Upcoming event

A Preview of the FCC's July Open Meeting: Taking the "E" Out of EBS and TV

Perhaps the biggest news of the week was the agenda for the Federal Communications Commission's July 10 Open Meeting, which FCC Chairman Ajit Pai laid out in a blog post on June 18, 2019. I'm traveling to New York this week; below is a shorter-than-usual weekly that takes a look at how Chairman Pai plans to take education out of the Educational Broadband Service -- and broadcast television.

Elections Matter: Who’s Who in Telecommunications Policy in the 116th Congress

The 116th Congress is underway. In the background of a partial government shutdown, lawmakers are getting their committee assignments. At Benton, we keep a close eye on two key Congressional panels because of their jurisdiction over many telecommunications issues and oversight of the Federal Communications Commission: 1) the House Commerce Committee's Communications and Technology Subcommittee, and 2) the Senate Commerce Committee. Here's a look at some key telecom policymakers -- and their priorities -- in the 116th Congress. 

The Future Openness of the Internet Should Not Turn on the Decision of a Particular Company

On Tuesday, April 17, the House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing –  entitled “From Core to Edge: Perspective on Internet Prioritization” – to  better understanding of how network operators manage data flows over the Internet and how data is prioritized from the network core to the edge.

Sponsor: 

Senate Commerce Committee

Date: 
Thu, 03/21/2024 - 10:00

This hearing will focus on how a coordinated and comprehensive approach to domestic spectrum policy is critical to U.S. national security. A unified approach will enable the United States to lead internationally, which will help counter threats like those from Huawei and ZTE.



Sponsor: 

Federal Communications Commission

Date: 
Wed, 03/27/2024 - 10:00 to 14:00

The Federal Communications Commission’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council will hold the first meeting of the CEDC under its new charter on March 27, 2024.

The agenda for the meeting will include introducing members of the CEDC, announcing working groups that will assist the CEDC in carrying out its work, and receiving guidance from the FCC's Offices of General Counsel and Managing Director regarding federal advisory committee best practices.  



Sponsor: 

Federal Communications Commission

Date: 
Thu, 05/23/2024 - 10:30

Topics selected for FCC open meeting agendas will be posted on the Commission's website approximately three weeks prior to the Commission's next monthly meeting. The Commission will also issue a public notice of the "Commission Meeting Agenda" one week before the meeting and announce at that time the items that are scheduled for the agenda.



Sponsor: 

Federal Communications Commission

Date: 
Thu, 04/25/2024 - 10:30

Topics selected for FCC open meeting agendas will be posted on the Commission's website approximately three weeks prior to the Commission's next monthly meeting. The Commission will also issue a public notice of the "Commission Meeting Agenda" one week before the meeting and announce at that time the items that are scheduled for the agenda.



Sponsor: 

Federal Communications Commission

Date: 
Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:30

CAC members will discuss:

  • the roles and responsibilities of the Committee and its members; 
  • issues the Committee will be asked to address; 
  • meeting schedules; and 
  • any other topics relevant to the CAC's work.


Sponsor: 

Department of the Treasury

Date: 
Thu, 06/06/2024 - 13:00 to Fri, 06/07/2024 - 15:00

June 6th Time and Location

1:00pm-5:00pm 

U.S. Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220

June 7th Time and Location

9:30am-3:00pm

The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036

Audience

Invitation only

Webcast

The event will be streamed on the day of the conference.



Sponsor: 

Brookings

Date: 
Wed, 03/13/2024 - 14:00 to 15:00

The last year has seen an explosion of accessible generative AI tools, which allow virtually anyone to rapidly and inexpensively create synthetic images, video, audio, and text. As the presidential election approaches, there are serious concerns about an explosion of disinformation and synthetic content that could impact what is expected to be a very close race.



Sponsor: 

Federal Communications Commission

Date: 
Wed, 03/13/2024 - 13:00 to 14:00

Latest updates regarding the Affordable Connectivity Program Wind-Down, the release of new consumer education materials, a review of the program's consumer protections, and how to solicit support from the agency's outreach and engagement teams to minimize consumer confusion.



Sponsor: 

House Commerce Committee

Date: 
Thu, 03/07/2024 - 10:00

Legislative hearing on bipartisan solutions to protect Americans’ personal data and prevent foreign adversaries, such as China, from targeting, surveilling, and manipulating the American people through online applications like TikTok. 



Sponsor: 

Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

Date: 
Wed, 03/20/2024 - 12:00 to 13:00

America’s wireless future is at a crossroads. Radio spectrum is essential for Internet access, national security, and economic competitiveness. As we look ahead to the NTIA’s plan to implement the National Spectrum Strategy, industries, agencies, and Congress must work together to reconcile competing visions for how we allocate and use spectrum.

Context and perspectives for the state of U.S. spectrum policy and discuss how we can increase the productivity of scarce spectrum resources.



Sponsor: 

Senate Agriculture Committee

Date: 
Wed, 02/28/2024 - 14:30

Witness

Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack



Sponsor: 

Broadband.io

Date: 
Fri, 03/08/2024 - 13:00

The format is simple:



Sponsor: 

Axios

Date: 
Wed, 02/28/2024 - 18:00 to 19:30

Governments are working quickly to guide the responsible use and development of AI in the tech sector while balancing innovation through the creation of new policies, task forces and institutions. Policymakers and AI leaders  chart a path forward in developing transparent AI guidelines.

6:00pm ET | Doors open

6:00pm - 6:30 pm ET | Networking and light bites
6:30pm - 7:30 pm ET | Mainstage conversations

Axios Pro tech policy reporters Maria Curi and Ashley Gold will host one-on-one conversations with:

The Honorable Mike Rounds



Sponsor: 

Community Broadband Action Network

Date: 
Tue, 04/09/2024 - 14:00 to 17:00

2:00pm    Welcome and Opening Remarks

2:15pm    Keynote: Gigi Sohn

3:15pm    "Show Me The Money! Funding for Broadband Projects"

BEAD and RDOF dollars won’t solve the broadband world’s problems. Ken Demlow with HR Green Fiber + Broadband explains alternative funding opportunities for new fiber broadband networks.



Sponsor: 

INCOMPAS

Date: 
Tue, 03/05/2024 - 07:45 to 17:30

Tentative as of February 22, 2024



Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Appreciates FCC's Move to Raise the Bar for Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission last updated its speed benchmarks for advanced telecommunications capability in January 2015; since then our online lives have changed dramatically, so the Commission’s coming action is welcome and overdue. The new benchmark aligns the FCC standard with the bar set by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

March 2024 FCC Open Meeting Agenda

Here’s what to expect at the Federal Communications Commission's March Open Meeting.

FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Advances Plan for Cybersecurity Labeling for Smart Products

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the FCC will vote at its March 14, 2024, Open Meeting on creating a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for wireless consumer Internet of Things (IoT) products. Under the program, qualifying consumer smart products that meet cybersecurity standards would bear a label—including a new “U.S Cyber Trust Mark”—that would help consumers make informed purchasing decisions, differentiate trustworthy products in the marketplace, and create incentives for manufacturers to meet higher cybersecurity standards.

Sponsor: 

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Date: 
Wed, 03/13/2024 - 15:00

The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot (CMC) Program is a $268 million grant program to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) for the purchase of broadband internet access service and eligible equipment or to hire and train information technology personnel.



FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Proposes New 'Missing and Endangered Persons' Alert Code

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed that the FCC add a new alert option to deliver critical messages to the public over television and radio about missing and endangered persons. Adding a new “Missing and Endangered Persons” alert code to the nation’s Emergency Alert System would help law enforcement provide timely alerts to galvanize public attention to missing native and indigenous persons, as well as other groups, and build on efforts to collect comprehensive data on these cases.

FCC to Vote on Pricing Transparency for Cable & Satellite Viewers

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed final rules to require cable and satellite TV providers to specify the “all-in” price clearly and prominently for video programming services in their promotional materials and on subscribers’ bills. The Chairwoman aims to eliminate the misleading practice of describing video programming costs as a tax, fee, or surcharge.