WASHINGTON, February 11, 2013 – The increasing prevalence on job applications being online is just one of many reasons why it is vital to “close our nation’s digital divide and [improve] digital literacy,” Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., said Thursday. Having more people connected would in turn allow more people to have access to jobs and… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON December 8, 2011 – Wednesday TheHill.com reported that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission filed suit against the Federal Communications Commission for it’s Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to reform the Universal Service Fund and Intercarrier Compensation regime. The suit, filed in the 3rd Circuit, alleges that the FCC order is “arbitrary and capricious”… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON February 17, 2011 - Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, Lawrence Strickling, presented a brief preview of the national broadband map and an update on the activities of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the annual winter meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Wednesday. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON February 16, 2011 - Officials from the Federal Communications Commission updated the telecommunications subcommittee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on the current state of wireless, public safety and wireline competition at the Association's yearly convention Tuesday. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON February 15, 2011 - On Monday, the Telecommunications Subcommittee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners gathered a diverse group of experts to discuss the Proposed Rulemaking on Universal Service Fund Reform the Federal Communications Commission recently issued. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 15, 2011 – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Committee on Telecommunications convened a panel of industry experts Monday morning to discuss the Federal Communications Commission’s recently issued Open Internet Order and its legal ramifications. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 14, 2011 - A panel of representatives from T-Mobile, Echeleon and state and federal governments discussed the value of smart grid for consumers on Saturday at the The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners yearly convention and explained how the smart grid will be able to bring both consumers and utilities increased efficiencies. Keep Reading
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has named a new Chairman of the Committee on Telecommunications. John Burke from the Vermont Public Service Board will replace Ray Baum of Oregon. Baum has taken up a position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology as a Senior Policy Advisor. Burke… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, December 21, 2010 - Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Dec. 1 announced that there would be a set of open internet rules that his agency would vote on during its open meeting on Dec. 21. While many stakeholders in the debate initially were happy to learn that the chairman would finally bring the issue to a vote, support dimmed after learning what he planned to include in the rules. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON July 7, 2010- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has just released a draft of its proposed resolutions for their summer meeting. The organization is proposing a fourth way of regulating broadband and would like the federal government to take a hands off approach to smart grid. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2010 -- Federal laws designed to guarantee public access to certain data should be revised to allow members of the Federal Communications Commission to meet more often and work together more efficiently, a group of state telecommunications regulators told members of a House committee in a Wednesday letter. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2010 - The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Monday urged the Treasury Department to clarify the tax implications for the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. NARUC criticized the Commerce Department and the Agriculture Department for failing to clarify whether Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program grants, Broadband Infrastructure Program grants, and broadband mapping grants are taxable. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, December 4, 2009 - The Senate has confirmed Victoria Espinel to be the first U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator. Her job will be to craft the nation’s next intellectual property strategy. Though former President George Bush created the position of U.S. Coordinator for International Intellectual Property Enforcement and filled it with Chris Israel, the intellectual property czar has been elevated to a White House position under President Obama. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, December 2, 2009 - A number of companies have signed onto a letter to members of Congress encouraging the passage of legislation affirming that all internet protocol-based services are subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction, if the services are regulated at all. Under the approach, state regulation of such services would be barred. “Absent Congressional action to confirm exclusive federal jurisdiction, IP services will be subject to a patchwork of 50-plus different regulatory regimes, stifling innovation and the industry’s ability to take full advantage of available cost savings,” reads the letter (PDF) obtained by Broadband Census News. Keep Reading
CHICAGO, November 18, 2009 - One striking sentiment dominated this week’s convention of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners: The federal government remains on nearly as steep a learning curve on crafting the future of broadband as many state agencies, and the best work ahead will likely get done when public and private concerns team up. “Of course more needs to be done, and they’re still learning [in Washington] how to reliably and effectively get the funds out,” said David Svanda of Svanda Consulting in Clarksville, Md., and a past president of NARUC. Keep Reading
CHICAGO, November 18, 2009 - The title of Wednesday’s panel at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners sounded militant enough: “Broadband Plan of Attack.” Yet the speakers on hand gave the distinct impression that across public, private and academic sectors, conclusive battle plans remain to be drawn. Regulators from Washington, telecom providers and researchers agree that the push forward for wider broadband access remains both a certainty and an imperative. Yet not everyone seems to be dancing the same step just yet—a fact reflected in the frank appraisal of Robert Curtis, director of deployment for the national broadband plan at the Federal Communications Commission. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, November 18, 2009 - The Universal Service Fund is in need of an overhaul to equalize costs among stakeholders and modernize programs to include broadband services, a group of industry representatives and regulators told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet during a Tuesday hearing. The hearing examined a discussion draft of the Universal Service Reform Act of 2009, authored by subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., and Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb. The Universal Service program, which existed for decades before being codified in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, is under "tremendous pressure" and requires a comprehensive effort to reform its operations, Boucher said during opening remarks. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, October 22, 2009 – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Tuesday filed comments at the Federal Communications Commission urged the agency to select its web site, www.BroadbandBestPractices.org, as the commission’s “clearinghouse” for examples of broadband successes. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, October 12, 2009 - Carl Weinschenck, writing in IT Business Edge, speaks about "Broadband Mapping: Treasure for a New Age." Carl discusses the rash of interest in broadband data and mapping since the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, in February 2009, and highlights the work of several data companies. Among the companies highlighted are Ridgeview Telecom, Connected Nation, and BroadbandCensus.com. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, October 9, 2009 - An advisory board to the Federal Communications Commission consisting of state utility regulators has developed a new web portal for tracking and referencing broadband expansion projects nation-wide. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, September 28, 2009 - State utility commissioners want the Federal Communications Commission to put broadband carriers on notice that the agency’s own broadband data collection does not relieve operators of the obligation to comply with state requests. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, September 1, 2009 – State and local governments said during a Federal Communications Commission workshop on Tuesday that extending broadband is important for economic development purposes. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, August 13, 2009 – The federal government announced on Thursday that it is extending the deadline for electronic applications seeking money to be used for U.S. broadband development, as agency servers have been slow to respond to their unusually heavy load. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, August 12, 2009 - With just two days away from the deadline to apply for federal funds to cultivate broadband projects across the nation, telecommunications experts offered their advice on the future of the grants process. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, August 3, 2009 – Less than two weeks remain before the first round of applications are due in the federal government’s broadband stimulus grants. The key issues facing the government can be summed up in three words: data, data and data. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 10, 2009 - The proposed increase in the consumer contributions to the the Universal Service Fund came under fire Tuesday from the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 29, 2009 - The Broadband Technology Opportunity Program can be put back on a faster schedule if state governments are used as a main points of contact for grant applicants, National Association of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners president Fred Butler of New Jersey and Communications Committee chairman Roy Baum of Oregon said Friday. Keep Reading
SAN MATEO, Calif., May 12th, 2009 - Implementing a smart electrical grid could save consumers money while allowing utilities to better serve their customers, a panel of industry representatives said Tuesday during a round-table discussion at the Tech Policy Summit. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2009 - The chairman of a House Communications Subcommittee on Tuesday warned against too narrowly defining eligibility limits for grants in dispensing $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus money authorized by Congress. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 6, 2009 - Unprecedented demand to attend the Broadband Breakfast Club has caused BroadbandCensus.com to relocate the event, beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, to Clyde's of Gallery Place. Rep. Rick Boucher, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee, will speak at the event. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2009 - BroadbandCensus.com announced that Rep. Rick Boucher, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee, will speak at the Broadband Breakfast Club on Tuesday, May 12, 2009. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2009 - The White House announced late Wednesday its intention to nominate South Carolina Public Service Commissioner Mignon Clyburn to the Federal Communications Commission. Keep Reading
BOSTON, April 29, 2009 - Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced Wednesday his appointment of former MIT researcher and state regulator Sharon Gillett as director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. The institute was chartered by Patrick in 2008 with the goal of bringing universal broadband service to state residents by 2011. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2009 – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Thursday ratcheted up their call for greater state involvement in disbursement and use of the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus funds with a letter to top Commerce and Agriculture Department officials. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 23, 2009 - The complexities of relationships between federal, state, and local governments, the private sector and sovereign Indian tribes emerged during a Monday afternoon round table on the role of states in the NTIA-RUS grant process. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 17, 2009 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Rural Utilities Service should keep the application process for broadband stimulus dollars as simple as possible, a group of panelists said on Monday. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 – As the Obama administration on Monday begins poring over the nitty-gritty details about how they will be spending $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funds, individual states are grappling to find their own best strategies to tap the funds. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 13, 2009 - After filling multiple overflow rooms at Tuesday's broadband stimulus kickoff event, the Rural Utilities Services and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced Friday they would hold six additional public meetings on the broadband stimulus. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 12, 2009 -The Obama administration’s priority in broadband deployment injected an undercurrent of excitement into a Thursday hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Technology, Communications, Technology and the Internet. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2009 - As 700 of Washington's technology and political elite gathered Tuesday night at the Center for Democracy and Technology's annual fundraising gala, guests celebrated new-found progress and the hope brought by a new administration, but called for further action to fulfill many of the organization's longstanding goals. Keep Reading