What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
Online Privacy Bill Gains Momentum, but Hurdles Remain
Bipartisan legislation to bolster consumers’ online privacy rights gained momentum at a House hearing June 14, even as some tech industry representatives raised concerns that could slow its progress.
Unprecedented federal and state funding programs have changed broadband possibilities for communities nationwide. In Baltimore, a city where almost one and three residents face barriers to reliable, high-speed connectivity, broadband investments could help to revitalize communities that have been overlooked or excluded from the digital economy.
A conversation with local leaders who are developing ways to bring digital opportunities within reach for every Baltimore resident and the community organizers that make connectivity goals a reality. Speakers include:
As state governments examine how to best invest federal funds to deploy broadband in unserved and underserved areas, a new study — commissioned by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and independently developed by CTC Technology & Energ
The Federal Trade Commission is hosting a listening forum to hear from members of the public about the effects of mergers and acquisitions on a range of market participants. This listening forum will not be limited to a specific industry or labor market. Rather, the reach of this forum is intended to be broad. This fifth forum is an addition to the four forums already helmed by FTC Chair Lina M. Khan and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division.
Power Utilities built fiber networks early to support the critical services they provide. Join the panel on this Fiber for Breakfast to hear about how utilities have used fiber in the past and their plans to serve their communities in the future. FBA President and CEO, Gary Bolton, will lead a panel discussion diving into the challenges and opportunities that Power Utilities see during this tumultuous time of broadband growth.
Speakers
Panelist: Pete Hoffswell, Superintendent of Broadband Services, Holland Board of Public Works
Over the last several years the European Union and the United Kingdom have debated proposals to regulate digital platforms to protect consumers and promote competition. These proposals recognize that while dominant platforms require changes in traditional antitrust law to constrain their market power, they also require changes in traditional consumer protection law and sector-specific experts to protect users from fraud, unfair conduct, algorithmic discrimination, and dangerously deceptive disinformation.
The internet was long assumed to be a positive democratic influence, yet its growth has coincided with a sustained recession of global democracy. Over the past decade, the rise of digital authoritarianism has stifled internet freedoms through transgressions such as internet blackouts and digital surveillance of journalists. In response, the Biden administration and 60 partners have put forward a new code of practice for how democratic nations should engage with the internet: the Declaration for the Future of the Internet.
USDA Considering Drawing on Infrastructure Bill Money as ReConnect Demand Increases
Christopher McLean, the acting administrator of the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service said that his office has seen so much interest in the third round for its broadband funds that it is considering drawing on other federal infrastructure funds to satisfy demand.
We now have rules in hand for two of the highly anticipated broadband programs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure program. The Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for each program answer some of the broadband community’s questions about timing and the application process, but some questions remain open. Will states include anchor institutions in their broadband plans?
Recap: Oversight of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The Senate's Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband convened an oversight hearing on the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and its implementation of the broadband programs in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson was the sole witness. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $65 billion in funding to connect all Americans to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.