Infrastructure
Congress Must Prioritize Connectivity in Underserved Areas Over Higher Speeds
A House hearing debated the need for broadband and the higher speed thresholds currently before Congress.
Energy and Commerce
House Commerce Committee Aligned on Telecom, Mapping and Supply Chain Security, Says Ranking Member
March 18, 2021 – House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, said Wednesday that the committee was among the most bipartisan on issues including telecom. Rodgers, who was speaking at the Internet Innovation Alliance with co-chair Bruce Mehlman, said that
Congress
Emphasis on Combating COVID-19 and Rebuilding Infrastructure at First Energy and Commerce Meeting
January 28, 2021—During the first organizational meeting of the House Commerce Committee of the 117th Congress, Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey welcomed the newest members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bulk of the Committee’s first meeting was dedicated to discussing best prac
Ben Bawtree-Jobson
House Updates HEROES Act Sections on Broadband, New SiFi FiberCity, Smart Cities Council Applications Due
House Democrats revealed an updated version of the HEROES Act in a bid to move the party’s version of COVID-19 relief forward. This version of coronavirus stimulus legislation is one of the few with a number of concrete funding measures for broadband. The $2.2 trillion bill (PDF) would provide fundi
Rural
At INCOMPAS, Top House Democrats Say Republicans’ COVID-19 Broadband Response Inadequate
September 15, 2020 – The lack of access to broadband is still a widespread issue across the country, especially in rural areas, two top House Democrats said Tuesday at the INCOMPAS virtual show ConnectIn. “The failures of this administration are forcing people to put their health and their family’s
Energy and Commerce
Energy and Commerce Committee Advances 3 Communications Bills to the Full House
September 11, 2020 — The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday advanced three communications and technology bills to the full house following a markup of 38 bills. The “Preserving Home and Office Numbers in Emergencies (PHONE) Act of 2019” H.R. 1289, ensures that phone providers don’t giv
Infrastructure
Broadband Discussions at the Democratic National Convention, Section 230, Generation Z Voters
Congressional leaders made calls for modernizing broadband infrastructure nationwide during the second night of the Democratic National Convention, a four-day long virtual event showcasing Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for the presidential election. “We need to rebuild our infrastructure and mak
Antitrust
Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google Respond and Deflect Manifold Criticism by House Judiciary Panel
July 30, 2020 — Wednesday’s House Judiciary Antitrust subcommittee hearing marked the first time four tech CEOs appeared before Congress, and the first time Amazon’s head, Jeff Bezos, spoke to U.S. legislators, albeit remotely. Apple’s Tim Cook, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai
Infrastructure
House Votes to Ban TikTok, Revising Broadband Speed Goals, Rural Mississippi Infrastructure Investments
July 21, 2020 — The House voted to ban TikTok, an app owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, on federal devices due to concerns that the personal information of U.S. representatives could fall into the hands of Chinese government officials, Politico reported. Lawmakers voted 336-71 on Monday to pass
House
Federal IT Systems Unable to Keep Up With Rapidly Changing Circumstances, Say House Oversight Committee Witnesses
July 20, 2020 — Federal information technology systems are outdated and unable to keep up with their exponentially growing responsibilities, said witnesses in a House Oversight Committee hearing Monday. The systems’ “incremental change is insufficient in the face of exponential growth,” said Gordon
Infrastructure
House Democrats Call to Increase Funding for Coronavirus Testing and Tracing
July 20, 2020 — As the United States fosters record breaking infection rates of COVID-19 and looks toward a second wave, it is clear that the crisis will be continuing for some time to come, said members of Congress on Monday. In a conference call sponsored by the New Democrat Coalition, representat
Privacy
Pandemic Has Created an Environment for Consumer Fraud, Say Congressional Leaders
July 10, 2020 — The coronavirus pandemic has created an environment that is highly vulnerable to nefarious actors, said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., in a House Energy and Commerce hearing with members of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on Thursday. A rise in disinformation, brou
Infrastructure
House Republicans Say New Infrastructure Bill Will Be ‘Dead on Arrival’ In the Senate
June 29, 2020 — In a meeting of the House Rules Committee, Republicans said that even if the INVEST in America Act passed in the House, it would be dead on arrival in the Senate. The bill provides nearly $500 billion in funding for transportation infrastructure and broadband construction. Calling it
Energy and Commerce
Witnesses Blame Social Media Algorithms for Spread of Misinformation
June 25, 2020 — Algorithms utilized by platforms to keep users engaged are partially to blame for the heightened state of disinformation which poses a threat to the future of American democracy, argued members of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and the Subcommittee on Consumer Prot
House
House Rural Broadband Task Force Unveils Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act
June 24, 2020 — House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and other members of the Rural Broadband Task Force introduced the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act on Wednesday. The act would invest more than $100 billion in high-speed infrastructure in areas without comprehensive internet ser
Expert Opinion
Debra Berlyn: Pandemic Reveals Need for Congress to Act on Closing Digital Divide
COVID-19 has highlighted the need for broadband services for consumers across the expanse of our country. The crisis has dictated a protracted stay at home period for most of the country that has required our work, school, and entertainment to move from the outside, to the confines of our homes, rel
