Federal Communications Commission

A recent federal court ruling is unlikely to mean the permanent end of the E-rate program that funds school telecommunication services, but the program's future is still uncertain. On a recent webinar, attorneys Sean Lev and Andy Schwartzman emphasized the recent ruling will have no near-term effects on E-rate.

Since its inception more than 25 years ago, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program has supported high-speed, affordable Internet services to and within school and library buildings, and has been instrumental in providing students, school staff, and library patrons with access to essential broadband services. The FCC released a report and order in the August 20, 2024 federal register on using E-Rate funds for Wi-Fi hotspots.

Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks joined Rep Marc Veasey (D-TX) at Lady Bird Johnson Middle School to discuss the important role of student connectivity and the FCC’s efforts to expand internet access. Established in 1996, the FCC’S E-Rate program helps schools and libraries to obtain broadband. The FCC has recently taken steps to modernize this program to ensure it addresses the changing connectivity needs of students.

We’re finally seeing many consumer-friendly initiatives from the Biden administration coming to fruition. The White House recently announced a Time is Money initiative that would require corporations to implement customer-friendly practices to eliminate long hold times and excessive paperwork for customers. This is a follow-up to a proposed rule from the Federal Trade Commission in March that would require companies to make it as easy to cancel service as it is to subscribe.

The Federal Communications Commission's Space and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Engineering and Technology seek to further develop the record for the 18.1–18.6 GHz band (18 GHz band) with the goal of informing the forthcoming report mandated by the National Spectrum Strategy (NSS) Implementation Plan. The NSS identified the 18 GHz band as a potential band for expanded Federal and non-Federal satellite operations, consistent with the U.S.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau announced the counties in which conditional forbearance from the obligation to offer Lifeline-supported voice service applies. This forbearance applies only to the Lifeline voice obligation of eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that are designated for purposes of receiving both high-cost and Lifeline support (high-cost/Lifeline ETCs), and not to Lifeline-only ETCs.

Broadband programs included in the 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could add $146 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), according to a new analysis from Keynesian Technology, which researches the impact of Keynesian economics on the technology industry.

AT&T and Verizon are urging telecommunications regulators to reject a key part of SpaceX's plan to offer cellular service with T-Mobile, claiming the satellite system will interfere with and degrade service for terrestrial mobile broadband networks. Filings urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny SpaceX's request for a waiver were submitted by AT&T and Verizon.

Rep August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced the Supporting National Security with Spectrum Act, which fully funds the “Rip and Replace” program to remove Chinese equipment from our telecommunications networks.

Spectrum launched Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to more than 660 homes and small businesses in Leelanau County (MI). Spectrum’s newly constructed fiber-optic network buildout to residents and businesses in portions of Cleveland, Glenn Arbor, Empire, and Kasson Townships. “Bringing high-speed connectivity to Northern Michigan families remains a top priority for me,” said Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI).