooper (D-CO, Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act of 2023.

What Happens to BEAD Without the Affordable Connectivity Program?

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program will fail if Congress doesn’t renew the Affordable Connectivity Program that states are relying on to connect low-income Americans. National Telecommunications and Information Agency Administrator Alan Davidson explained to Congress that the BEAD Program will be 

Bluepeak brings $15 Million fiber network to the Lone Star State

Bluepeak is expanding its fiber-to-the-home service to Texas. The operator will invest about $15 million into a new network in the city of Denison (TX) to deliver fiber to 10,000-15,000 homes and businesses, making it the first fiber provider in the city. The company is in the initial stages of development and aims to launch service in Denison in 2024. Bluepeak currently provides fiber-to-the-home services to 18 markers in Oklahoma, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota. 

Federal Communications Commission Launches Inquiry Into AI's Impact on Robocalls & Robotexts

The Federal Communications Commission voted to begin a formal inquiry that will take a closer look at how artificial intelligence technology impacts illegal and unwanted robocalls and robotexts. The agency will assess both AI’s potential to positively and negatively affect consumers. As artificial intelligence technology becomes more prevalent, it presents opportunities to protect consumers but it can also pose privacy and safety challenges. In the case of robocalls and robotexts, AI could improve analytics tools used to block unwanted calls and texts and restore trust in our networks.

Federal Communications Commission Adopts Rules to Protect Consumers' Cell Phone Accounts

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules to protect consumers against scams that aim to commandeer their cell phone accounts. The rules will help protect consumers from scammers who target data and personal information by covertly swapping SIM cards to a new device or porting phone numbers to a new carrier without ever gaining physical control of a consumer’s phone.

FCC Adopts Rules to Prevent & Eliminate Digital Discrimination

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted final rules to prevent digital discrimination of access to broadband services based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin. The new rules establish a framework to facilitate equal access to broadband internet services by preventing digital discrimination of access.

Reactions to the FCC's Rules to Prevent & Eliminate Digital Discrimination

Vice President Kamala Harris said, "One provision of our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Biden signed exactly two years ago directed the Federal Communications Commission to create first-of-its-kind rules to prevent digital discrimination. Today, the FCC answered our call by voting to adopt these necessary rules, taking a critical step to prohibit digital discrimination in high-speed Internet access based on income, race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin.

Sponsor: 

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

Date: 
Mon, 11/20/2023 - 14:00 to 15:00

At the webinar, ADECA will provide an overview of the recently-released Alabama BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1 and Volume 2 as well as the Alabama Statewide Digital Opportunity Plan, all of which are now open for public comment. ADECA will discuss how to submit comments on the documents, which provide information about ADECA’s plans to promote broadband deployment and digital opportunity in the state.



Led by Tri-Caucus Chairs, 101 Members of Congress Urge Leadership to Replenish Affordable Connectivity Program’s Funding

As Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus, we write urging you to include $6 billion needed to replenish the highly popular and effective Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in any government funding package, as requested by President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 emergency supplemental funding proposal. Established in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the ACP is a true bipartisan public policy success story.

Rep. Luna (R-FL) Introduces Bill to Protect American Data from Foreign Adversaries

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) introduced the U.S. Data on U.S. Soil Act (H.R.6410) to protect the data security of Americans from being collected and exploited by our foreign adversaries. Specifically,  the U.S. Data on U.S. Soil would protect the data security of the American people by: 

Investment Meets Impact: Celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Two years after President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and other agencies have distributed billions of dollars to communities to bridge the digital divide and make participation in the digital economy a reality for everyone. At NTIA, we completed funding rounds for multiple programs in the last year and are moving to the implementation phase, all the while preparing states and territories to administer their state grant programs.

FloridaCommerce Announces 30-Day Public Comment Period for Florida’s Initial BEAD Proposal

FloridaCommerce announced that the 30-day public comment period for the State of Florida’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume I begins Wednesday, November 15, 2023, and ends on Friday, December 15, 2023. Florida’s Initial Proposal Volume I is part of Florida’s plan to operationalize more than $1.6 bi

House Communications Subcommittee Witnesses Disagree on AI for Broadband Maps

Experts disagreed on the potential for artificial intelligence to aid broadband mapping efforts at a House Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing. Courtney Lang, a vice president at tech industry trade group ITI, said AI could be used to improve the quality of current broadband maps. A machine learning model could do that by using past data to identify buildings that are likely to be accurately marked as having adequate broadband, according to Lang. But Nicol Turner Lee, director of the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation, urged caution.

Equal Access to Broadband: Breaking Down Digital Discrimination Rules Required by Congress

The Federal Communications Commission is set to implement the first bipartisan broadband access antidiscrimination law of the digital age. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gave the FCC a clear mandate: to adopt rules within two years to prevent and eliminate digital discrimination of access to broadband services based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, and national origin. While Congress explicitly directed the FCC to “prevent” and “eliminate” digital discrimination of access, the agency will ensure that process is fair and reasonable.

The Seven Broadband Gaps

Where are we in terms of closing the seven gaps that we think of, or should think of, as the elements of the digital divide? The seven gaps are the rural access gap, the affordability gap, the operating gap of very high-cost rural providers, the adoption gap, the institutional gap, the cable/copper gap, and the utilization gap. We could be using the network to improve outcomes in education, health care, government services, public safety, carbon reduction, civic engagement, and other public purposes. But to do achieve those goals, we need to close all seven broadband gaps.

How a US Government Shutdown Risks Expanding the Digital Divide

As a government shutdown looms over the nation, millions of Americans risk losing internet access. Americans have come to rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) for a $30/month broadband subsidy to stay connected to their communities. Many will be forced to go without, from families who receive Medicaid and SNAP benefits to veterans and Pell Grant recipients. As costs for everything from housing to healthcare continue skyrocketing, families who struggle to make ends meet will have to choose between putting food on the table and having essential broadband access.

Governors Advocate for Affordable Connectivity Program

As Governors from across the country, we urge you to work collaboratively with the Biden Administration to ensure that a key tool in our joint efforts to bridge the digital divide—the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)—receives additional funding. It is essential that people do not lose access to the internet that this vital program has allowed them to gain. There is broad agreement across the political spectrum that affordable high-speed internet is a necessity in today’s world, whether it’s for education, work or health care.

‘We’re Cut Off’: Rural Farmers Are Desperate For Broadband Internet

How can the Farm Bill help close the digital divide in rural America? There are a few areas that we could start with, and Sascha Meinrath, the Palmer Chair in telecommunications at Penn State University, says the first one won’t cost the government a dime. “The Farm Bill could include a mandate that says anytime a provider reports to a federal agency that they provide service at an address, they must provide that service within 30 days or get fined $10,000 a day until they do,” says Meinrath. In other words, force the ISPs to show verification that they are doing what they claim.

FCC Has Questions About Broadband Speeds and Deployment

On November 1, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its "annual" inquiry into the state of broadband in the United States. The inquiry includes three broad questions: 1) What constitutes "broadband service" today 2) Is the U.S. achieving its universal broadband goals? 3) Is broadband being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion? The FCC is seeking public input on these questions through December 1. 

Sen. Cruz (R-TX) Leads Senate Republicans in Calling on FCC to Halt ‘Digital Equity’ Plan

We write in response to your recently circulated Draft Order on “Digital Discrimination” that would turn section 60506 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into a sweeping mandate for heavy-handed Internet regulation and expose every nook and cranny of the broadband business to liability under a “disparate impact” standard. Your Draft Order, which largely follows a Biden administration diktat, will create crippling uncertainty for the U.S. broadband industry, chill broadband investment, and undermine Congress’s objective of promoting broadband access for all Americans.

Civil Rights Organizations Demand Congress to Prioritize ACP Funding Before Looming Government Shutdown

We, the undersigned groups, write to emphasize the dire need for Congress to pass 6 billion dollars in supplemental funding to sustain the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) through the end of 2024. As of October 25, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration requested Congress to appropriate emergency funding for critical domestic issues, including $6 billion earmarked for ACP to ensure eligible households across the country remain connected online.