Federal Communications Commission

In this Order on Reconsideration, the Federal Communications Commission address several petitions for reconsideration (PFRs) of the Enhanced A-CAM Order, which established the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (Enhanced A-CAM) program as a voluntary path for supporting broadband deployment of at least 100/20 Mbps throughout the rural areas served by carriers that previously received A-CAM support and in areas served by legacy rate-of-return support recipients.  Among other requests, Petitioners encouraged the FCC to extend the Enhanced A-CAM Program’s deployment milestones by

The Federal Communications Commission voted in 2024 to launch the 5G Fund for Rural America to expand 5G coverage into the many parts of the country with poor cell coverage. It may turn out that market forces might mean that some of that subsidy won’t be needed since the big carriers are expanding into rural areas. A recent blog from Ookla documents the rural expansion of 5G.

On March 12, 2025, Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Ranking Member of the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote to the acting chiefs of the Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement and Media Bureaus seeking answers to seven questions about FCC Chairman Brendan Carr orders to reopen complaints against and investigations into media broadcasters. On March 26, Chairman Carr replied noting that "During the Biden Administration, the FCC and Democrats across government repeatedly weaponized our country’s communications laws and processes.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and its Media/Telecommunications Task Force co-chairs, UnidosUS and United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, wrote to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee demanding that they delay the confirmation hearing for Olivia Trusty to serve as a Federal Communications Commissioner until the administration provides a binding commitment that it will keep the FCC fully staffed with five commissioners, two of whom must be Democrats.

A recently unveiled cybersecurity labeling program for smart products might be expanded in the near future to include other equipment beyond household internet appliances, Republican Federal Communications Commissioner Nathan Simington said at an Information Technology Industry Council event. The label, known as the Cyber Trust Mark, was designed initially for consumer internet of things devices to inform shoppers that applicable products meet certain government-vetted cybersecurity standards.

“One more thing” is the line that Detective Columbo typically uttered in the eponymous 1970s detective series; it signaled that Columbo was on the brink of solving the episode’s puzzle. If Columbo were around today, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) may have vexed him had he pondered its impact. Did it move the broadband adoption dial? If so, by how much?

House Commerce Committee Democrats launched an investigation into Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s attacks on the First Amendment and his weaponization of the independent agency.

T-Mobile said it modified, changed and ended some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in its bid to receive regulatory approval for its deal with EQT for fiber operator Lumos.

Jim Stritzinger, Director of the South Carolina Broadband Office, likes “to think of the work we’re doing as an Olympic relay race.” The first leg, he said, was the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The second leg was federal funding like the US Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The third leg was the American Rescue Plan Act.

The United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry is proud to share this important consumer guide for incarcerated people, their loved ones, clergy and other advocates.