#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast Club Considers Broadband Stimulus Efforts and Begins Evaluating its Impact
WASHINGTON, October 22, 2010 – Now that all of the broadband stimulus funding has been distributed, its effectiveness can now be evaluated. That was the message at the Broadband Breakfast Club on Tuesday, October 19. Video of the event was released on Friday. While the long term value of the stimulus is still unknown, panelists were able to gauge the way in which the funds were distributed.
WASHINGTON, October 22, 2010 – Now that all of the broadband stimulus funding has been distributed, its effectiveness can now be evaluated. That was the message at the Broadband Breakfast Club on Tuesday, October 19. Video of the event was released on Friday. While the long term value of the stimulus is still unknown, panelists were able to gauge the way in which the funds were distributed.
Overall, panelists felt that the program was well established. Benton Foundation Chairman Charles Benton praised the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Rural Utilities Service for working relentlessly and for their hard work given their limited resources. He gave the program process an “A.” He also highlighted the fact that it was a very convivial process with very few points of contention.
Video of the event is available on BroadbandBreakfast.com at the following link.
Others on the panel were less generous. Jacquie Jones, Executive Director, National Black Programming Consortium, gave it a “B.” Craig Settles, a leading industry analyst, gave it an “A-“ and a “C”, and Lori Sherwood of the Inter-County Broadband Network, expressed a number of reservations. Watch the video below for the distinctions drawn.
Settles, for example, praised the NTIA and RUS, but said that some of their decisions on awards were unexpected.
Among the criticisms, Jacquie was disappointed by the lack of innovative projects. While the NTIA had to be careful and fund projects which would work, she felt that they should have tried to support some new project types. Settles reiterated this sentiment by pointing out that the majority of the projects for last mile were for fiber which is a proven technology; however, Settles also liked the fact that WiMax was given funding.
The panelists also felt that the level of digital literacy needed to be improved. Currently, the broadband stimulus legislation and implementing regulation seeks to teach only the true basics. That won’t be sufficient to create economic growth, Jones said. She highlighted a project in Philadelphia which taught teenagers how to create and share media via the web. This project helped the teens to develop useful job skills along with basic digital literacy.
Sherwood’s Inter-County Broadband Network is a partnership with Maryland governments to obtain a BTOP grant that will connect schools, community centers, and government offices. Although she had praise for the program, she also noted the lack of flexibility when dealing with government applicants. Sherwood said her group did not obtain a first round grant because they were unable to provide the same financial balance sheets as corporate and nonprofit entities.
With all the investment in private networks, the need for publicly owned networks was questioned; but both Benton and Sherwood supported the need. Benton stated that public networks are necessary since they are able to provide access in areas where a market case cannot be made; additionally they provide a high level of long term cost savings for the governments which do not have to rent bandwidth.
Now that all the money has been distributed, the issue of what happens next was posed to the panel. Most agreed that the Universal Service Fund is the next funding mechanism.
Settles also highlighted the Google Fiber project which galvanized thousands of communities across the nation. He said that many of the communities which he worked with in the preparation of bids for the Google project have realized the value of the high speed network and are preparing alternative funding sources if they do not obtain the Google funds.
Forthcoming Breakfast Club Events
The next Broadband Broadband Breakfast Club will be held on November 16, 2010, on “Public Safety’s Role in, and the Need For, Better Quality Broadband” Registration is available at http://broadbandbreakfast.eventbrite.com.
The Broadband Breakfast Club is sponsored by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, US Telecom, and Telecommunications Industry Association.
The next Intellectual Property Broadband Breakfast Club will be held on November 9, 2010, on “Approaches by Internet Service Providers Around the World to Copyright Infringement.” Registration is available at http://ipbreakfast.eventbrite.com.
For further information about sponsorship, contact sylvia@broadbandcensus.com, or call 646-262-4630. The Intellectual Property Breakfast Club is Copyright © Broadband Census News LLC.
#broadbandlive
Experts Disagree on Net Neutrality Legal Ground
The Supreme Court has shown less deference to federal agencies in recent years, a BBLO panel heard.
WASHINGTON, September 27, 2023 – Experts disagreed at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event on Wednesday whether reinstituted Federal Communications Commission rules on net neutrality would survive legal challenges.
The FCC announced on Tuesday that it is looking to reinstate its 2015 net neutrality regulations, which involve categorizing broadband internet as a Title II service under the Communications Act of 1934. That would give the commission more muscle to regulate the industry, on par with its authority over telephone companies.
In particular, the commission is looking to prevent carriers from throttling or increasing users’ speed depending on the site they want to access.
The move survived legal scrutiny in 2016, when the D.C. Court of Appeals held the agency had the authority to classify technologies under the act as it saw fit. The Supreme Court would ultimately refuse to hear the case and let the D.C. ruling stand.
Berin Szoka, president of policy think tank TechFreedom, said Wednesday the legal landscape has changed since then, with a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that is more willing to tell federal agencies they are overstepping their boundaries.
“In the last six years, the ground has shifted very significantly,” he said.
He pointed to a dissent from then-D.C. Circuit judge Brett Kavanaugh when the court refused to rehear the net neutrality case. Kavanaugh, now part of a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, argued the FCC’s move to reclassify broadband was too drastic for it to do without explicit authorization from Congress.
“That was a dissent in 2017. That’s now the Court’s majority position,” he said, referring to the so-called major questions doctrine. Under the doctrine, the Supreme Court has ruled in recent years that federal agencies cannot enact policies that address major economic or political questions without explicit congressional authorization, giving agencies less authority to regulate as they see fit.
Stephanie Joyce, chief of staff and senior vice president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a tech trade group, said the doctrine might not apply to the FCC’s action at all.
She compared net neutrality rules to the EPA’s attempt to transition power plants to clean energy sources, which the Supreme Court nixed under the doctrine.
The EPA had not taken such a step before, she said, making it a bigger change in regulation than the FCC’s reclassification of broadband. That and other technology reclassifications have precedent at the commission, she said, including both the 2015 rules and a 1998 reclassification of DSL technology.
“I’m not sure the major questions doctrine is going to carry the day here,” she said.
Chip Pickering, CEO of another tech trade group, INCOMPAS, agreed that “there’s a lot of uncertainty” about how the Supreme Court would treat a challenge net neutrality rules from the FCC. But he said that a gridlocked Congress has little chance of enacting wider regulation on internet providers.
“Title II has, so far, been the only authority that’s been upheld on net neutrality,” he said. “And we have to act now.”
FCC commissioners will vote on whether to put up the proposed rules for public comment on October 19, barring a government shutdown.
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
BREAKING NEWS SESSION! Wednesday, September 27 – What Happens Next on Net Neutrality?
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wasted no time in promulgating rules regarding network neutrality. With Anna Gomez’ confirmation as the elusive fifth commissioner, Democrats finally have a majority at the agency. The chairwoman has said that she will put forward proposed rules on the topic at the agency’s open meeting on October 19. The partisan-tinged topic is expected to largely be a return of the 2015 rules under the agency’s authority under Title II of the Communications Act. One day after Rosenworcel’s Tuesday speech on net neutrality – and one day before the item is publicly released – Broadband Breakfast will convene industry and civil society stakeholders in a discussion about What Happens Next?
Panelists
- Chip Pickering, CEO, INCOMPAS
- Stephanie Joyce, Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President Computer & Communications Industry Association
- Joe Kane, Director, Broadband and Spectrum Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
- David Zumwalt, CEO, WISPA: Broadband Without Boundaries
- Berin Szoka, President, TechFreedom
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Panelist resources:
- FCC Looking to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules, Broadband Breakfast, September 26, 2023
- On the Cusp of Sea Change, Broadband Breakfast Examines the Net Neutrality Debate, Broadband Breakfast, May 11, 2021
- D.C. Circuit’s Decision in Net Neutrality Case Likely to Open New Fronts of Attack Against FCC, by Drew Clark, Broadband Breakfast, October 7, 2019
For nearly three decades, Chip Pickering has been at the forefront of every major telecommunications milestone. From his time as a Senate staffer on the Commerce Committee shaping the Telecommunications Act of 1996, to his role as a Member of Congress leading on tech issues and overseeing the transition to the commercial internet, to serving as CEO of the leading internet and competitive networks association advocating for more competition and innovation in our ever-evolving industry. Through his leadership at INCOMPAS, Pickering continues to be a trusted voice and a leading expert on important issues facing the tech and telecommunications industry.
Stephanie Joyce joined CCIA after decades in private practice representing technology companies and competitive carriers before state and federal administrative agencies and courts. She is an experienced advocate for procompetitive policy, including her advocacy for CCIA at the FCC on broadband deployment and Open Internet rules. Stephanie has also provided counsel to telecommunications companies, as well as CCIA, on privacy matters. Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, received her graduate degree from George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, and her law degree from George Washington University Law School.
Joe Kane is director of broadband and spectrum policy at ITIF. Previously, he was a technology policy fellow at the R Street Institute, where he covered spectrum policy, broadband deployment and regulation, competition, and consumer protection. Earlier, Joe was a graduate research fellow at the Mercatus Center, where he worked on Internet policy issues, telecom regulation, and the role of the FCC.
David Zumwalt is CEO & CEO of WISPA – Broadband Without Boundaries.WISPA represents the interests of innovative, often small ISPs that provide fixed wireless, fiber and other connectivity solutions to consumers, businesses, first responders and community anchor institutions in the digital divide. Supported by a robust vendor and supplier ecosystem, these ISPs deliver primary broadband connectivity in traditionally underserved and unserved suburban, rural and tribal communities nationwide, with a growing subscriber base now reaching nine million Americans. Prior to WISPA he served as Chief Operating Officer of Broadband VI, a major Internet Service Provider in the US Virgin Islands. He also served as the Executive Director of the University of the Virgin Islands Research & Technology Park, an instrumentality of the USVI government formed to establish and grow a vibrant knowledge-based sector in the Territory’s economy. He also founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Dallas-based CNet, Inc., a leading provider of radio frequency (RF) engineering and operational support system software and services to the worldwide wireless communications industry, securing significant customer relationships in forty countries.
Berin Szoka serves as President of TechFreedom. Previously, he was a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Center for Internet Freedom at The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Before joining PFF, he was an Associate in the Communications Practice Group at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he advised clients on regulations affecting the Internet and telecommunications industries.
Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative
Illustration by Bryce Durbin of TechCrunch
WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 – What Happens Next on Net Neutrality?
Industry and non-profit experts on both sides of net neutrality speak at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
See Experts Disagree on Net Neutrality Legal Ground, Broadband Breakfast, September 27, 2023
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
BREAKING NEWS SESSION! Wednesday, September 27 – What Happens Next on Net Neutrality?
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wasted no time in promulgating rules regarding network neutrality. With Anna Gomez’ confirmation as the elusive fifth commissioner, Democrats finally have a majority at the agency. The chairwoman has said that she will put forward proposed rules on the topic at the agency’s open meeting on October 19. The partisan-tinged topic is expected to largely be a return of the 2015 rules under the agency’s authority under Title II of the Communications Act. One day after Rosenworcel’s Tuesday speech on net neutrality – and one day before the item is publicly released – Broadband Breakfast will convene industry and civil society stakeholders in a discussion about What Happens Next?
Panelists
- Chip Pickering, CEO, INCOMPAS
- Stephanie Joyce, Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President Computer & Communications Industry Association
- Joe Kane, Director, Broadband and Spectrum Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
- David Zumwalt, CEO, WISPA: Broadband Without Boundaries
- Berin Szoka, President, TechFreedom
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Panelist resources:
- FCC Looking to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules, Broadband Breakfast, September 26, 2023
- On the Cusp of Sea Change, Broadband Breakfast Examines the Net Neutrality Debate, Broadband Breakfast, May 11, 2021
- D.C. Circuit’s Decision in Net Neutrality Case Likely to Open New Fronts of Attack Against FCC, by Drew Clark, Broadband Breakfast, October 7, 2019
For nearly three decades, Chip Pickering has been at the forefront of every major telecommunications milestone. From his time as a Senate staffer on the Commerce Committee shaping the Telecommunications Act of 1996, to his role as a Member of Congress leading on tech issues and overseeing the transition to the commercial internet, to serving as CEO of the leading internet and competitive networks association advocating for more competition and innovation in our ever-evolving industry. Through his leadership at INCOMPAS, Pickering continues to be a trusted voice and a leading expert on important issues facing the tech and telecommunications industry.
Stephanie Joyce joined CCIA after decades in private practice representing technology companies and competitive carriers before state and federal administrative agencies and courts. She is an experienced advocate for procompetitive policy, including her advocacy for CCIA at the FCC on broadband deployment and Open Internet rules. Stephanie has also provided counsel to telecommunications companies, as well as CCIA, on privacy matters. Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, received her graduate degree from George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, and her law degree from George Washington University Law School.
Joe Kane is director of broadband and spectrum policy at ITIF. Previously, he was a technology policy fellow at the R Street Institute, where he covered spectrum policy, broadband deployment and regulation, competition, and consumer protection. Earlier, Joe was a graduate research fellow at the Mercatus Center, where he worked on Internet policy issues, telecom regulation, and the role of the FCC.
David Zumwalt is CEO & CEO of WISPA – Broadband Without Boundaries.WISPA represents the interests of innovative, often small ISPs that provide fixed wireless, fiber and other connectivity solutions to consumers, businesses, first responders and community anchor institutions in the digital divide. Supported by a robust vendor and supplier ecosystem, these ISPs deliver primary broadband connectivity in traditionally underserved and unserved suburban, rural and tribal communities nationwide, with a growing subscriber base now reaching nine million Americans. Prior to WISPA he served as Chief Operating Officer of Broadband VI, a major Internet Service Provider in the US Virgin Islands. He also served as the Executive Director of the University of the Virgin Islands Research & Technology Park, an instrumentality of the USVI government formed to establish and grow a vibrant knowledge-based sector in the Territory’s economy. He also founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Dallas-based CNet, Inc., a leading provider of radio frequency (RF) engineering and operational support system software and services to the worldwide wireless communications industry, securing significant customer relationships in forty countries.
Berin Szoka serves as President of TechFreedom. Previously, he was a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Center for Internet Freedom at The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Before joining PFF, he was an Associate in the Communications Practice Group at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he advised clients on regulations affecting the Internet and telecommunications industries.
Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative
Illustration by Bryce Durbin of TechCrunch
WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
#broadbandlive
How to Watch the Videos from the BEAD Implementation Summit
The recordings of all the videos from the BEAD Implementation Summit are available to Breakfast Club members.
Watch the videos from the BEAD Implementation Summit on September 21, 2023.
Those who attended the BEAD Implementation Summit or watched the webcast are able to access the videos. Members of the Broadband Breakfast Club also have access to the BEAD Implementation Summit videos, as well as videos of all in-person events.
If you missed BEAD Implementation Summit, sign up for Broadband Breakfast’s BEAD Starter Pack for $35/month (cancel anytime). You’ll get access to each of the Breakfast Club reports for the BEAD Implementation Summit:
- July 2023 – A Deep Dive into Allocations Under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program
- August 2023 – Precursors to BEAD Implementation: A Deep Dive Into Prior Broadband Programs
- September 2023 – A Deep Dive into the BEAD Program’s Matching Funds
Questions? Email drew@breakfast.media!
David Don: Strong Partnerships for Broadband ‘Beyond the Build’
Mississippi Nonprofit is Looking to Fill Gaps in Affordable Connectivity
Johnny Kampis: FCC Push To Eliminate Data Caps Could Increase Broadband Rates For Many Users
No to E-Rate Changes, Millions for Tribal Broadband, Oregon Grants, Arkansas Training Program
Experts Suggest Measures to Protect Affordable Connectivity Program at Senate Hearing
FCC Looking to Open 6 GigaHertz Band to Very Low Power Devices
Labels on IoT Devices, Lumos Fiber in South Carolina, Empire Access in Pennsylvania
Experts Disagree on Net Neutrality Legal Ground
Industries Revive Familiar Arguments After Net Neutrality Announcement
FTC and 17 States Sue Amazon, Gomez Sworn in at FCC, South Central Broadband
FCC Looking to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules
Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 – What Happens Next on Net Neutrality?
BEAD Director Says NTIA is Working on Changes to Letter of Credit
How to Watch the Videos from the BEAD Implementation Summit
Rural Providers Urge FCC to Verify Unsubsidized Coverage Ahead of Enhanced ACAM Awards
Evan Feinman’s Journey from Regional Tobacco Revitalization to Director of BEAD
Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 – What Happens Next on Net Neutrality?
Michigan Island Asks FCC to Require Fiber for Some Carriers
State Broadband Heads Address BEAD Implementation Focuses
Some States Confused about Changes to NTIA Model Challenge Process
Broadband Association Argues Providers Not Engaged in Rollout Discrimination
Tech Trade Group Report Argues for USF Funding from Broadband Companies
Louisiana the First State to Obtain NTIA Approval of Broadband Plan
Florida Broadband Grants, Support for Microsoft-Activision, IQ Fiber Investment
Experts Disagree on Net Neutrality Legal Ground
Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 – What Happens Next on Net Neutrality?
Federal Broadband Subsidies Essential for Long-Term BEAD Success: Experts
BEAD Could Spur Private Investment in Network Expansion: Experts
Middle Mile Infrastructure Will be Key to Support BEAD Builds: Experts
State Broadband Officers Outline BEAD Implementation Efforts
How to Watch the Videos from the BEAD Implementation Summit
BEAD Director Says NTIA is Working on Changes to Letter of Credit
State Broadband Heads Address BEAD Implementation Focuses
Gigapower Exec Pitches Value of Open Access Networks to Maximize BEAD Money Efficiency
Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 – Broadband Deployment from India, Australia, South Africa
Broadband Breakfast on October 18, 2023 – Spectrum Sharing: How Promising and How Real Is It?
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