What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds -- Interim final rule
The Secretary of the Treasury is issuing this interim final rule to implement the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act. The funds may be used to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure. The interim final rule provides that eligible investments in broadband are those that are designed to provide services meeting adequate speeds and are provided to unserved and underserved households and businesses.
President Biden Asks Republican Senators to Bring Him Reworked Infrastructure Proposal
President Joe Biden asked a group of Republican senators to flesh out their $568 billion infrastructure proposal with additional details, including how they would pay for it, a step that could begin more substantive negotiations on the issue. President Biden said that he was optimistic the group could reach a reasonable agreement and planned to discuss a more detailed offer from the Republican senators next week.
Skyrocketing screen time has deepened parents’ concerns about their children’s online safety, privacy, and wellbeing. Apps such as TikTok, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram draw younger audiences onto their platforms raising concerns about how their data is being used and how marketers are targeting them. This hearing will examine the issues posed by Big Tech, child-oriented apps, and manipulative influencer marketing.
Charter CEO flags broadband build challenges
Charter Communications CEO Tom Rutledge warned the operator expects to face a range of challenges as it presses ahead with Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) subsidized broadband buildouts. In December 2020, Charter won $1.2 billion in Phase I of the Federal Communications Commission’s RDOF auction to fuel broadband deployments across 24 states. Rutledge stressed the size of the undertaking, and he noted the rural nature of the markets it is set to cover will make construction harder. “Physically getting it done is a big deal,” he said.
Let’s get more communities and families digitally connected. Come learn more about the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, a temporary federal program through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) geared toward connecting more households to the internet at a time when we rely on digital connectivity more than ever before.
Witnesses
Joi Chaney
National Urban League
Matt Dunne
Center on Rural Innovation
Max Stier
Partnership for Public Service
The federal government is rolling out record amounts of broadband funding. It could be just the beginning
The new broadband affordability programs [the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and the Emergency Connectivity Fund] are just temporary — and advocates say lawmakers need to develop a long-term program that will ensure low-income Americans can afford the Internet. “We’re not going back to 2019,” said Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate Gigi Sohn. “The digital divide doesn’t end when the pandemic ends.
Non-profit organizations, anchor institutions, and local and state governments will join forces on May 14th to build awareness about the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Our collective goal is to ensure that every household that is eligible for the program learns about the program and how to enroll. There are various ways for your community to promote the EBB, including becoming an FCC community partner.