Policymakers

Time Is Ticking on the Affordable Connectivity Program

As an end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) funding looms, a congressional briefing was held to discuss what an end to the program could mean and its importance for achieving digital equity. Estimates from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation predict th

FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Announces Staff Changes

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced changes to her leadership team, as well as the addition of a new Legal Advisor. Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced the departure of Umair Javed from her team and the agency more broadly. Effective as of July 20th, 2023, Priscilla Delgado-Argeris will serve as Chief Counsel, Ramesh Nagarajan will assume the role of Chief Legal Advisor, and Rashann Duvall will join the Chairwoman’s team as Acting Legal Advisor on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and other wireline issues.

FCC Bolsters Tribal Libraries Access to E-Rate Program Funding

The Federal Communications Commission adopted an order providing Tribal libraries and other E-Rate participants enhanced access to funding so they can obtain affordable, high-speed broadband services and equipment to connect students and library patrons with online learning opportunities.

Why the Letter of Credit requirement could sink BEAD

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the US government’s $42 billion broadband grants program, requires recipients to provide a Letter of Credit for 25% of the grant award. Alongside the additional 25% match requirement, this capital barrier will shut out a huge number of internet service providers (ISP).The small and community-centered ISPs, minority and women-owned businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities that the program claims to be targeting will be most affected.

Financial Services and General Government Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill

The Financial Services and General Government fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill provides $16.95 billion to fund the operations of more than two dozen independent federal agencies including:

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.

FTC Chair Faces Criticism in Congressional Hearing

Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, faced more than three hours of criticism and ridicule from Republicans in a House hearing, as emboldened critics increasingly put pressure on the agency for its crackdown on the growing power of tech giants. During the highly partisan hearing, Republicans accused Chair Khan, who has carried out an aggressive agenda of lawsuits and investigations against tech companies, of “harassing” businesses.

FCC Commissioner Carr Announces Staff Changes

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr announced that Lauren Garry has joined his office as Legal Advisor. Lauren joins Commissioner Carr’s office from the Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, where she focused on the High-Cost Program, including the Connect America Fund and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Garry also served as the Designated Federal Officer for the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force.

Senate Commerce Committee Approves FCC Nominations and Sends them to the Senate Floor

The US Senate Commerce Committee approved the following nominations for three Federal Communications Commission Commissioners, and the FCC Inspector General:

  • Anna Gomez to be a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission;
  • Geoffrey Starks to be a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission;
  • Brendan Carr to be a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission; and
  • Fara Damelin to be Inspector General of the Federal Communications Commission.

Meet Oklahoma’s New Broadband Director Mike Sanders

When Mike Sanders started his job as Executive Director for the Oklahoma Broadband Office in May 2023, the state’s broadband office had four employees. At the end of June 2023, he expected that number to hit 15. Previously, Director Sanders served six terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Utilities Committee and Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, was vice-chair of the Human Services Committee, and served as House Majority Leader. Prior to that, he worked for President George W.

President Biden Taps Ferguson, Holyoak for FTC

President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak to be commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission. Ferguson is the Solicitor General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He oversees the appellate litigation of Virginia and its agencies; represents Virginia before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Virginia and the federal courts of appeals; and defends Virginia’s statutes and regulations from constitutional challenge.

President Biden mocks Senator Tuberville for touting broadband funding he voted against

President Joe Biden gently mocked Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) for touting $1.4 billion in federal funding his home state is set to receive for expanded broadband internet access despite voting against it in 2021. “See you at the groundbreaking,” President Biden wrote along with a retweet of Sen.

Mitch Landrieu, the man Biden hopes can rebuild America, bring broadband to millions

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocates $65 billion to expand internet access to all. Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans, is the man President Joe Biden tapped to make sure the massive job gets done. In this podcast, Landrieu speaks about the Affordable Connectivity Program – which provides monthly $30 subsidies for lower-income individuals to buy internet access. And Kathryn de Wit, project director for the Pew Charitable Trust's Broadband Access Initiative, talks about why accessing the internet is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

Broadband Service Requires FCC Oversight, Nominee Tells Senate

Federal Communications Commission nominee Anna Gomez left little doubt that if confirmed, she would vote in favor of classifying broadband as a Title II telecommunications service—a move that would enable the agency to prohibit carriers from blocking or throttling web traffic. Gomez told lawmakers that internet access was too essential to remain unregulated. “Title II gives the strongest oversight to the FCC over the service,” she added. Broadband is currently considered a Title I information service—and is largely unregulated. Title II classification, by contrast, would allow the FCC to im

FCC Nominee Anna Gomez Backs ‘Robust’ Title II-Based Open Internet Authority

Anna Gomez, President Joe Biden's nominee for the open Democratic seat on the Federal Communications Commission, told the Senate Commerce Committee that she supports reclassifying internet access as a Title II telecommunications service. Since Gomez’s bureaucratic background left little room for Republicans to attack her in the same way as Gigi Sohn, she’s got a seemingly better chance of getting confirmed. Currently, the FCC classifies internet access as an information service under Title I of the Communications Act, and not subject to common-carrier/open access regulations.

Political Divide In Full View At FCC Oversight Hearing

The House Commerce Committee convened an oversight hearing focused on the Federal Communications Commission. “There’s a lot on the agenda today,” said Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) since the last time the FCC's commissioners testified before the committee. A chief issue was the FCC's authority to conduct spectrum license auctions. “The agency’s lapsed spectrum authority not only deprives the Commission of a core agency function, but it impacts a massive sector of our economy and jeopardizes our global wireless leadership,” said Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ).

Commissioner Simington: FCC Commissioners Need Role in Reviewing Delegated Authority

Federal Communications Commissioner Nathan Simington told Congress that he and his fellow commissioners need to serve as a check on the power of the chair. According to testimony for the House Commerce Committee FCC oversight hearing, Commissioner Simington, a Republican, said that if the agency does not adopt rules allowing for full commission oversight of decisions made by staffers under authority delegated by the chair, Congress should step in to mandate it. “The FCC chair has broad discretion in delegating matters to career officials and political appointees, which restricts those matte

Gigi Sohn: Dark Money Fueled FCC Nomination Failure

Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] has weighed in on the political forces that prevented her from taking a seat on the Federal Communications Commission after her nomination by President Joe Biden and her decades of experience in communications, primarily as a public advocate and briefly as a top FCC adviser.

Mayors Adopt Broadband Resolutions

The U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted the following resolutions:

Former FCC Commissioner O'Rielly: ACP should be extended but modified

Former FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) "the best mechanism we've had to date" for subsidizing low-income broadband. But he added that the current Congress is unlikely to pass funding for the ACP without changes to the program.  According to O'Rielly, Congress will want to address waste, fraud, and abuse with the program, and likely limit its eligibility. By some estimates, up to 40% of Americans currently qualify for the program. "That's probably not suitable for policymakers that I talked to on Capitol Hill.

Building Broadband Momentum in Berrien County

Berrien County’s 580 square miles encompasses 39 villages, townships, and cities. The county, situated on Lake Michigan’s eastern shore, is dominated by agriculture and tourism; many Chicago residents’ vacation homes are located here. A lack of broadband infrastructure in the county is actively threatening industrial innovation and hampering quality of life for residents as needs and demand for connectivity increase. As of today, the county has made substantial progress toward universal access within the community.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Comer Probes Federal Trade Commission Chair Khan’s Abuses of Power

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) is opening an investigation into Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan. FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson recently resigned from her role after concerns about the integrity of the FTC under Chair Khan’s leadership, citing abuses of power and disregard for the rule of law and federal ethics standards.

Lessons from the Social Impact Evaluation of Project OVERCOME

US Ignite partnered with the National Science Foundation and Schmidt Futures to design Project OVERCOME and test creative solutions to connect the unconnected. Project OVERCOME’s design ensured careful consideration of both the technical requirements of broadband access and the community collaboration, outreach, and engagement needed to explore sustainable success. By providing free or low-cost broadband t

How the FCC may be forced to grapple with AI, too

The Federal Communications Commission — which has jurisdiction over radio, television, cable, and satellites —  isn’t best known for grappling with cutting-edge technology. But amid the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, the communications regulator may be forced to tackle artificial intelligence, an area that’s beginning to intersect with