Biden-Harris Administration
Apple Gets a Foot in Joe Biden’s Door. What Will It Mean for Silicon Valley?
One question looming over the final vote-count is the 2020 Election: How will big tech fare during the next presidential administration?
Jericho Casper
Assistant Editor Jericho Casper graduated from University of Virginia studying telecommunications policy. She previously served as a research assistant examining state laws that restrict local governments from owning or operating broadband networks.
Digital Inclusion
Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee Approves Reports on Disaster Response and Workforce Training
November 6, 2020 — Members of the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee voted on October 29-30 on reports and recommendations from committee’s three working groups. The body approved reports completed by the staff of the working groups on Disaster Response and R
FCC
FCC Petitioned Over Rural Cost Model, Instagram Posts Are Fair Use, Universal Broadband in Puerto Rico
The ACAM Broadband Coalition – which takes its name from the Federal Communications Commission’s Alternative Connect America Cost Model – on Monday filed a petition with the FCC seeking a rulemaking aimed at accelerating the deployment of higher-speed broadband services to unserved and underserved A
DC
Senate Dems Want to Stop Broadband Disconnects, TikTok Influencers Beat Trump, Centennial of Radio Broadcasting
In a letter sent on Friday to 21 of the largest utility companies, Senate Democrats called on telecommunications giants to voluntarily halt all utility shutoffs for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. Nine lawmakers, led by Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, directed thei
HHS
Tech Systems Are Outdated, Say Experts Fashioning Briefs for Incoming Administration
November 1, 2020 — The federal government’s outdated technology systems have left America vulnerable, said Cassandra Madison, acting executive director of the Tech Talent Project, during an American Enterprise Institute webinar on Tuesday. One example of failure occurred when the government’s unempl
5G Fund
With the Goal of Rural Deployment, FCC Adopts 5G Fund and Revises Rules on Wireless Facilities
October 30, 2020 — In addition to considerable discussion about net neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, the commissioners also voted to establish a 5G Fund for Rural America and to further streamline the process for deployment of wireless infrastructure.
FTC
Panel of Antitrust Experts Assembled by AEI Slams House Judiciary Antitrust Report as ‘Political’
October 30, 2020 — An American Enterprise Institute webinar on Monday criticized the House Judiciary Antitrust Committee’s recent report, calling it politically-motivated and criticizing it for lacking sources and transparency. “If you believe that there should be a much more politically motivated a
China
5G in China, BroadbandNow’s Q3 2020 Report, FiOS Subscriber Growth Reaches 5-Year High
There has been a huge amount of hype in the United States about being in a race with the Chinese over the deployment of 5G. But after seeing a recent South Korean news article, from the ChosunILBO, concluding that the Chinese 5G experiment might end up an economic bust, Doug Dawson, in a blog post [
DC Circuit
Federal Communications Commission Vote on Net Neutrality Reprises Deep Partisan Divisions
October 27, 2020 — Tensions ran high during the Federal Communications Commission’s October meeting on Tuesday, as the agency’s five commissioners were forced to take a defining partisan vote in response to the D.C. Court of Appeals remand on the agency’s December 2017 repeal of net neutrality rules
COVID
Coronavirus Pandemic Prompted Cities to Rethink and Accelerate Broadband Strategies
October 27, 2020 — The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting local government operations, requiring many cities to revisit their digital governance strategies. Cities across the country are in the process of revisiting their digital approaches to center the emerging needs of constituents, with many bring
2020 Broadband Pricing Index
AT&T Phases Out DSL Lines, National Association of Counties on Broadband, Broadband Costs Lower
A recent AT&T statement announced that the company will be phasing out DSL services, which provide internet access over cable technology from the 1990s to over 653,000 AT&T customers. The statement released by the company read, “We’re beginning to phase out outdated services like DSL and new orders
FCC
National Rural Education Association Advocates For Universal Home Broadband Access to Assist Rural Students
October 24, 2020 — Allen Pratt, executive director of the National Rural Education Association, called for delivering universal home broadband access to assist in online learning initiatives during an interview for C-SPAN’s The Communicators series, a weekly series examining the people and events sh
Energy and Commerce
Policymakers Urge Better Broadband Maps, Seek Funding for ‘Rip and Replace,’ and Tout Open Radio Networks
October 23, 2020 — Policymakers called for more accurate broadband maps, continued progress against robocalls, and the use of an open radio access network for advanced wireless communications at the Competitive Carriers Association’s policy forum on Wednesday. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roge
Senate
Senate Judiciary Committee Subpoenas Tech Giants on Controversial Content, Also Advances Supreme Court Nominee
October 23, 2020 — Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee boycotted Thursday’s executive meeting, during which the committee, led by a Republican majority, advanced Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to be a justice on the Supreme Court. Additionally, the committee voted to authorize subpo
2G
Nokia 4G on the Moon, Localities and Drone Operations, Ajit Pai’s 6G Keynote Speech
On Monday, NASA and Finnish telecommunications firm Nokia announced plans to build a 4G cellular network on the moon. The project, for which Nokia will be paid $14.1 million, aims to create the lunar communications infrastructure necessary for voice and video calls, data transmission, robotic contro
Justice Department
Federal Trade Commissioners Disagree About Role of Antitrust Lawsuits Against Big Tech
October 20, 2020 — In the midst of the largest lawsuit against a tech giant in decades, Google, the Technology Policy Institute hosted a conversation with two current and two former Federal Trade Commissioners discussing the state of antitrust in the United States. The Tuesday event aired as part of
