Health
Amid Calls for Accountability, FCC Proposes Georouting Initiative for 988 Lifeline
Days before the FCC proposed location-based routing for 988 calls, the program's unused funds were flagged for audit.
Public Safety
Ensuring that emergency communications are enabled with broadband is the next frontier in public safety.
Public Safety
House Subcommittee Advances Bills Countering Chinese Threats to Communications
The bills focus on thwarting potential efforts by China to exploit security vulnerabilities in networks.
Public Safety
FCC Addresses Accessibility Gaps in Emergency Alerts in February Meeting
The agency also introduced regulations to simplify consumers revoking consent for robocalls.
Public Safety
Lack of People Opting Into Emergency Alerts Poses Problems for Natural Disaster Scenarios
Disaster protocol experts remarked on lessons learned from fire outbreaks in Boulder County, Colorado.
Funding
Bigger Investment Needed for Next Generation 9-1-1 Services, Experts Say
Former head of NTIA said it could cost $12 billion.
china
FCC February Meeting Targets 911 Fee Diversion and Replacing Foreign Telecommunications Equipment
February 17, 2021 – The Federal Communications Commission adopted two proposals in Wednesday’s meeting: Seeking comments on rule changes for 911 fee diversion, and also the secure and trusted network reimbursement program. The first proposal seeks comment on a 911 fee diversion rule that would defin
Public Safety
FCC’s Jessica Rosenworcel Tells Public Safety She Wants to Halt the T-Band Auction and Fund 911 Upgrades
December 2, 2020 – Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission – and who appears to be considered for elevation to chairman of the agency under President-elect Joe Biden – advocated that the T-Band auction be stopped by Congress and that the status of 911 responders be
Public Safety
Confirming 2020 Election Results Could Prove Challenging, Say Brookings Panelists
July 29, 2020 — According to governance experts, the upcoming November election will operate on a significantly different timeline than traditional U.S. elections. The majority of Americans, 60 to 65 percent, are expected to vote by absentee ballots in the 2020 election, said Elaine Kamarck, foundin
Public Safety
Even When it Comes to Advancing High-Capacity Broadband, Local Community Resources Are Essential to Meeting Civic Needs
May 15, 2020 — Community support is vital for local business longevity amid the coronavirus, said panelists in a US Ignite forum Thursday. Panelists discussed the measures that their communities and organizations took to support small businesses and the common good during the coronavirus pandemic. U
Digital Inclusion
The FCC Could Do More Now About the Digital Divide, Say Panelists at Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event
April 2, 2020 – “It’s really unfortunate that it has taken a national emergency, a worldwide pandemic, for people to realize how many people don’t have access to broadband internet,” said Georgetown Law Distinguished Fellow Gigi Sohn on a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Tuesday. When she testi
broadband roundup
Coronavirus Roundup: Fighting Against the Homework Gap, No Fixed Data Caps in U.K., Gigabit Libraries on Role in Pandemic
March 31, 2020 – Private-public partnerships are coming to the rescue in the fight against the digital divide and homework gap, writes Kim Hart and Margaret Harding McGill for Axios. Internet Service Providers, non-profits, and companies across the United States are donating devices, providing broad
broadband roundup
Coronavirus Roundup: Senate Passes CARES Act with $200 Million for Telehealth, National Emergency Library, CoSN Webinar
The Senate on Wednesday night officially passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act—including funding for telehealth. The CARES Act allocates $200 million to the Federal Communications Commission to bolster telehealth and telemedicine. “The CARES Act would support this
broadband roundup
Coronavirus Roundup: Amy Klobuchar Presses Critical Connections, CRS Outlines Broadband Challenges, INCOMPAS Filing
March 25, 2020 – Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., along with several other colleagues, announced the Keeping Critical Connections Act to help rural America connect to broadband during the coronavirus crisis. “The Keeping Critical Connections Act would help small broadband providers continue offering fre
Education
Arizona State University Journalism Dean Says Students Can Still ‘Report From Home’ During Coronavirus
March 24, 2020 – In another “Social Distance Social” held over Zoom on Tuesday, Future Tense Editor Torie Bosch interviewed Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Dean Chris Callahan, who said students are encouraged to “report from home” as they adapt t
Digital Inclusion
Free Press Proposes Government Spend $100 Billion for Broadband Services in Stimulus
March 23, 2020 – Ramping up the pressure to ensure that the stimulus measure in Congress has a broadband component, Free Press released a statement Monday urging Congress to dedicate $100 billion in broadband connectivity during the coronavirus pandemic. Some have criticized the relief bill in Congr
Digital Inclusion
The Coronavirus Means That Americans Need Free and Low-Cost Broadband Now More Than Ever
March 23, 2020 – As Americans shoulder on in self-quarantine, one thing is painfully clear — America needs a quick and stable solution to connecting the millions who do not have broadband access. That was the conclusion that emerged from a panel of experts and practitioners working in broadband and
