What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on the digital divide and digital inequality, and with it, illuminated the broader issue of digital inclusion and internet access as a civil right. Over the last four years, efforts to close the digital divide have been geared largely toward access to networks in rural America, but pandemic-related displacement is driving a shift in focus toward affordability in both rural and urban areas.
Republican tech skeptics are flirting with progressives' choice for antitrust chief
Longtime Google critic Jonathan Kanter is quickly becoming the preferred choice of tech skeptics on both sides of the aisle to lead the Justice Department's antitrust division and its case against Google. The preference for Kanter over his potential rival, Obama administration alumnus Jonathan Sallet, is the latest instance of progressive and conservative tech critics finding common ground over their anger at dominant tech companies, even as they struggle to find solutions they can agree on, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions happening on Capitol Hill. "Kanter would
Elon Musk’s Satellite Internet Project Is Too Risky, Rivals Say
Elon Musk’s internet satellite venture has spawned an unlikely alliance of competitors, regulators, and experts who say the billionaire is building a near-monopoly that is threatening space safety and the environment. The Starlink project, owned by Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
A Global Tipping Point for Reining In Tech Has Arrived
Around the world, governments are moving simultaneously to limit the power of tech companies with an urgency and breadth that no single industry had experienced before. Their motivation varies.
FCC Begins Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Testing
The Federal Communications Commission opened the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to participating broadband providers for testing. This important milestone will allow these providers to familiarize themselves with the Program systems in anticipation of the impending consumer launch of the Program. As the agency continues to work to rapidly deliver much-needed relief to families across the country, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in record time. I am thrilled that we have more than 600 providers now committed to the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
Witnesses
- The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Secretary
Department of Transportation
- The Honorable Michael Regan
Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
- The Honorable Gina Raimondo
Secretary
Department of Commerce
The nation needs President Biden's bold, futuristic infrastructure plan
To make the most of technology’s future, the United States again needs a bold infrastructure plan that will create a springboard for new jobs, sustained competitiveness, and broader prosperity. While many details and the need for compromise lie ahead, we believe President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan, or AJP, points in the right direction. Broadband has become the electricity of the 21st century, providing the lifeblood for jobs, healthcare, and education. But like electricity in the 1930s, it hasn’t reached tens of millions of people.
Support for federal broadband funding to connect rural America has never been stronger, but pole attachment rules and other rights-of-way issues are impeding deployment of both wired and wireless networks. Accessing utility poles and obtaining rights-of-way permitting can create significant delays and sometimes make up a third of the total cost to build, making these areas uneconomic to serve. How can policymakers and broadband stakeholders reduce these costs and streamline approvals while respecting the rights of owners?
A public webinar to provide information on the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB). The EBB is a temporary program that provides a discount of up to $50 per month ($75 on Tribal lands) off a qualifying households’ internet bill. For eligible households there is the potential for a discount of up to $100 towards the purchase of a tablet, laptop or desktop computer from a participating provider so long as the eligible purchaser contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
Witness
- Dr. Eric S. Lander, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)