#broadbandlive
Special Broadband Breakfast Live Online Town Hall on Section 230 on Wednesday, January 13, 2021
See, “Crackdown on Online Conspiracy Speakers After January 6 Highlights Need for Platform Accountability,” Broadband Breakfast, January 14, 2021
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the January 13, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE.
WASHINGTON, January 11, 2021 – Twitter’s decision to permanently suspend President Donald Trump from the platform may be the most powerful step taken to bring about the actual end of Trump’s power as president.
The move, and many other recent moves by Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple to clamp down on pro-Trump statements through online media, have magnified that importance of – and the criticism of – Big Tech and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
Having risen to power on the strength of a social media-amplified public persona, Trump came to personify some of the most divisive effects of social media. What will happen to social media and to our technology-driven society in the fallout that we are now experiencing? How does our nation – online and offline – walk back from the edge?
Join us on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET for a special Online Town Hall on Section 230. We will reprise themes raised in Broadband Breakfast Live Online’s series in July 2020, “Section 230: Separating Fact From Fiction” — but with even greater urgency.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 12 Noon ET — Special Broadband Breakfast Live Online Town Hall on Section 230
Panelists include:
- Rob Pegoraro, Freelance Tech Journalist for USA Today, Fast Company and others
- Jessica Dheere, Ranking Digital Rights
- Will Duffield, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government
- Ali Sternburg, Senior Policy Counsel, Computer & Communications Industry Association
- Cathy Gellis, Attorney assisting clients with issues affecting internet intermediaries
- Other guests have been invited
- Drew Clark (Moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Panelist resources
- Content Moderation Experts Discuss Future of Section 230 in Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event, Broadband Breakfast (Event 1)
- Section 230 is Essential and Broadly Misunderstood, Say Panelists at Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event, Broadband Breakfast (Event 2)
- Social Media Platforms Should Increase Algorithm Transparency, Say Broadband Breakfast Live Online Panelists, Broadband Breakfast (Event 3)
- Project Disruptive Competition’s Section 230 Resource Page
- “Tech giants banished Trump. Now things get complicated,” Associated Press, January 12, 2021
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210109/13053746025/dear-section-230-critics-when-senators-hawley-cruz-are-your-biggest-allies-time-to-rethink.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20201229/12003745970/section-230-isnt-subsidy-rule-civil-procedure.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20201017/13051145526/section-230-basics-there-is-no-such-thing-as-publisher-or-platform-distinction.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200920/16382945341/busting-still-more-myths-about-section-230-you-fcc.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200905/09175545253/first-hard-case-zeran-v-aol-what-it-can-teach-us-about-todays-hard-cases.shtml
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200527/08275544581/when-problem-isnt-twitter-president-trump.shtml
WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Rob Pegoraro, Jessica Dheere, Will Duffield, Ali Sternburg

Catherine Gellis
Rob Pegoraro is a freelance tech journalist writing about computers, consumer electronics, telecom services, the internet, software and other things that beep or blink for a variety of online and print outlets. His work can be found in USA Today and Fast Company, and he has also covered tech issues for the Computer & Communications Industry Association’s Disruptive Competition Project blog, Discovery News and the Consumer Electronics Association.
Jessica Dheere is the director of Ranking Digital Rights, and co-authored RDR’s spring 2020 report “Getting to the Source of Infodemics: It’s the Business Model.” An affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, she is also founder, former executive director, and board member of the Arab digital rights organization SMEX, and in 2019, she launched the CYRILLA Collaborative, which catalogs global digital rights law and case law. She is a graduate of Princeton University and the New School.
Will Duffield is a Policy Analyst in the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government, where he studies speech and internet governance. His research focuses on the web of government regulation and private rules that govern Americans’ speech online. Will recently contributed a chapter on internet decentralization to Libertarianism.org’s Visions of Liberty, and his work has appeared at the Cato Journal, Volteface, the Legatum Institute, and the Adam Smith Institute.
Ali Sternburg is Senior Policy Counsel at the Computer & Communications Industry Association. After initially joining as a Legal Fellow in June 2011, she focuses on online copyright issues and other areas of intellectual property policy. She is one of the main contributors to CCIA’s innovation-centered online initiative, the Disruptive Competition Project, dubbed DisCo and is also a Fellow at the Internet Law & Policy Foundry. She received her J.D. in 2012 from American University Washington College of Law, where she was a Student Attorney in the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic.
Frustrated that people were making the law without asking her for her opinion, Cathy Gellis gave up a career as a web developer to become a lawyer so that she could help them not make it badly, especially where it came to technology. A former aspiring journalist and longtime fan of free speech her legal work includes defending the rights of Internet users and advocating for policy that protects online speech and innovation. She also writes about the policy implications of technology regulation on sites such as the Daily Beast, Law.com, and Techdirt.com, where she is a regular contributor.
Events in the “Section 230: Separating Fact From Fiction” Series from July 2020 include:
- Event 1: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 — “Content Moderation: How it Works, Why it Works, and Best Practices”
- This panel will consider how different platforms approach content moderation, comparing reasons for a more active or more laissez-faire approach. It will consider what “best practices” have emerged for ensuring online diversity without permitting online harassment. It will also feature a discussion of how platforms moderate content in the U.S. versus internationally.
- Event 2: Wednesday, July 8, 2020 — “Section 230 in an Election Year: How Republicans and Democrats are Approaching Proposed Changes”
- Is Section 230 the new bugaboo of election years? Will life return to normal in 2021? This panel will explore the combination of forces that have made Section 230 susceptible to political pressure from both sides of the aisle.
- Event 3: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 — “Public Input on Platform Algorithms: The Role of Transparency and Feedback in Information Technology”
- This panel will consider what role governments have, or should have, in reacting to the power of tech platforms vis-à-vis their role in public discourse. It truly aims to consider the pros and cons of government and public involvement and engagement in pushing platforms to adopt greater transparency about the use of their algorithms.
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?
INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering joins the breaking news discussion on Broadband Live.

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
- David Zumwalt, CEO, WISPA: Broadband Without Boundaries
- 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
- Other panelists have been invited
- 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
David Zumwalt is CEO of the Wireless Internet Service Provider Association, WISPA: Broadband Without Boundaries
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.
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!
#broadbandlive
State Broadband Heads Address BEAD Implementation Focuses
Broadband leaders touched on letter of credit requirements, subgrant timelines, and speed test data.

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2023 – Three state broadband leaders highlighted at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Wednesday key points of focus ahead of their implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
The BEAD program allocates $42.5 billion to states for expanding broadband infrastructure. States are in the process of releasing their initial proposals for administering the program – due to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration by December 27 – and hearing public comments.
The conversation was a preview of some topics up for discussion with state broadband heads, BEAD and other federal grant program officials, and service providers at the Broadband Breakfast BEAD Implementation Summit Thursday. Registration is open for in-person and virtual attendance.
Subgrantee selection timeline
States will have one year from the approval of their initial proposals to award subgrants under the program and submit their final proposals to the NTIA. Those awards have to be allocated via a bidding process.
Getting that done will be difficult, said Jim Stritzinger, the head of South Carolina’s broadband office.
“It’s really, really hard to deploy $551 million in 12 months,” he said. “And other states have much larger allocations than ours, I don’t know how they’re going to do it.”
Brian Newby of the North Dakota Broadband Program, echoed the concern.
“I am concerned that there will be locations that just won’t be bid on,” he said, and a second round of bidding to hit those areas would be difficult to fit in before the deadline.
Stritzinger noted that state offices are permitted under NTIA rules to negotiate directly with providers to BEAD-supported infrastructure in areas missed by the bidding process, rather than open a second round, which could save time, he said.
Letters of credit
BEAD requires grant recipients to get letters of credit from banks for 25 percent of the funds they receive to undertake projects. The requirement has been flagged by the industry as potentially blocking smaller providers from being able to accept grants.
The requirement still applies to publicly owned entities, Vermont broadband director Christine Hallquist noted. That will be a problem in Vermont, she said, where some communications infrastructure is owned by coalitions of towns.
“Municipalities just do not have that kind of money,” she said.
Speed test data
The broadband heads also noted the importance of reliable locations in speed test data. When speed tests are run in computer browsers, as opposed to direct measurements from equipment or from GPS-enabled devices like smartphones, they have less precise locations attached to them.
“You could very easily see a bunch of speed tests stacking up on a single dot in the center of a zip code,” Stritzinger said. “You have to be careful about that.”
Hallquist emphasized collecting speed data from different points along a network’s infrastructure to pinpoint where speed loss is happening.
“We want to help people address all of the issues that are a part of that stream of data,” she said.
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.
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 – Preview of BEAD Implementation Summit
Ahead of the Broadband Breakfast BEAD’s Implementation Summit on September 21, this free live online event will offer a sneak peek into what the summit has in store. It will set the stage for the upcoming panels, including a roundtable with state broadband officers, a discussion of past broadband efforts, the role of public-private partnerships and a town hall session on problems still to tackle. Tune in to see what’s in store at the BEAD Implementation Summit in Washington on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
Panelists
- Brian Newby, Director, North Dakota Broadband Program Director
- Jim Stritzinger, Director, South Carolina Broadband Office
- Christine Hallquist, Executive Director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Register for the BEAD Implementation Summit on September 21, 2023.
Brian Newby leads the North Dakota State Broadband Office, targeting broadband for all in North Dakota by administering more than $175 million in federal grants. Formerly served as the State Election Director at the North Dakota Secretary of State; previously was the Executive Director for U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a federal government agency, and Election Commissioner for Johnson County, the largest jurisdiction in Kansas and in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Before elections, worked as director of strategy for Sprint’s $10 billion Global Markets Group.
As part of the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, Jim Stritzingerserves as Director of the Broadband Office which was formed in July 2021. He manages a full-time team of five and is directly responsible for ensuring the rapid deployment of broadband infrastructure statewide and overseeing $1 billion in state and federal grant investments.
Christine Hallquist is the Executive Director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board. Their mission is to connect every Vermont address to fiber, make it affordable and maximize positive social impact. Christine was the former CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative.
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.
Register for the BEAD Implementation Summit on September 21, 2023.
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