Internet/Broadband

Sen Blumenthal asks Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about Instagram's impact on kids

Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to participate in a Congressional hearing on Instagram and its impact on kids in a letter October 20. The Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security cited the testimony of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and the Wall Street Journal's reports on Facebook as cause for the CEO's appearance before his subcommittee.

Stop putting Band-Aids on telecom shortfalls — jump ahead to 5G

Across America, 5G mobile networks are going up, which eventually will supplant the internet backbone we use for nearly all communications. With minor changes, the Pentagon’s ongoing 5G demonstrations, 2020's appropriations to replace Chinese network equipment, and the proposed Infrastructure and Jobs Act could combine to spur deployment of open 5G architectures that would create a market for US telecommunications equipment builders and installers.

Verizon reports strong third-quarter revenue growth momentum

Verizon Communications reported third-quarter earnings highlighted by revenue and customer growth as more than one in four Consumer wireless phone customers now have a 5G-capable device. For third-quarter 2021, Verizon reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.55, compared with $1.05 in third-quarter 2020, a 47.6 percent increase year over year.

Facebook doubles down on curated News Tab

Facebook is looking to introduce more news products for its News Tab in the coming months, including more curated collections around big events and breaking news. The News Tab, a separate destination for news on Facebook from publishers selected by the tech giant, has helped the company address regulatory scrutiny that it doesn't do enough to combat misinformation. It is currently live in the US, UK, Australia and Germany, with other English-speaking countries in consideration.

EU’s Ambitious New Tech Rules to Be Delayed Further Into 2022

European Union countries will delay a key target of finalizing new rules hitting tech platforms by the spring of 2022, now saying they aim to reach a deal “as soon as possible” ahead of a leaders’ summit on October 21. The EU’s Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act are two heavily debated pieces of legislation unveiled in 2020 by the European Commission that seek to curb the power of Big Tech. The Digital Markets Act seeks to curb anti-competitive behavior, while the Digital Services Act would regulate online content.

Land O’Lakes details how agriculture is transforming digitally

The modern farmer operates in a business ecosystem that includes equipment manufacturers, chemical companies, food distributors, banks and insurance companies, employees, and government regulations. The success of a farming business, according to Land O'Lakes CTO Teddy Bekele, revolves around 40 “mega decisions” about what and when to plant, when and how to fertilize, feed, and harvest, and how to market and sell. These are all problems data and technology can help solve, Bekele said.

Regulation and innovation in 5G markets

This article examines the roles and consequences of different approaches to 5G market design for innovation. The analysis is grounded in a conceptual framework that explicitly considers the complementarities among networks, applications, and services. Good policy arrangements align the legal and regulatory framework with the technical and economic characteristics of the sector and the broader, social visions for new technologies.

Lawmakers Ask FCC to Act on National Security Risks from Foreign Telecom Companies

Sens Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Edward J Markey (D-MA) wrote a letter urging the Federal Communications Commission to take action in response to national security risks posed by foreign companies that manage and service US wireless phone networks. Although the US government has responded forcefully to risks from Chinese hardware manufacturers, including Huawei and ZTE, it has not yet accounted for risks from foreign companies that operate or maintain US networks.

Quantum Computing and Communications: Status and Prospects

GAO conducted a technology assessment on (1) the availability of quantum computing and communications technologies and how they work, (2) potential future applications of such technologies and benefits and drawbacks from their development and use, and (3) factors that could affect technology development and policy options available to help address those factors, enhance benefits, or mitigate drawbacks. GAO identified four factors that affect quantum technology development and use: collaboration, workforce size and skill, investment, and the supply chain.

Sponsor: 

Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security

Senate Commerce Committee

Date: 
Tue, 10/26/2021 - 10:00

Children and teens face immense peer pressure to be on apps such as Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. While social media can provide entertainment and educational opportunities, these apps have also been misused to harm kids and promote destructive acts, such as vandalism in schools, deadly viral challenges, bullying, eating disorders, manipulative influencer marketing, and grooming. This hearing will examine how tech companies treat young audiences, including how algorithms and product design choices can amplify harms, addiction, and intrusions into privacy.



The Benefits of Z-Axis Through FirstNet

The First Responder Network Authority was established to deploy a nationwide broadband network for public safety communications and meet first responders’ communications needs. One of the key capabilities that public safety requested during the planning phase of FirstNet was the ability to determine the Z-axis, or vertical axis, location of personnel. FirstNet’s Z-axis capability is the next evolution of FirstNet Enhanced Location Services, designed to assist with identifying where a first responder is located within a building.

Interpreting Consumer Reports' broadband survey data

In June 2021, Consumer Reports (CR) released the results of a nationally representative survey related to broadband use. On the heels of that survey, CR launched its “Let’s Broadband Together” initiative, which uses crowd-sourced methods to gather more data.

‘Squid Game’ hit raises stakes for Netflix in broadband battle

SK Broadband, wholly owned by South Korea’s largest mobile carrier SK Telecom, thinks Netflix should pay a congestion charge for hit shows like the streaming service's recently released "Squid Game." The company says the traffic that Netflix generates on its network has surged to 1.2tn bits of data processed per second as of September 2021, the month of Squid Game’s release, a 24-fold increase over three years. It has had to upgrade its network twice to accommodate the traffic surge caused by the show.

Who's going to lead the telecom panel?

Get ready for speculation over who will take over as top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, whose jurisdiction covers everything from broadband and net neutrality to media ownership and online liability protections, a coveted spot among lawmakers. Rep Mike Doyle (D-PA) replaced Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA) as the subcommittee’s top Democrat in 2017 and became chair in 2019. Doyle has prioritized efforts to restore Obama-era net neutrality regulations that were repealed during the Trump years.

Startup Takes on Big Telecom, Starting in Colorado Springs

Startup internet company Underline, which focuses on community infrastructure, is now hoping to disrupt the telecommunications industry by building open access fiber networks across 2,500 underserved communities. The company says its first full-scale deployment will break ground October 19 in Colorado Springs (CO) — where 10 percent of all households have no internet access. In an open access model, a city or a private company like Underline builds and maintains the physical infrastructure, and invites multiple independent providers to run services on the network.

The Technopolar Moment: How Digital Powers Will Reshape the Global Order

States have been the primary actors in global affairs for nearly 400 years. That is starting to change, as a handful of large technology companies rival them for geopolitical influence. Nonstate actors are increasingly shaping geopolitics, with technology companies in the lead. And although Europe wants to play, its companies do not have the size or geopolitical influence to compete with their American and Chinese counterparts. Most of the analysis of US-Chinese technological competition, however, is stuck in a statist paradigm.

The Economic Impact of the Market Making Internet

This study, commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and led by a researcher from Harvard Business School, assesses the impact of the internet on US gross domestic product (GDP). Key findings:

De Puente A Puente: Expanding Broadband Access in Loíza

Located on the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, Loíza is one of the most culturally rich municipalities on the island. Known as the “Capital of Traditions,” the area gave birth to many African-influenced traditions that are now synonymous with Puerto Rican culture. As home to the largest population of Black residents on the island, Loíza has a rich cultural heritage that is threatened by high unemployment, extreme poverty, and violence.

Gov Justice Announces Billion-Dollar Broadband Strategy in West Virginia

Gov Jim Justice (R-WV) unveiled a billion-dollar strategy to bring broadband availability to 200,000 more West Virginia homes and businesses. The plan will combine funding from federal, state, and local governments, along with matching investments from private-sector partners, to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet to underserved areas of the state. The plan represents by far the largest investment in broadband in the state’s history.

Internet Access on US Tribal Lands is Imperative to Daily and Creative Life

Tribal lands in the United States have often been sidelined or simply excluded from decisions critical to funding infrastructure initiatives and improvements. As COVID-19 revealed the internet to be an essential utility for daily life, the internet served as a lifeline and an opportunity for people living on reservations and other Tribal lands to connect with education, telehealth resources, businesses and the “at large” community.

Early 3G Sunset Harms Rural Americans

The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) filed an ex parte to apprise the Federal Communications Commission of the results of RWA’s member survey concerning the ongoing impact of the 3G sunset on rural consumers, and of the need for the carriers to implement Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) roaming before 3G is shut down nationwide.

Tech money floods the Senate

Google, Amazon and Microsoft have donated tens of thousands of dollars to key members of the Senate over the past three months. Some of the most significant conversations about the future of tech regulation are moving to the upper chamber, with Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) negotiating with bipartisan lawmakers over tech antitrust legislation and senators considering how to respond to the Senate Commerce Committee’s explosive hearing with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen in October 2021.

Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Proposal to Protect Children from Dangerous App Content

Reps Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced a bipartisan resolution (H.Res.721) that calls on technology companies to help empower parents to better protect their children from inappropriate content on digital applications.

Digital Inclusion Policy Priories

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance prioritizes equity. This means our digital inclusion work prioritizes people who have been left behind in the digital age. NDIA’s policy priorities focus on expanding access to affordable broadband service, appropriate devices, and digital skills training and support. NDIA bridges the community of digital inclusion practitioners and policymakers with a unified voice advocating for broadband access, devices, digital skills training, and tech support.