Policymakers

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel added Brad Barry as Senior Advisor to the FCC for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Deena Shetler, as Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration. Barry will coordinate the agency’s anti-digital discrimination efforts, working in partnership with the Task Force to Prevent Digital Discrimination, which is led by D’wana Terry and Sanford Williams, Special Advisors to the Chairwoman, and Alejandro Roark, Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, who oversees engagement with stakeholders to ensure that task force rec

President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint highly qualified and diverse industry and government leaders as members of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which advises the White House on how to reduce physical and cyber risks and improve the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors. Appointees include:

To help coordinate broadband efforts at the state level, policymakers have turned to legislation and executive orders to create statewide broadband advisory boards, task forces, and other similar agencies. At its core, a broadband advisory board is made up of individuals from different sectors who advise state broadband programs, governors, or legislatures. However, not all advisory boards are the same.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated over $45 billion to states for broadband deployment through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity Act (DEA) programs. This historic investment presents an opportunity to close the digital divide across the country, but we must make sure that the 20-25% of unconnected households living in multi-family and public housing, primarily in urban and suburban communities, are not left offline. EducationSuperHighway has established the "No Home Left Offline Coalition." In the coming months, the coalition wil

In August, The Pew Charitable Trusts updated its tracker for states that have dedicated broadband offices, task forces, agencies or funds. With this most recent update, Pew determined that all 50 states administer active broadband programs. But how they manage those programs varies widely. Some states place their broadband office inside a business or economic agency, while others house it within their technology agency.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau seeks nominations for six Board member positions on the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for a three-year term. The FCC is persuaded that having Board members with substantive areas of expertise relevant to running a large and complex organization with such skills as accounting, finance, auditing, procurement, data management and information technology will improve the management, administration and oversight of USAC.

Throughout the summer of 2022, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) brought in top-tier talent to lead its key offices. The NTIA announced that Scott Blake Harris has joined the Office of the Assistant Secretary as Senior Spectrum Advisor.

Supporters of Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] are dismissing a call by advocacy group ALLvanza for President Joe Biden to drop Sohn’s nomination in favor of a Hispanic candidate.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said, "We are building a $100 million outreach grant program at the Federal Communications Commission to make sure that those who are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program hear about it. This is a good thing. It’s also something we were told to do in the [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act]. Congress specifically directed us to conduct outreach for the Affordable Connectivity Program to help ensure eligible households are enrolled.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said, "This pilot program, which we are calling “Your Home, Your Internet” would not be happening today without the leadership of Commissioner Starks. He saw clearly that this was an underserved population that was called out in the law and that needed special focus. So let me call out Commissioner Starks right here and now. I am grateful for his efforts, both for what he did to help get this program going and for what he will do going forward to ensure it is a success.