Level of Government

The Federal Communications Commission proposed $8,778,527.39 in fines against 22 applicants in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I Auction (Auction 904) for apparently violating Commission requirements by defaulting on their bids between May 3, 2022, and December 16, 2022. Two applicants also failed to submit their audited financial paperwork, resulting in an additional monetary liability. The FCC provided clear guidance in its rules and notices on the monetary forfeitures associated with defaults in Auction 904.

The Federal Communications Commission is poised to reject a proposal it has been considering for several years that would have made spectrum between 12.2-12.7 GHz available for mobile use.

In order to visit some websites, internet users Louisiana have to provide proof that they were at least 18. That’s because Louisiana lawmakers had passed legislation last year requiring publishers of online material that could be “harmful to minors” to verify that their users were adults.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH5) and Robin Kelly’s (D-IL2) bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1339, the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act. H.R. 1339 would require the Federal Communications Commission to review its current satellite rules to determine if rule changes can be made to promote precision agriculture.

When the Federal Communications Commission last updated the benchmark speeds for broadband, Barack Obama was president, Bruno Mars was at the top of the charts dancing through Uptown Funk, Fifty Shades of Grey [NSFW] was steaming up movie theaters, and the New England Patriots had just beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) awarded $139,929.92 in funding from the Universal Service Fund Lifeline Outreach Grant Program to two recipients. The grants were awarded to entities that will assist low-income customers in obtaining affordable access to telecommunications services through the Lifeline program. Project 211 Get Connected was awarded $89,576.92, and the Indianhead Community Action Agency (ICAA) Lifeline Outreach Program was awarded $50,353.00.

Democratic officials are expressing concern that the House Republican debt limit plan would undermine bipartisan efforts to boost internet access nationwide and secure U.S.

The Department of the Treasury approved $115.5 million for high-speed internet projects in Hawaii under the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund. The state will invest $101.7 million of the award in the Hawaii Subsea Middle Mile Program designed to address the unique subsea cable infrastructure that’s needed to provide connectivity between the islands to ensure they have reliable, high-speed internet access.

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo appointed Chief Richard Carrizzo to serve as Board Chair of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority). Carrizzo is the Fire Chief for the Southern Platte Fire Protection District in Missouri who was first appointed to the FirstNet Authority Board in 2018 and reappointed in 2021, serving as the Board Vice Chair and the Advocacy Committee Chair. He succeeds Mayor Stephen Benjamin, who resigned as Board Chair effective March 31, 2023, to assume a position in the White House.

The Federal Communications Commission is committing nearly $21 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country. The funding commitment will benefit approximately 55,000 students across the country, including students in California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.