Lobbying
Streamers launch first official trade group
The world's biggest streaming companies are coming together to launch the industry's first coalition, the Streaming Innovation Alliance (SIA). The streaming industry has faced few regulatory threats over the past decade, but that's changing as more television consumption moves to digital. The new group is led by two former policymakers acting as senior advisers: former Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) and former Democratic Federal Communications Commission Acting Chair Mignon Clyburn [a member of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Board of Directors].
Congress hears testimonies on 'disruptive' barriers to BEAD deployment
A House Commerce Committee hearing centered on the future of rural broadband funding had industry leaders testifying on the improvements they deem necessary for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to be effective. US Telecom CEO Jonathan Spalter said in addition to financial backing, Congress can take non-funding actions to expedite and improve programs for rural broadband, and spoke against BEAD’s letter of credit requirement, which he contended could “actually reduce the amount of broadband deployed in the next few years using private capital.” Additi
Who are the wireless and wired telecom trade associations?
There are a large number of wireless and wired telecommunications trade associations; so many that it can be hard to keep track. Fierce Telecom created this list of the most well-known trade groups in the industry.
State Digital Justice Advocacy Toolkit
The National Consumer Law Center and the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry produced a new State Digital Justice Advocacy Toolkit that contains resources to help frontline groups that are working to provide broadband and communication assistance to incarcerated people, people with disabilities, low-income households, veterans, aging and rural populations, people facing language barriers, members of a racial or ethnic minority, and other underserved groups. The State Digi
Twitter gutted its policy team. Some of the band is getting back together
Over a dozen former executives who led Twitter’s public policy team are launching a new political advisory group, taking the practically unheard of step of reuniting en masse after the company, since-rebranded X, shed much of its own shop under Elon Musk. The newly minted Blue Owl Group, a nod to Twitter’s once-iconic bird logo, is stacked with longtime tech veterans looking to use the new perch to shape major debates about the internet, artificial intelligence and climate — while recapturing the company’s sensibilities. While the firm includes several veterans like Colin Crowell who left T
CTIA Announces Umair Javed as Senior Vice President, Spectrum
Umair Javed has joined CTIA-The Wireless Association as Senior Vice President, Spectrum. In this capacity, Javed will shape and coordinate the organization’s spectrum advocacy. Javed comes to CTIA from the Federal Communications Commission. As Chief Counsel, he played a central role in shaping our nation’s spectrum policy. During his tenure, Javed helped focus the agency on identifying mid-band spectrum for 5G, oversaw one of the most successful auctions in US history, and launched the FCC’s Spectrum Coordination Initiative to enhance partnerships between agencies and the private sector.
13 Years at NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association
I celebrated my thirteenth anniversary back at NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association in this role leading the best association team and the most exciting industry. I spent 20 years at NTCA after working on Capitol Hill and loved everything about the membership that the organization represented. At the time I started (in the dark ages, per my daughters), our mission was about bringing telephone service to rural Americans.
Gigi Sohn laughs at incumbents’ argument against community broadband
American Association for Public Broadband Executive Director Gigi Sohn’s hope is that the incumbents that oppose community broadband will come to realize that there are better business opportunities for them to support the concept rather than fight it. For instance, they could have bid on the project in Bountiful City (UT), rather than use shadowy tactics to try and kill it. For decades, these incumbents have argued that taxpayer dollars should not be used to compete against their private investments. In response to that, Sohn said, “I’m sorry to laugh.
Bountiful City voted for fiber broadband. Big cable wants to take it away.
May 26 was an historic day for Bountiful City. The City Council voted unanimously, 5-0, to provide its residents with lightning fast, universal and affordable fiber broadband service by partnering with UTOPIA Fiber, the same company that provides fiber-to-the-home service in 20 cities across Utah.
FCC Chair ‘Exploring Options’ on New Streaming Regulations in Response to Congress
Video streamers and other edge providers are fighting a multi-front war in Washington lately, as Congress applies pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to apply good-faith negotiation rules to over-the-top content providers, as it does traditional video providers, and as hundreds of rural broadband providers and associations call on the agency to make edge providers contribute to broadband buildout subsidies. The FCC wrestled with the issue of how and whether to regulate th