Upcoming event

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a challenge to the nation’s healthcare infrastructure like few in our history. To address these challenges, Congress, federal agencies, and states are taking numerous steps to enable wider use of connected health tools to serve patients during the public health crisis.

The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary to assist in developing and maintaining spectrum management policies that enable the United States to maintain or strengthen its global leadership role in the introduction of communications technology, services, and innovation; thus expanding the economy, adding jobs, and increasing international trade, while at the same time providing for the expansion of existing technologies and supporting the country’s homeland security, national defense, and other critical needs of government missions.

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of broadband connectivity. Broadband is critical to ensuring that Americans can telework, participate in remote learning, benefit from telehealth, and much more. The digital divide has closed in recent years, with millions more consumers getting broadband access and infrastructure investment setting records. But that divide persists in some places, either because internet access isn't available or because households have chosen not to subscribe.

School closures have turned homes into classrooms for most of America’s students and educators. But teaching and learning online is only possible in homes with adequate broadband connections, and at least 7 million school-age children lack the broadband internet access needed to participate in online education.

At this meeting, the BDAC will hear reports from the Increasing Broadband Investment in low-income Communities, Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Job Skills and Training Opportunities, and Disaster Response and Recovery working groups.

This agenda may be modified at the discretion of the BDAC Chair and the Designated Federal Officer (DFO).

This meeting is being held via conference call and available to the public via the Internet at http://www.fcc.gov/live

A presentation of the newly released report from the Transatlantic High Level Working Group on Content Moderation Online and Freedom of Expression. The report’s recommendations are the culmination of a yearlong investigation by 28 legislators, government officials, tech executives, civil society leaders and academics from North America and Europe.

The hearing will review VA’s telehealth activities during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Witnesses

Panel I

Dr. Jennifer MacDonald
Chief Consultant to the Deputy Undersecretary for Health
Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
(Lead Witness)

Mr. Jack Galvin
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for IT Development Security Operations
Office of Information Technology (OIT)

Dr. Neil Evans
Chief Officer, Office of Connected Care
Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

Memorandum from Chairman Pallone to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce

Witnesses

Brandi Collins-Dexter
Senior Campaign Director
Color of Change

Hany Farid
Professor
University of California, Berkeley