Agenda

A Q&A with Gigi Sohn, a distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy, a Benton Senior Fellow & Public Advocate, and former Federal Communications Comission counselor.

A House Commerce hearing on March 22 showcased tense partisan divisions over potential broadband infrastructure fixes. The sparring comes as Biden’s advisers eye up to $3 trillion in proposed economic boosts that could be split across multiple packages and would include explicit broadband and 5G provisions.

The Federal Communications Commission has a new $7 billion pot for schools to recoup the costs of paying for student and teacher access to broadband at home — and now the agency must figure out how to distribute the money. Here are six critical issues that companies keeping track of the FCC program should watch for:

1. What Devices and Services Will Be Eligible?

2. Will Purchases From 2020 Be Eligible?

3. How Will Procurement Work?

In the 2016 Lifeline Order, the Federal Communications Commission directed the Wireline Competition Bureau to submit a State of the Lifeline Marketplace Report by June 30, 2021. The FCC directed the Bureau to review the Lifeline marketplace and make a recommendation to the FCC regarding whether the Lifeline program’s transition to chiefly supporting broadband services, as set out in the 2016 Lifeline Order, should be completed.

I am very pleased to learn that Senator Cantwell and Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel had a phone call in which they reached an understanding that maps will get done in just four months. This is an important development because completing these maps is key to unlocking the funding needed to further close the digital divide. It’s great to learn about the new July 2021 timeline.

Cable operators, bracing for a slowdown after the robust broadband growth during the height of the pandemic may be in for a surprise. Federal money from the American Rescue Plan could help maintain, and in some cases spur, high-speed data additions in both urban and rural markets, according to MoffettNathanson principal and senior analyst Craig Moffett. Cable operators added more than 4 million broadband customers in 2020, the sector’s biggest growth spurt in a decade and one that occurred as penetration levels were in the 80% range.